Palace Theatre, Manchester
Address | Oxford Street Manchester England |
---|---|
Owner | Ambassador Theatre Group as a CIO |
Designation | Grade II |
Type | Receiving house |
Capacity | 1,955 (seated) |
Construction | |
Opened | 18 May 1891; 132 years ago (18 May 1891) |
Renovated | 1896 (redecorated and altered) by Frank Matcham; 1913 (interior) by Bertie Crewe |
Years active | 1891–present |
Architect | Alfred Darbyshire |
Website | |
Palace Theatre, Manchester |
The Palace Theatre is one of the main theatres in Manchester, England. It is situated on Oxford Street, on the north-east corner of the intersection with Whitworth Street. The Palace and its sister theatre the Opera House on Quay Street are operated by the same parent company, Ambassador Theatre Group. The original capacity of 3,675 has been reduced to its current 1,955.[1]
History
The theatre, originally known as "the Grand Old Lady of Oxford Street", opened on 18 May 1891, having been designed by the architect Alfred Darbyshire at a cost of £40,500. The Palace Theatre was redecorated and altered in 1896 to the designs of the renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham, and he again worked on some improvements to the theatre in 1899, when he was commissioned to put in a pass door so that the manager did not have to go outside in the rain and snow to reach backstage, and at the same time he also proposed to carry out some minor alterations and to redecorate the theatre.[2] The interior of the theatre was renovated by Bertie Crewe in 1913; the renovation took seven months and the theatre reopened with a reduced seating capacity of 2,600.[3] In September 1940, the theatre took a direct hit from a German bomb during the Manchester Blitz.[4]
In the 1970s, audience numbers declined, as they did in many live venues, and the theatre was threatened with closure. The Arts Council supported it in the 1980s, and after major internal refurbishment and an enlarged stage facility, it was run by a charitable trust, Norwest Holdings. It was subsequently sold to Ambassador Theatre Group in 2009.[5] In March 2020, the theatre acquired Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) status along with the Opera House.[6]
It is one of the largest and best equipped theatres outside London. It hosts major touring musicals often with major celebrities and performances of opera and ballet, along with various other comedy acts and one night concerts.
Royal Opera House, Manchester
In 2008, the Royal Opera House and Manchester City Council began planning a new development known as Royal Opera House, Manchester. The proposal would have seen the Palace Theatre refurbished, to create a theatre capable of staging productions by both the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera. It was intended that the Royal Opera House would take residence of the theatre for an annual 18-week season, staging 16 performances by the Royal Opera, 28 performances by the Royal Ballet and other small-scale productions.[7][8] A year later, The Lowry sent an open letter to the then Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Ben Bradshaw, Arts Council England, Manchester City Council and the ROH, calling for the scheme in its current form to be scrapped,[9] but the two venues reached an amicable settlement later the same year.[10][11] In 2010 it was announced that the project was being shelved as part of larger arts-funding cuts.[12][13][14]
Productions
The opening presentation, to a capacity audience, was the ballet Cleopatra; however its initial presentations failed to gain popular support and for several years it struggled to make a profit. Only when it broadened its scope to include more popular performers was it a resounding success. During the early part of the 20th century it came into its own, with artists such as Danny Kaye, Gracie Fields, Charles Laughton, Judy Garland, Noël Coward and Laurel and Hardy making appearances.
Continuing a long tradition of tour openings in Manchester, the hit Broadway and West End musical The Producers opened at the theatre in February 2007 for a run until May, when it continued on tour around the UK. Peter Kay starred as Roger Debris for the Manchester dates.
Other shows to have played successful seasons at the Palace Theatre include the regional premiere of Les Misérables, which ran for 13 months from 1992 to 1993, the regional premiere of Miss Saigon in 2001, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2006, and Mamma Mia! over the 2006/07 Christmas season. Broadway musical The Wedding Singer had its UK premiere at the theatre in 2008, and in December 2008 to March 2009 the theatre hosted a season of the UK tour of Mary Poppins, one of only six theatres in the country to accommodate the tour, both events further cementing the theatre's reputation as the flagship venue of the North of England. In July 2009, during the Manchester International Festival, the theatre, in association with Opera North, staged the world première of Rufus Wainwright's opera Prima Donna.
In the summer of 2019, The Book of Mormon UK tour opened at the Palace Theatre, marking the first time the show had been performed in the UK outside of London's West End.[15] The show opened on 6 June 2019, and ran until 24 August.
