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Grand Theatre and Opera House, 46 New Briggate, Leeds
Above - The Leeds Grand Theatre during the run of Can-Can on the 11th of June 1956 - Courtesy Gerry Atkins
The Theatre took 13 months to build and opened with a production of 'Much Ado About Nothing' on the 18th of November 1878. Right - The auditorium of the Leeds Grand and Opera House - From The Theatre's Centenary Brochure in 1978 - Courtesy John Grice. The Grand Theatre closed in 2005 for major refurbishment so that it could provide an improved home for Opera North. This included re-seating and re-raking the Stalls, installing air conditioning, and enhancing the backstage areas. A new Opera Centre for Opera North was built close to the Theatre with access via a bridge and includes two rehearsal rooms with the same dimensions as the Theatre's stage. The Grand Theatre reopened on the 7th of October 2006 with a production of Verdi's 'Rigoletto'. Originally the site also included a concert hall called the Assembly Rooms and this was later converted into a cinema called The Plaza which was in use from 1912. The Plaza closed in 1978 however, and was then converted into a rehearsal room for Opera North. This part of the building is now being regenerated and converted into a Studio Theatre in the second phase of the Theatre's refurbishment, which will also include restoration of the building's exterior. The Grand Theatre is Grade II Listed and currently seats 1,500. You may like to visit the Theatre's own Website here. |
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Above - The Leeds Grand and Opera House - From the Theatre's Centenary Brochure in 1978 - Courtesy John Grice. |
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Above - The auditorium of the Leeds Grand and Opera House - From The Theatre's Centenary Brochure in 1978 - Courtesy John Grice. |
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Above - Three Programmes for the Leeds Grand Theatre in 1918 - 'The Carla Rosa Opera Company', 'Seven Day's Leave', and 'The 13th Chair.'
Above - Three Programmes for the Leeds Grand Theatre in 1919 - 'Oh! Joy', 'Reparation', and 'The Scarlet Pimpenel'.
Above - Two Programmes for the Leeds Grand Theatre - 'Sweet Nel of Old Drury' in 1920 and 'The Bird of Paradise in 1921. |
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The
Leeds Grand Theatre was built at a cost of £62,000 by George
Corson, and despite being his only Theatre, is on a vast scale, taking
up three quarters of an acre with a frontage of 162 feet. 
