The Prince's Theatre in Oxford Street, Manchester, England, was built at a cost of £20,000 in 1864. Under the artistic and managerial leadership of Charles Calvert, "Manchester's most celebrated actor-manager", it soon became a great popular success. The theatre's first production, Shakespeare's The Tempest, took place on 15 October 1864;[1] Calvert himself played Prospero and his wife took the role of Miranda. The Times newspaper of 18 October reported that the 1,590-seat theatre "was exceedingly well filled", and declared the evening "a brilliant success".[2] The theatre subsequently became synonymous with Calvert's elaborate and historically accurate Shakespearian productions.[1]
The theatre's interior was extensively rebuilt by Alfred Darbyshire in 1869. The work included the addition of 300 seats,[1] and featured a frieze over the proscenium painted by Henry Stacy Marks showing Shakespeare flanked by muses and his principal characters. The Prince's was the first theatre to introduce tip-up seats and "early doors" tickets, which for a premium allowed patrons to enter the theatre early, to avoid the usual opening-time crush.[1] In 1874 the theatre was the venue for the premiere of Alfred Cellier's comic operaThe Sultan of Mocha.
The years after the First World War saw a decline in the theatre's fortunes, and by the 1930s the increasing competition from cinema was threatening its viability. The final performance took place in April 1940, after which the building was sold to the ABC cinema company, who intended to replace it with a large cinema complex. Although the theatre was demolished shortly afterwards, the intervention of the Second World War meant that the cinema was never built; the site is now occupied by Peter House, a large office complex completed in 1958.[1][3]
prince, theatre, manchester, prince, theatre, oxford, street, manchester, england, built, cost, 1864, under, artistic, managerial, leadership, charles, calvert, manchester, most, celebrated, actor, manager, soon, became, great, popular, success, theatre, first. The Prince s Theatre in Oxford Street Manchester England was built at a cost of 20 000 in 1864 Under the artistic and managerial leadership of Charles Calvert Manchester s most celebrated actor manager it soon became a great popular success The theatre s first production Shakespeare s The Tempest took place on 15 October 1864 1 Calvert himself played Prospero and his wife took the role of Miranda The Times newspaper of 18 October reported that the 1 590 seat theatre was exceedingly well filled and declared the evening a brilliant success 2 The theatre subsequently became synonymous with Calvert s elaborate and historically accurate Shakespearian productions 1 Prince s TheatreAddressOxford StreetManchesterEnglandCapacity1 590 increased to 1 890 in 1869ConstructionOpened1864Closed1940ArchitectEdward Salomons 1 The theatre s interior was extensively rebuilt by Alfred Darbyshire in 1869 The work included the addition of 300 seats 1 and featured a frieze over the proscenium painted by Henry Stacy Marks showing Shakespeare flanked by muses and his principal characters The Prince s was the first theatre to introduce tip up seats and early doors tickets which for a premium allowed patrons to enter the theatre early to avoid the usual opening time crush 1 In 1874 the theatre was the venue for the premiere of Alfred Cellier s comic opera The Sultan of Mocha The years after the First World War saw a decline in the theatre s fortunes and by the 1930s the increasing competition from cinema was threatening its viability The final performance took place in April 1940 after which the building was sold to the ABC cinema company who intended to replace it with a large cinema complex Although the theatre was demolished shortly afterwards the intervention of the Second World War meant that the cinema was never built the site is now occupied by Peter House a large office complex completed in 1958 1 3 References EditCitations Edit a b c d e f Rudyard amp Wyke 1994 pp 47 48 The Drama in Manchester The Times 18 October 1864 retrieved 29 December 2010 subscription or UK public library membership required The Good the Standard and the Ugly Peter House Architecture Manchester Confidential 23 November 2009 archived from the original on 7 June 2012 retrieved 3 April 2012 Bibliography Edit Rudyard Nigel Wyke Terry 1994 Manchester Theatres Bibliography of North West England ISBN 978 0 947969 18 9 Coordinates 53 28 38 N 2 14 37 W 53 4771 N 2 2437 W 53 4771 2 2437 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Prince 27s Theatre Manchester amp oldid 1083681670, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
