Journal Tyne Theatre, Newcastle

I have a couple of friends who live up north and often visit them. A few times now I have been to see various productions at the Tyne Theatre and have even seen a couple of musical acts. My favourite performance there was Rufus Wainwright who captivated the audience and gave such an intense and alluring show. The theatre itself is deliciously old and holds such a great atmosphere. It is one of ten that were born of the Victorian era and it is a pleasure visiting a theatre steeped in so much history. It was opened in 1867 and the exterior has remained pretty much the same since then. In 2004 it was bought by the Journal newspaper that ploughed a lot of money into it and made some much needed internal alterations. The exterior of the building is superb and looks absolutely wonderful keeping the signature Victorian columns and tiling.
The theatre has a capacity of 1100 with the best seating area in the inner circle. The seats are small and shabby but fit in nicely with the decor of the place. Although the seating looks tired and old fashioned, they are comfortable and I have never had a trouble viewing the stage from wherever I sit in the theatre. The seating is packed quite closely together, however I rather like the intimacy that this provides.
On entering the theatre from the street, you enter a large foyer with the ticket vendors and the shop to buy your goodies to eat. This is rather expensive so I would advise you bring your own sweeties! The hallway is decorated nicely and looks quite grand. In the middle of the foyer is a starcase leading you to the upper circle and the bar areas. Here it a nice place to enjoy a glass of wine while you wait for your performance. The actual theatre is wonderfully decorated with magnificent moulded arches and frames around the hall. The ceiling is high and has a number of dramatic paintings there, there are a lot of features that will keep you entertained whilst waiting for the show to start.

The toilets are clean and tidy but there is not many of them and there is always a long queue during the intervals. You can order your drinks for the interval at the bar so that you do not need to queue at the bar area when you only get a break of fifteen minutes. I rather like this facility and often take advantage of it! There is also disabled accesses and areas for wheelchairs.

The theatre is walking distance from the train station as it is in the middle of the city centre. There are a large number of bars and restaurants around so you can really make a night of it.

This is a really nice theatre and has kept much of its Victorian charm. The stage is grand and seating as adequate enough to have a decent view wherever you sit. Whenever I have visited the staff are more than helpful and exceedingly friendly. I much prefer the ambiance this theatre has to other ones I have visited in England and would fully recommend it for a visit.
A great place to enjoy your favourite show.