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The Theatre Royal, Brighton is a theatre in
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, England presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
and
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...
.


History

In 1806 the Prince of Wales (later
George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
) gave
Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...
for the theatre to be built and it opened on 27 June 1807, with a performance of
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
''. The theatre struggled until it was purchased in 1854 by actor Henry John Nye Chart, who engaged theatre architect
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 ...
to begin a programme of expansion and redevelopment. The theatre improved its reputation and finances, becoming a respected venue. When Henry John Nye Chart died in 1876 his wife, Ellen Elizabeth Nye Chart, took over and continued the success as one of the first female theatre managers. There is a statue to honour her in the Royal Circle bar. The venue used to have a "gulp bar", a backstage bar where actors could get a drink, even mid-performance. In 1920 the financial buoyancy of the Theatre enabled the directors to buy adjacent properties and make substantial improvements to the building. In 1923 the Theatre purchased the Colonnade Hotel, now the Colonnade bar and in 1927 the last major structural enlargement was made to the auditorium. In 1928
Walter C. Hackett Walter C. Hackett (November 10, 1876 – January 20, 1944) was an American-British playwright. Biography Several of his stage works (such as '' Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure'', ''The Freedom of the Seas'', ''The Regeneration'', ''Hyde Park Corn ...
's '' Other Men's Wives'' premiered at the theatre before transferring to the West End. Later premieres included '' The Ninth Man'' (1931), '' Frieda'' (1946), '' Young Wives' Tale'' (1949), '' Escapade'' (1952) and ''
Not in the Book ''Not in the Book'' is a comedy thriller play by the British writer Arthur Watkyn. It was first performed at the Theatre Royal in Brighton before transferring to the Criterion Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 487 performances betwee ...
'' (1958). In the mid and later 20th Century the Royal's stature and national reputation continued to grow. Ibsen, Rattigan,
Coward Cowardice is a trait wherein excessive fear prevents an individual from taking a risk or facing danger. It is the opposite of courage. As a label, "cowardice" indicates a failure of character in the face of a challenge. One who succumbs to cowa ...
and Orton plays opened as a try out date before a London West End run. The Redgrave Family,
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...
, John Gielgud,
Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten ...
,
Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...
, Margot Fonteyn, Rex Harrison,
Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...
and Paul Scofield all performed there. In 1984, London impresario
David Land David Land (22 May 1918 – 22 December 1995) was an impresario and theatre producer, best known for having developed the early careers of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Early life Land was born 22 May 1918 in London to Polish Jewish immigr ...
, bought the theatre and subsidised productions at the theatre out of his own pocket up to £400,000 a year. Land and later his son, Brook, ran the theatre for a decade and a half revitalising the Royal with popular acts. In 1999 the Theatre Royal was bought by the Ambassador Theatre Group and a full-scale modernisation commenced. In 2007 the theatre celebrated its 200th anniversary with a visit from the Queen. The venue offers backstage tours, where the public can go behind the scenes at this
grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
listed building. In recent years, catering to a wider demographic, the Theatre Royal Brighton has chosen to offer an alternative to a Christmas pantomime, which it historically performed, replacing such shows with hits such as ''Spamalot'' (2011), ''The Rocky Horror Show'' (2012), and ''Priscilla Queen of the Desert'' (2013). It also regularly hosts performances during the city's annual
Brighton Festival Brighton Festival is a large, annual, curated multi-arts festival in England. It includes music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and family events, and takes place in venues in the city of Brighton and Hove in Engla ...
.


References


External links


History of Brighton's Theatres Including the Theatre Royal

Theatre Royal Brighton
{{Coord, 50, 49, 24, N, 0, 08, 22, W, region:GB, display=title Theatres in Brighton and Hove Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove Clayton & Black buildings Charles J. Phipps buildings