The Regent Theatre is a theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Constructed in 1929 as a cinema, it is one of several theatres in the city centre and one of two operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The building was converted for full-time use as a theatre in 1999, and since then has hosted a number of shows and musicals. The theatre is also the northern base for the Glyndebourne Touring Opera.
The building was originally opened as a cinema,[2] having been commissioned by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres. The Regent was one of a number of "Regents" built across the country by the company, including one in Bournemouth, Brighton and Bristol.[3] The building was designed by William E. Trent and opened in 1929 by the Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, William Leason. The building was not only designed for cinema use, but for cine-variety with the stage being used in its early years to host stage performances in-between films.[3] A Wurtlizer organ was also installed.
In 1950, The Regent, by this point owned by Gaumont British, was renamed The Gaumont and began to host local amateur dramatic performances following the closure of the nearby Theatre Royal. The Gaumont also hosted live concerts, including performances by Shirley Bassey, Cliff Richard, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles.[3] The building was converted into a three screen cinema and renamed The Gaumont Film Centre in 1974, before being taken over by Odeon in 1976.[3] The success of the venue in the eighties led to the construction of a new eight screen Odeon multiplex in 1989, with the old building closing.
Renovation and 21st CenturyEdit
By the late 1990s, the building's condition had deteriorated and the interior dome had suffered from extensive water damage. The 'Regent Theatre Trust' was set up to manage the renovation and restoration of the building by a small grouped headed by Richard Talbot, before the council took over the redevelopment as part of its Cultural Quarter scheme. The original stage house and part of the auditorium were demolished, and a new stage, backstage facilities and orchestra pit built. The auditorium was restored, with a new proscenium arch constructed, alongside new front-of-house facilities and full disabled access. Following a three-year, £23 million development, The Regent held a preopening concert performed by The Porthill Players, a local amateur dramatic society and it was then officially reopened on 22 September 1999 with a performance of the national tour of Annie. Elizabeth II officially opened The Regent Theatre in October 1999.[3]
The theatre is built in the Art Deco style. Its frontage is clad in white glazed terracotta, featuring mask representations of comedy and tragedy in each corner. [3]
ReferencesEdit
^"The Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall". The Staffordshire Stoke on Trent Conference Bureau. n.d. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
regent, theatre, stoke, trent, this, article, relies, excessively, references, primary, sources, please, improve, this, article, adding, secondary, tertiary, sources, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, march, 2010, learn, when, remove, thi. This article relies excessively on references to primary sources Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources Find sources Regent Theatre Stoke on Trent news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Regent Theatre is a theatre in Stoke on Trent England Constructed in 1929 as a cinema it is one of several theatres in the city centre and one of two operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group on behalf of Stoke on Trent City Council The building was converted for full time use as a theatre in 1999 and since then has hosted a number of shows and musicals The theatre is also the northern base for the Glyndebourne Touring Opera Regent TheatreThe main entranceAddressPicadillyStoke on TrentEnglandOwnerAmbassador Theatre GroupTypeTheatreCapacity1 600 1 Opened1929 as Super Cinema 1999 as the Regent Theatre WebsiteOfficial Website Contents 1 History 1 1 20th Century 1 2 Renovation and 21st Century 2 Architecture 3 References 4 External linksHistory Edit20th Century Edit The building was originally opened as a cinema 2 having been commissioned by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres The Regent was one of a number of Regents built across the country by the company including one in Bournemouth Brighton and Bristol 3 The building was designed by William E Trent and opened in 1929 by the Lord Mayor of Stoke on Trent William Leason The building was not only designed for cinema use but for cine variety with the stage being used in its early years to host stage performances in between films 3 A Wurtlizer organ was also installed In 1950 The Regent by this point owned by Gaumont British was renamed The Gaumont and began to host local amateur dramatic performances following the closure of the nearby Theatre Royal The Gaumont also hosted live concerts including performances by Shirley Bassey Cliff Richard Stevie Wonder and The Beatles 3 The building was converted into a three screen cinema and renamed The Gaumont Film Centre in 1974 before being taken over by Odeon in 1976 3 The success of the venue in the eighties led to the construction of a new eight screen Odeon multiplex in 1989 with the old building closing Renovation and 21st Century Edit By the late 1990s the building s condition had deteriorated and the interior dome had suffered from extensive water damage The Regent Theatre Trust was set up to manage the renovation and restoration of the building by a small grouped headed by Richard Talbot before the council took over the redevelopment as part of its Cultural Quarter scheme The original stage house and part of the auditorium were demolished and a new stage backstage facilities and orchestra pit built The auditorium was restored with a new proscenium arch constructed alongside new front of house facilities and full disabled access Following a three year 23 million development The Regent held a preopening concert performed by The Porthill Players a local amateur dramatic society and it was then officially reopened on 22 September 1999 with a performance of the national tour of Annie Elizabeth II officially opened The Regent Theatre in October 1999 3 Since reopening in 1999 the theatre has presented numerous national tours Thoroughly Modern Millie Cats Starlight Express 42nd Street and The Woman in Black The theatre also hosts an annual pantomime frequently starring local celebrity Jonathan Wilkes 3 Architecture EditThe theatre is built in the Art Deco style Its frontage is clad in white glazed terracotta featuring mask representations of comedy and tragedy in each corner 3 References Edit The Regent Theatre amp Victoria Hall The Staffordshire Stoke on Trent Conference Bureau n d Retrieved 22 August 2014 Victoria Hall Ambassador Theatre Group n d Retrieved 25 November 2011 a b c d e f g Neale William 2011 2010 Old Theatres in the Potteries 2nd ed William A Neale pp 105 111 ISBN 9781446638460 External links EditRegent Theatre official website Regent Theatre Stoke 53 01 28 N 2 10 35 W 53 0244 N 2 1765 W 53 0244 2 1765 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Regent Theatre Stoke on Trent amp oldid 1148464997, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
