The Gaiety Theatre and Opera House is a theatre in

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

, Isle of Man which together with the Villa Marina forms the VillaGaiety complex. The Gaiety is situated on Douglas promenade, overlooking the sea and adjacent to the Villa Gardens, Arcade and Butts. Built in 1899 to the designs of architect

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 ...

as an opera house and theatre''A brief theatre history'' (Gaiety Theatre, Isle of Man)
accessed 24 November 2007 the Gaiety, along with the nearby Villa Marina, stands on the site of a lodge occupied in the early 19th century by

Castle Mona Castle Mona is a former private residence later used as a hotel in Douglas, Isle of Man. The house was built between 1803 and 1804 for John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl during his capacity as the Isle of Man's Governor General.Isle of Man Times, ...

architect and

Atholl Atholl or Athole ( gd, Athall; Old Gaelic ''Athfhotla'') is a large historical division in the Scottish Highlands, bordering (in anti-clockwise order, from Northeast) Marr, Badenoch, Lochaber, Breadalbane, Strathearn, Perth, and Gowrie. H ...

family retainer George Steuart, and then later bought by benefactor Henry Bloom Noble and donated for recreational use.''Isle of Man Examiner.'' Tuesday, 1 November 2006. Page27

History

The Gaiety Theatre, Harris Promenade, Douglas, Isle of Man

The Pavilion

The Pavilion had been built in 1893 at the height of the Island's tourism boom and was owned by Richard Maltby Broadbent, the man who turned

Groudle Glen Groudle, or Groudle Glen, a glen on the outskirts of Onchan on the Isle of Man, is formed in a valley leading to the sea at the small port of the same name. It is one of the officially-listed Manx National Glens. Groudle was a remote hamlet bo ...

into pleasure gardens and was instrumental in the construction of the

Groudle Glen Railway The Groudle Glen Railway ( Manx: ''Raad Yiarn Glion Ghroudal'') is a narrow gauge railway near Onchan in the Isle of Man, on the boundary of Onchan and Lonan, which is owned and operated by a small group of enthusiastic volunteers and opera ...

. The venue was operated by the Pavilion Company Ltd. The idea was that the Pavilion would match the theatres and dance halls at other resorts such as

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...

. To create the space needed a ''"Belfast Roof"'' was built, meaning a barrel vaulted roof was formed from iron sections bolted together into hoops which were then reinforced and faced with laminated wood. However the venture was not a success, and the Pavilion closed after only six seasons following which Broadbent sold the land to the Palace and Derby Castle Company.

Gaiety Theatre

The new owners enlisted the services of

to carry out an extensive renovation of the venue with Matcham presenting his plans for the theatre to Douglas Corporation in March 1899. Part of the plans saw the creation of a glass ceiling to afford maximum light together with an elegant and playful interior inside the narrow shell of the Pavilion's Belfast Roof and the remains of the Villa house. The stage was extended by and the resulting loss of seating was made up for by enlarging the circle and adding the third level. The under-stage machinery was installed by the

firm of J.L. Killip & Collister of Tynwald Street. The new entrance facade, with its upstairs loggia, pedimented towers and flamboyant stucco decoration, took its inspiration from the buildings of the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

, while the interior, with its ceiling paintings and ornate plasterwork, combined

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

and Elizabethan elements. An ingenious feature also found in Matcham's theatre in

Buxton, Derbyshire Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level. The theatre opened on 16 July 1900, with a West End production of ''"The Telephone Girl"'' featuring

Ada Blanche Ada Blanche (born Ada Cecilia Blanche Adams; 16 July 1862 – 1 January 1953) was an English actress and singer known early in her career for vivacious performances in Victorian burlesque and pantomime and later in character roles in Edwardian m ...

. The theatre enjoyed considerable success in the

Edwardian era The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Vic ...

until the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

in 1914, but then much harder times set in after the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

and the theatre fell into decline along with the Island's tourist industry. Various attempts were made to regain its former commercial success, including installation of cinema equipment in the 1920s and a 1938

ice show An ice show is an entertainment production which is primarily performed by ice skaters. Such shows may primarily be skating exhibitions, or may be musical and/or dramatic in nature, using skating as a medium in order to accompany a musical wo ...

. The

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

period and aftermath saw deterioration of the building outside the means of the owners to repair and by 1970 the theatre came ''"just one signature away"'' from being demolished. In 1971 the

Isle of Man Government The Isle of Man Government ( gv, Reiltys Ellan Vannin) is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, the personal representative of Charles III. The executive head is the Chie ...

acquired the dilapidated building from the Palace and Derby Castle Company for the sum of £41,000. It also granted a further £9,000 for essential repairs, as the circle bar, toilets and stage all needed a revamp.

Restoration

In 1976 the restoration began under the direction of architect and theatre expert, Victor Glasstone. The theatre underwent further restoration, under the direction of Mervin Stokes, MBE, from the 1990s to replicate its 1900 opening condition in time for the centenary celebration in 2000. Exactly 100 years after opening, on 16 July 2000, the centenary was celebrated with a performance of ''"The Telephone Girl"'' which opened the Gaiety in 1900 and following which was a performance of ''"The Corsican Brothers,"'' a popular play which in Victorian times and a special 'Corsican Trap' was constructed for the performance. It is believed to be the only working Corsican Trap in the World. Another unique feature of the theatre is the working Act Drop depicting a dancing lady. The restoration of the Gaiety Theatre was directed over several years by the Theatre Manager of the day, Mervin Russell Stokes, who was later made an MBE for his contribution to the project. It was he who, with help, arranged for the funding and closely supervised the work done, carrying out some of it himself, always with a view to strict authenticity, even down to having the original paint colours, wallpaper and carpeting recreated. He went to great lengths to return the building to as near its original appearance as possible. He was responsible for the Gaiety's famous 'Corsican Trap,' and other period stage machinery, and it is to him, more than any other individual, that credit must be given.

Current use

Today the theatre continues with productions by local companies and touring productions of musicals, drama and opera. It now forms a part of the VillaGaiety complex together with the Villa Marina, a nearby 1,620 capacity auditorium. The Gaiety Theatre featured on Isle of Man commemorative stamps in 1987, 1994 and 2000. In February 2008, The Gaiety hosted a Hollywood movie '' Me and Orson Welles'', starring

Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' trilo ...

, Christian McKay and

Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. She is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2012, '' Time'' named her one of the 100 most influenti ...

. The Gaiety replicates the

Mercury Theatre The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury als ...

in New York in 1937.

Friends of the Gaiety

In 1978 the organisation Friends of the Gaiety was formed to help attract larger audiences to the theatre as well as undertaking fundraising.

Filmography

The Gaiety Theatre was used as a location in the 2008 film, Me and Orson Welles.

Gallery

References

External links

Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre Website

Unofficial Theatre website
{{Coord, 54.155, -4.478, display=title, region:IM_type:landmark Theatres completed in 1900 Buildings and structures in Douglas, Isle of Man Theatres in the Isle of Man Art Nouveau architecture in the Isle of Man Art Nouveau theatres Opera houses in England Registered Buildings of the Isle of Man