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____________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Theatre Royal, 102, High Street,
Chatham, Kent
Above - The Theatre Royal, Chatham in what is probably the 1920s - Courtesy Graham White
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'The new playhouse which Messrs C. and L. B. Barnard have erected in High-street Chatham, has two tiers. There are eight comfortable and tastefully furnished boxes. The front in designed in the French Renaissance style, with a pediment surmounted by a life-size statue. Over these entrances are managerial offices and a handsome circle lounge. The pit entrance in furnished with a patent safety check barrier, the invention of Mr J. L Graydon, of the Middlesex Music Hall. The proscenium opening is 31ft. wide and 18ft. high; width of stage, 71ft. 6 in.; from back of stage to curtain line, 40ft.; from stage to gridiron over-head, 49ft.: pit, 65ft. wide; from curtain line to back of pit 73ft. 6in. The seating accommodation is as follows: - Stalls, 230 seats; dress-circle 160; balcony stalls, 600; pit. 1,000; and gallery, 850. Right - A Programme for 'Arsenic And Old Lace' at the Theatre Royal,
Chatham on September the 8th The interior is decorated with fibrous planter finished in cream, pale blue, and salmon pink, with gilded ornamentation. The lighting throughout is by electricity (the proprietors generate their own by means of a Stockport gas engine and a Castle dynamo of 110 volts). Behind the scenes the electric light has been installed on modern lines. The building is heated throughout on the low-pressure hot water system. The green-room and dressing-rooms, eight in number, are adjoining, but beyond the main walls of the building. The stage is shut off from the auditorium and dressing-rooms by Iron doors and a fire-proof curtain, and there are two exits for most parts of the theatre. Most of the scenery, including the handsome act-drop, is from the studio of Mr Francis H. Bull. Mr Bull has worked into the drop two doors, an entrance and an exit for the use of players taking a call. The fibrous plaster interior decorations and upholstering have been in the able hands of Messrs A. R. Dean, Limited, the well-known Birmingham theatre furnishers. The proprietors are Messrs Chas. Barnard, of the Theatres Royal, Aston and Smethwick, and Mr L B. Barnard, of the Palace of Varieties, Chatham. The management of the house will be in the hands of the son of the last-named gentleman, Mr Lionel Barnard, and Mr Goorge G. Ridley, late of the Gaiety, Birmingham, and already very popular here, will act as secretary. The building has been erected from the plans and designs and under the superintendence of Mr G. E. Bond, M.S.A., of Rochester.
Above - A photograph from the production of 'Arsenic And Old Lace' at the Theatre Royal, Chatham on September the 8th 1947 - Courtesy Rod Allison. The doors of the new theatre were opened to the Public for the first time on Monday, when Miss Emma Hutchison's No. 1 company, under the direction of Mr Percy Hutchinson, performed The Lairs. At 7.30 the curtain was raised to disclose an assembly of Chatham's leading citizens gathered around the proprietors. There were the mayor of Chatham, wearing his chain of office; Alderman Sir Horatio David Davies, M.P. for Chatham and ex-Lord Mayor of London; and a number of Town Councillors and others. Mr Milner Verren sang a verse of the National Anthem. Sir Hortio Davies, in a neat speech, congratulated Messrs Barnard upon their excellent theatre, and shook hands with those gentlemen. Mr Barnard acknowledged Sir Horatio's good wishes. The performance of The Liars was admirable, and gave evident pleasure to the audience. As Sir Christopher Deering Mr Edward Rochelle was very worthy, and his call at the conclusion was undoubtedly well deserved. As Edward Falkner Mr Jno. Dunbar played well. Mr Edward Swinton's Freddie Tatton was capital, and other parts were cleverly sustained by Mr Harold Maxwell, Mr Everard Digby, Mr Walter Russell, Mr Herbert Lloyd, Mr J. W. Marshal, Mr H. L. Pemberton, Mr Jno. Noble, Miss Claire Harford, Miss Millicent Gwynne, Miss Minnie Griffen, Miss Madge Willis, Miss Amy Thomas, and Miss Muriel Johnson. The mounting of the play was excellent and the orchestra, under the leadership of Mr E. W. Eyre, made a favourable impression.' Above text in quotes is from the ERA, 5th of August 1899 - Courtesy BF. The Theatre is said to have had a capacity of 2,840 when it opened but this was reduced to a more modest 1,500 when shortly after the Theatre opened a major fire in 1900 meant that the Theatre had to be completely rebuilt, which was once again designed by G. E. Bond.
Above - Cast details from a programme for 'Arsenic And Old Lace' at the Theatre Royal, Chatham on September the 8th 1947 - Courtesy Rod Allison. The Theatre was redecorated in 1938 by Andrew Mather and renamed the Royal Hippodrome but the Theatre then went on to have a very sorry future. Known as the Theatre Royal again by the 1940s the Theatre closed in 1953 and soon became derelict. The Theatre was even used as a furniture showroom for some time, using the auditorium and foyer spaces. A fire in the 1960s gutted the stage house, and the proscenium was then bricked up and the boxes were removed. After the Furniture showroom moved out the Theatre went into even furthur decline due to vandalism and lack of care for the building. By the 1980s local people had had enough and a campaign was begun by 'The Theatre Royal Chatham Trust' to restore the Theatre but although this looked hopeful for a while, in 2002 they were forced to give up and the building was sold to a Housing Association. Sadly in March 2009 the Theatre Royal, Chatham was demolished. For a great deal more information on the Theatre Royal, Chatham, with many images, past and present, you may like to visit Graham White's Website on the history of the Theatre Royal here... |
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The
Theatre Royal in Chatham, Kent was designed as a Playhouse, and 
