The Theatre Royal, Hanley was a theatre in Stoke-on-Trent,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

with a long history.

History

1st Building

The ''Royal Pottery Theatre'' opened on 25 November 1852 in Brunswick Street, Hanley, and was initially run by James Rogers. The building was converted from a Chartist meeting hall, and was originally a Methodist chapel. In 1857, this building was gutted and extended to create a larger venue for 1,400, such was the theatre's success.

2nd Building

In 1870 the old ''Royal Pottery Theatre''; was demolished and the new ''Theatre Royal and Opera House'' constructed. Designed by R. Twemlow to a cost of £4,500, it could hold 3,600. The facade of this building can be seen in Brunswick Street today as the entrance to the 'Fiction' nightclub. James Elphinstone took over in 1872, and his family ran the theatre for decades.

3rd Building

Elphinstone obtained plans from

Charles J. Phipps Charles John Phipps (25 March 1835 – 25 May 1897) was an English architect best known for his more than 50 theatres built in the latter half of the 19th century, including several important London theatres. He is also noted for his design of ...

and

Frank Matcham Francis Matcham (22 November 1854 – 17 May 1920)Mackintosh, Iain"Matcham, Frank" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 7 July 2019 was an English architect who specialised in the design o ...

, renowned theatrical architects, and again rebuilt the venue in 1887. A new auditorium was constructed to the south of the old theatre, which was converted into the stage. Entrance for the 2,600 patrons was still from Brunswick Street until a new entrance block was constructed in Pall Mall, still visible today with additional rendering. Further work took place in 1894 by

to extend the auditorium southwards to increase its capacity, and to install electric light. The theatre mainly featured a mix of drama, opera, and musical comedy until the 1920s when variety became the mainstay. The theatre's 'Hanley Babes', formed from young girls from local dance groups, became synonymous with the annual pantomime. On 2 June 1949, the stage and auditorium of the venue were destroyed by fire in the early hours during a run of the

Sadler's Wells Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded i ...

4th Building

1951–1961

Work began in 1950 to construct a new theatre in the ruins of the old. Designed by Edward Foresaw and George Greaves. it could hold 1,800 people over three levels. The opening performance was on 14 August 1951, with the national tour of Annie Get Your Gun. The rise of television meant audiences dwindled, and owners Mecca converted the theatre to bingo in 1961 although local amateur dramatics still hired the venue. In 1966 a casino was opened on the stage, ending this practice.

1981–2000

In 1981 Mecca closed the bingo operation, and a local trust purchased the theatre. Following minor renovation it reopened in December 1982 with the pantomime

Babes in the Wood Babes in the Wood is a traditional English children's tale, as well as a popular pantomime subject. It has also been the name of some other unrelated works. The expression has passed into common language, referring to inexperienced innocents en ...

. The theatre became moderately successful in the 1980s, producing a number of shows including

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...

and the legendary UK tour of

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...

. The theatre's finances and management were troubled, suffering numerous lawsuits, bankruptcy hearings and new management teams. Whilst the nearby Regent Theatre obtained funding to be refurbished, local businessman Mike Lloyd purchased the Theatre Royal in 1996 and commenced a full refurbishment and renamed the building 'The Royal'. This too failed, with the building being sold off and gutted in 2000. Purchased by Luminar Leisure, it now houses two nightclubs.

References

{{coord, 53.0250, -2.1778, region:GB, display=title Buildings and structures in Stoke-on-Trent Theatres in Staffordshire Tourist attractions in Stoke-on-Trent