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The Theatre Royal, Newcastle

Newcastle Index

Above - The Theatre Royal, Newcastle during the run of Can-Can on the 5th of March
1956 - Courtesy Gerry Atkins

In the early days in Newcastle, the performing of stage plays was a matter of some difficulty, and in order to escape the jurisdiction of the Magistrates, for a long time plays were acted at the Moothall, which, though within Newcastle, is outside the liberties of the town.

In the Weekly Flying post of January 10th, 1656, we read "On the 28th December, a cluster of lewd fellows advertising to act a comedy within the precincts and bounds of this town, daring, as it were, authority and outfacing justice; our vigilant magistrates, hearing of it, resolved to set a boundary to their sinful courses and clip the harvest of their hopes; concluding such enormities the proper nurseries of impiety and therefore they repaired to the place, where having begun.

Left - The original Theatre Royal Newcastle.

Alderman Robert Johnson, Mr. Sheriff, and divers godly men step in to see their sport. But their sudden approach changed the scene both of their play and countenances, so that the interlude, proving ominous, boded no less than a tragedy to the actors, turning the play into a tragi-comedy. After they had done they were apprehended and examined before the Mayor and other justices of the Peace, and found guilty of being common players of interludes, according to the statute made in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, and according to law adjudged to be whipped which accordingly was performed in the public market place"

Above - The Theatre Royal, Newcastle - From a Postcard.

For a few years from 1735, the Edinburgh 'Company performed in a booth in the Castle Yard, and in 1747 the Turk's Head Long Room in the Bigg Market was used as a theatre by a Y o r k Company of players under one Baker, and was known as t h e Theatre in the Bigg Market. This was used for forty years.

Above - The Theate Royal, Newcastle in 2002

The subject of the erection of a new theatre was brought before a public meetting in December, 1784, and it was decided to build a new theatre at an estimated cost of £2,000. At a meeting in July following, the site and plans were determined on and it was decided to take steps to obtain a Royal Patent. letters Patent were granted in 1787 which enabled the promoters to call the theatre the Theatre Royal. The new theatre was opened in January, 1788, having cost about £6,000 instead of £2,000 as first estimated.

Right - The Theatre Royal, Newcastle in 2002 - Courtesy Gareth Price.

The first managers were Austin and Whitlock, who had previously been managers of the Turk's Head Theatre. After a year Austin retired and Whitlock took in as a partner Munden, the comedian who was immortalised by Charles Lamb. In 1792, the Theatre Royal was taken over over by Stephen Kemble, of whom it is related that he became so stout that he could play Falstaff without padding. Kemble retired in 1805 and the theatre passed to William Macready.

The present Theatre Royal in Grey Street was built in 1837, and the old Theatre Royal in Mosley Street was pulled down. The new Theatre Royal was seriously damaged by fire in November, 1899, and the interior was reconstructed on modern lines.

The above text is from a Magazine Programme for the Tivoli Cinema, Strand London.

The Theatre Royal is still a working theatre and you may like to visit the Theatre's own website here...

Horatio Lloyd performed at the Theatre Royal Newcastle in 1848, the following extract is from his autobiography, "Life of an actor." ...I have to say that I never was in the Newcastle Theatre in my life until the month of May, 1848, when the late Mr Edmund Glover and myself rented it for four weeks from Mr Davies, sen., for the sum of £100. We took with us the whole of the Edinburgh company and orchestra, among the former being the celebrated Mr Mackay, to whom we paid £50 for a week's performance of his famous part of Bailie Nicol Jarvie.

Left - The building on the site of the original Theatre Royal, incorporating the original stones from the theatre on the bottom layers - Courtesy Gareth Price 2003.

Also see:

Newcastle Theatre - A personal reminiscence by Donald Auty.

Pantomimes in Newcastle 50 Years Ago by Donald Auty.

Moss Empires' Theatres in the Fifties by Donald Auty.