Astley's Amphitheatre was a theatre on Peter Street,
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, which operated from 1789 to 1812. Established by
Philip Astley
Philip Astley (8 January 1742 – 20 October 1814) was an English equestrian, circus owner, and inventor, regarded as being the " father of the modern circus". Modern circus, as an integrated entertainment experience that includes music, domes ...
, it was Ireland's first circus and, in later years, was known as the Royal Hibernian Theatre.
History
Philip Astley
Philip Astley (8 January 1742 – 20 October 1814) was an English equestrian, circus owner, and inventor, regarded as being the " father of the modern circus". Modern circus, as an integrated entertainment experience that includes music, domes ...
used his fame and military connections with
Capel Molyneux to obtain a patent in 1788. A theatre was later established on 26 November 1789, to the rear of the
Molyneux home on Peter Street facing onto
Bride Street. In the 1790s the venue was known as Astley's Dublin Amphitheatre, after
Astley's Amphitheatre of London, and featured the Jacobin Revolutionary Theatre and the Early Circus.
In 1794 Astley rented the theatre to William Parker and Benjamin Handy with the permission of the Lord Mayor of Dublin. In 1805,
Joseph Grimaldi
Joseph Grimaldi (18 December 1778 – 31 May 1837)Moody, Jane"Grimaldi, Joseph" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 13 February 2012 was an English actor, comedian and dancer, who became the most ...
performed here. At the time, the theatre was badly in need of repair. As audiences were small, and the show's box-office takings suffered, Grimaldi donated his salary to help pay for the renovation of the theatre. The Dibdin company, with Grimaldi, transferred to the nearby
Crow Street Theatre where they performed a
benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate h ...
in aid of Astley's.
Astley sold the theatre in 1803, and it later became the Royal Hibernian Theatre before closing in 1812. The main Molyneux house went on to become the
Molyneux Asylum
The Molyneux Asylum for Blind Females was opened June 1, 1815 in Peter Street, Dublin, in what was formerly the residence of Thomas Molyneux (1641-1733), whose sister-in-law, Lucy Domville, had been blind. The building had been sold to Philip ...
in 1815, while the site of the theatre went on to become the Molyneux chapel in 1860.
References
Theatres in Dublin (city)
Demolished buildings and structures in Dublin
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