On 11 November 2023, the first UK and Ireland tour of Hamilton opened at the Palace Theatre for a 15-week season until 24 February 2024.[16]
See also
- Listed buildings in Manchester-M1
- Opera House
- Live Nation deal – Ambassador Theatre Group's acquisition of venues previously owned by Live Nation UK
References
- ^ "Palace Theatre Manchester: Venue Hire". atgtickets.com. Ambassador Theatre Group. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
- ^ "The Palace Theatre, Oxford Street, Manchester". Arthur Lloyd. 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Palace Theatre Manchester: Overview". atgtickets.com. Ambassador Theatre Group. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ^ "Manchester Blitz". iwm.org.uk. Imperial War Museum. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
- ^ "Manchester's Palace Theatre and Opera House sold to Ambassador Group". Manchester Evening News. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Palace Theatre and Opera House Trust". Charities Commission. March 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Higgins, Charlotte (28 October 2008). "Disharmony over Royal Opera's plan to go north". The Guardian.
- ^ Staff writer (31 October 2008). "Northern opera proposal evaluated". BBC News. BBC.
- ^ Brown, Mark (25 June 2009). "Threat to plan for Royal Opera House in the north". The Guardian.
- ^ McKeegan, Alice (9 December 2009). "Deal over Royal Opera move". Manchester Evening News. Reach plc. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Higgins, Charlotte (8 December 2009). "Royal Opera House in Manchester moves a step closer to reality". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ Staff writer (3 November 2010). "ROH shelves its plans to move north". The Stage. The Stage Media Company Ltd. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016.
- ^ Sharp, Rob (27 October 2010). "Royal Opera House shelves move north". The Independent. Independent Print Ltd.
- ^ Staff writer (29 October 2010). "Royal Opera House shelves move North". Place North West. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Mayo, Douglas (18 February 2021). "The Book Of Mormon UK Tour". Britishtheatre.com.
- ^ ""Hamilton" to embark on first UK tour". 21 February 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
External links
- Official website
- via ATG
- Arthur Lloyd's Guide
- v
- t
- e
- Deansgate Square South Tower (201m)
- Beetham Tower (169m)
- Deansgate Square East Tower (158m)
- The Blade (154m)
- Three60 (154m)
- Elizabeth Tower (153m)
- Deansgate Square West Tower (141m)
- Viadux (136m)
- Deansgate Square North Tower (122m)
- CIS Tower (118m)
- Affinity Living Circle Square (116m)
- Oxygen Towers (110m)
- Angel Gardens (108m)
- City Tower (107m)
- Bridgewater Heights (106m)
- Artisan Heights (95m)
- Axis Tower (93m)
- 1 Spinningfields (92m)
- River Street Tower (92m)
- Arndale House (90m)
- Manchester Town Hall Clock Tower (87m)
- Cambridge Street Block A (83m)
- One Regent (82m)
- Civil Justice Centre (81m)
- Manchester One (80m)
- 1 Circle Square (76m)
- 3 Hardman Street (75m)
- Great Northern Tower (72m)
- One Angel Square (72m)
- 3 St Peter's Square (72m)
- The Gate, Angel Meadow (68m)
- The Light House (67m)
- Victoria Residence (67m)
- The Principal Manchester (66m)
- Victoria Mill (65m)
- Albert Bridge House (64m)
- 111 Piccadilly (64m)
- Islington Wharf (64m)
- The Slate Yard Flint Building (64m)
- Skyline Central (63m)
- The Peninsula (63m)
- Cambridge Street Block B (63m)
- No. 1 Deansgate (62m)
- Owens Park Tower (61m)
- Brooklyn Hotel (61m)
- One Castle Wharf (61m)
- Manchester Business School Hotel (60m)
- St James's Buildings (60m)
- 2 Leftbank Apartments (60m)
- 3 Leftbank Apartments (60m)
- 3 Piccadilly Place (60m)
- Chancery Place (60m)
- The Lume (60m)
- Affinity Living Circle Square Tower 2 (60m)
- One St Peter's Square (59m)
- Two St Peter's Square (59m)
- Landmark, St. Peter's Square (59m)
- 2 Circle Square (59m)
- Hotel and MSCP, Circle Square (59m)
- Lowry House (58m)
