Theatre Royal, Newcastle

The Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was designed by Richard Grainger and opened on 20 February 1837 with a performance of The Merchant of Venice.

Following a performance of Macbeth, a huge fire destroyed the interior of the building in 1899. It was redesigned by Frank Matcham and reopened on 31 December 1901. The theatre's restaurant is named after Matcham.

It underwent a major refurbishment and restoration in the latter part of the 1980s, reopening on 11 January 1988 with a performance of A Man For All Seasons starring Charlton Heston.

The theatre hosts a variety of shows, including ballet, contemporary dance, drama, musicals and opera. The Royal Shakespeare Company visits annually. The Christmas pantomime is also very popular.

The Original Theatre Royal

Newcastle's original Theatre Royal opened on 21 January 1788. It's location on Mosely Street, however, obstructed the plans for the redevelopment of the city centre. The original theatre's final performance was on 25 June 1836.

External link

• Official site
• History page at the Official Site - an important resource for this article