Bristol Old Vic, Bristol Theatre Royal Complex Redevelopment Appeal

Bristol Theatre Royal Complex Redevelopment Appeal

History

Theatre Royal Complex

The Theatre Royal, Bristol is a unique, heritage gem. In 1764, when many actors were still classed as rogues and vagabonds, a group of 50 philanthropic merchants, lawyers and politicians had the foresight to join together and fund the construction of the first theatre within the City of Bristol. In return for the then princely sum of £50, each of these founders received a silver token admitting the bearer to the “sight of every performance”. Many of these original tokens are in existence today, and are still honoured by the theatre.

Construction began in 1764, to a design by the Bristol architect Thomas Paty, which was loosely based on London’s Drury Lane Theatre. His most significant alteration was to the shape of the auditorium – for the first time in Britain, the traditional ‘rectangle’ was replaced by a horseshoe – a layout which is now to be found across the nation and the world.

The theatre received its first Royal visitor within a month of its May 1766 opening, when the Duke of York “expressed his high approbation of the Structure and of the Performance,” but it would not obtain a Royal Licence until 1778, when it was granted by King George III.

In 1800 the ornate star-studded ceiling was sloped to allow for the construction of the gallery tier, and, apart from some repair work after World War II, the Theatre Royal remained largely unchanged until 1970, when leading post-war architect Peter Moro created the current Theatre Royal Complex. By remodelling and incorporating the neighbouring Coopers’ Hall (designed by William Halfpenny and dating from 1744), the theatre was given the grand façade and foyer area it had always lacked. At the same time, the Studio Theatre (a flexible 150-seat black box space) and substantial backstage, technical and administrative facilities were constructed within the Complex.

Today the Theatre Royal is held in trust for the benefit of the nation, and serves as a rare example of a Georgian town theatre, its survival is all the more impressive in comparison to the 12–18 year lifespan of its peers. In recognition of the great architectural importance of the Theatre Royal itself, and Moro’s redevelopment, the entire Theatre Royal Complex was Grade I listed in 2000.

The Company

Throughout its history, the Theatre Royal has been home to many theatre companies – most recently, since its creation in 1946, the Bristol Old Vic Company. A joint venture between the newly formed Arts Council, and the London Old Vic, it was a popular and successful attempt to place a residential theatre company of the highest quality in Bristol. The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School was originally part of the producing company, and though it is now a separate organisation, the two are closely associated.

Both the Theatre and the School have relationships with well-known, talented actors, many of whom performed upon the Theatre Royal stage early in their careers – Daniel Day-Lewis, Jeremy Irons, Jane Lapotaire, Peter O’Toole, Pete Postlethwaite, Greta Scacchi, Patrick Stewart, and Susannah York to name but a few. The Company also has a tradition of fostering or showcasing the work of talented playwrights, including Catherine Johnson, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Harold Pinter & Tom Stoppard.