- Minshull Street Courts (57m)
- UNITE Tower (57m)
- Cornbrook Works Tower 1 (57m)
- Ramada Renaissance Hotel (56m)
- Parkway Gate Block 1 (56m)
- Royal Exchange Theatre (55m)
- 1 New York Street (55m)
- St James's House (55m)
- Bank Chambers (55m)
- Vita Circle Square Tower 1 (54m)
- Kampus Tower 1 (54m)
- Kampus Tower 2 (54m)
- Affinity Living Circle Square Tower 3 (54m)
- No. 1 Marsden Street (53m)
- The Stile, Angel Meadow (53m)
- 82 King Street (52m)
- Oxygen Tower 2 (52m)
- Vox Tower 1 (51m)
- Kampus Tower 3 (51m)
- New Century House (50m)
- Hexagon Tower (50m)
- Parkway Gate Block 2 (50m)
(city centre or Grade II* listed)
- 1 The Avenue
- 1–3 York Street
- 25 St Ann Street
- 38 and 42 Mosley Street
- 46–48 Brown Street
- 50 Newton Street
- 53 King Street
- 84 Plymouth Grove
- 100 King Street
- Afflecks
- Alan Turing Building
- Albert Hall
- Ancoats Hospital
- Arkwright House
- Athenaeum
- Baguley Hall
- Bank Chambers
- Barlow Hall
- Barton Arcade
- Central Library
- Chetham's Library
- Chips
- Clayton Hall
- Corn Exchange
- County Court
- Daily Express
- Dalton-Ellis Hall
- Didsbury Campus
- Estate Exchange
- Former Bank of England
- Free Trade Hall
- Gateway House
- Old Granada Studios
- The Green Building
- Grove House
- The Haçienda
- Hanover Building
- Heaton Hall
- Holyoake House
- Hough End Hall
- Hulme Hall
- Hulme Hippodrome
- Institute of Biotechnology
- John Rylands Library
- John Rylands University Library
- Kendals
- Lawrence Buildings
- Law Library
- Lincoln House
- London Road Fire Station
- Manchester Art Gallery
- Manchester Museum
- Mechanics' Institute
- Memorial Hall
- Midland Hotel
- Minshull Street Crown Courts
- Science and Industry Museum
- National Graphene Institute
- Nicholls Building
- Odeon Cinema
- Old Wellington Inn
- One Piccadilly Gardens
- Pankhurst Centre
- People's History Museum
- Police Museum
- Portico Library
- Playhouse Theatre
- Redfern Building
- Reform Club
- Rose Hill
- Royal Eye Hospital
- Rylands Building
- Sackville Street Building
- Sharston Hall
- Ship Canal House
- Slade Hall
- Smithfield Market Hall
- St Anselm Hall
- Saint Mary's Hospital
- St Michael's
- Strangeways
- Sunlight House
- Theatre Royal
- Toast Rack
- The Towers
- Transport Museum
- Urbis
- Uttley House
- Victoria Baths
- Whitworth Art Gallery
- Whitworth Building
- Wythenshawe Bus Garage
- Wythenshawe Hall
- 107 Piccadilly
- 1830 warehouse, Liverpool Road railway station
- Albion Mill
- Asia House
- Beehive Mill
- Bridgewater House
- Brownsfield Mill
- Brunswick Mill
- Canada House
- Chorlton New Mills
- Churchgate House
- Dale Street Warehouse
- Havelock Mills
- India House
- Jackson's Warehouse
- Lancaster House
- McConnel & Kennedy Mills
- Murrays' Mills
- Old Mill
- Piccadilly Mill
- Royal Mill
- Shudehill Mill
- Watts Warehouse
(Grade I or II* listed)
- British Muslim Heritage Centre
- Brookfield Church
- Castlefield Chapel
- Christ Church
- Cross Street Chapel
- Holy Name of Jesus
- Edgar Wood Centre
- Gorton Monastery
- Holy Trinity Platt Church
- Jewish Museum
- Manchester Cathedral
- Manchester Reform Synagogue
- St Ann's
- St Chrysostom's Church
- Church of St Cross
- St. George
- St James
- St John
- St. Mary
- Church of St Michael
- St Nicholas
- St Peter
- Upper Brook Street Chapel
- St Wilfrid
- O2 Apollo
- Arndale Centre
- Bridgewater Hall
- Castlefield Bowl
- Central
- Co-op Live
- Contact Theatre
- Cornerhouse
- The Factory
- Great Northern Warehouse
- HOME
- Palace Theatre
- Parrs Wood Entertainment Centre
- Opera House
- The Printworks
- Manchester Arena
- Manchester Academy
- O2 Ritz
- Royal Exchange Theatre
- Victoria Warehouse
- Alan Turing Memorial
- Albert Memorial
- B of the Bang
- The Glade of Light
- Cenotaph
- Rise up, Women (Emmeline Pankhurst statue)
- Peacock Mausoleum
- Victory Over Blindness
- Architecture
- Castles
- Churches
- Grade I listed
- Grade II* listed
- Grade II listed
- Mills
- Monuments
- Tallest
- Warehouses
Italics denote building under construction
53°28′30″N 2°14′27″W / 53.47500°N 2.24083°W / 53.47500; -2.24083