Theatre Royal

Website http://www.theatreroyal.org/newsite/trhome.asp

Classification Theatre

DescriptionThe Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds was opened by its proprietor and architect William Wilkins (1778–1839) on the 11 October 1819, and was one of the most elegant, sophisticated and up-to-date playhouses of its age. The fact that it has survived, without significant alteration, into our time is a miracle and it is now one of only three buildings to give the experience of theatre-going in pre-Victorian Britain.

Wilkins was an architect of national repute, responsible for, amongst other buildings, the National Gallery in London and Downing College, Cambridge. As the proprietor of the Norwich circuit, he employed a small company of players to undertake an annual tour of six theatres, Yarmouth, Ipswich, Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds, Colchester and King's Lynn. Each was open for just one or two short seasons during the year. The Bury theatre opened for the Great Fair in early October to mid-November and was only available for special events at other times of the year. At that time, it would certainly have enjoyed large audiences particularly as the local community would not have been able to travel far for entertainment, until the arrival of the railway in the 1840s.
W. S. Penley as the first Charley's Aunt, Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez, performed at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, in 1892.
Enlarge
W. S. Penley as the first Charley's Aunt, Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez, performed at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, in 1892.

The Norwich comedians were disbanded in 1843 and at Bury there followed more than half a century of economic difficulty and theatrical gloom. This was alleviated briefly in 1892 when the world premiere of Charley's Aunt was staged at the Theatre. The Theatre closed in 1903 but it reopened in 1906 when alterations to the building were made by the architect Bertie Crewe.

Greene King, the local brewery, purchased the freehold, which it still owns, in 1920. However, in 1925, in the face of overwhelming competition from two new cinemas, the Theatre closed once more. Greene King had struggled to keep the Theatre in operation but was now content to use the building as a barrel store. So it remained until the 1960s when a group of local people led by Air Vice Marshal Stanley Vincent raised over £37,000 to restore and re-open the Theatre Royal in 1965. The building was vested in the National Trust in 1975 on a 999 year lease.

The Theatre Royal is now managed as an independent working theatre by the Bury St Edmunds Theatre Management Limited.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article, linked to here.

Position

Photographs

The Address5 Westgate Street, , Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 1QR

Phone01284 755127

DateOct 20, 2006

Contact NameTheatre Royal

CategoryEngland > Suffolk
England > Suffolk > Attractions in Bury St Edmunds

Email send email to Theatre Royal

Local Information

Other Nearby Attractions

National Trust Ickworth House, Park and Garden is 2.83 Miles away
Ickworth in Suffolk has something for everyone: a house with fascinating history and exquisite collections,...
Go Ape is 5.55 Miles away
Go Ape courses consist of rope bridges, zip slides and tarzan swings, set amongst beautiful forests great...
Mildenhall Swimming Pool is 11.05 Miles away
The pool is conveniently located next to the town's free car park. All lifeguards are RLSS qualified and...
Wild Tracks Off Road Activity Park is 11.10 Miles away
WildTracks is one of a kind. It is the only purpose-built offroad activity park in the UK dedicated to a...
Mildenhall Museum is 11.20 Miles away
The history of the small market town of Mildenhall can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times although nothing...

Campsites located nearby this attraction

Golf Courses nearby this attraction

Bury St Edmunds Golf Club is 2.13 Miles away
The parkland course is situated in 150 acres on the western outskirts of the town and can be easily spotted...
Stowmarket Golf Club is 10.04 Miles away
Many years ago a golfing husband and wife were scouring the county of Suffolk for a golf club that would...
Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club is 11.45 Miles away
The Royal Worlington & Newmarket golf course was founded in 1893 and is the home course of Cambridge...
Thetford Golf Club is 12.06 Miles away
A challenging par 72 course set in the beautiful Breckland forest area of East Anglia. The pine, oak, and...
Newton Green Golf Club is 13.70 Miles away
ewton Green Golf club was founded as a 9-hole common land course in 1907. It is one of the oldest golf...