Situated in the centre of Newcastle, the Theatre Royal is one of those landmark buildings in the city… great for helping people find their way if you direct them from the theatre.
Having spent many evenings at a range of productions, from Shakespeare to The Gruffalo, I have fond memories ... Read review
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Advantages: Variety of shows Disadvantages: Expensive for many shows
...the centre of Newcastle, the Theatre Royal is one of those landmark buildings in the city… great for helping people find their way if you direct them from the theatre.
Having spent many evenings at a range of productions, from Shakespeare to The Gruffalo, I have fond memories of this quite magnificent building.
~~Address and other contact~~
100 Grey Street
Newcastle upon Tyne.
NE1 6BR .../>
Built in 1837, this theatre replace the old Theatre Royal, and apparently when it opened, the bells of St Nicholas and St John were rung; it must have been quite an event! The theatre was destroyed by fire in 1899 after a performance of macbeth, which has led to many superstitious stories. Fortunately, the structure of the theatre remained intact, and the theatre “rose from the ashes”, reopening on 31st December 1901 with a pantomime.
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Situated in the centre of Newcastle, the Theatre Royal is one of those landmark buildings in the city… great for helping people find their way if you direct them from the theatre.
Having spent many evenings at a range of productions, from Shakespeare to The Gruffalo, I have fond memories of this quite magnificent building.
~~Address and other contact~~
100 Grey Street Newcastle upon Tyne. NE1 6BR
Tel: 0191 2442511
E mail: info@theatreroyal.co.uk
Website : www.theatreroyal.co.uk
~~Bit of History~~
Built in 1837, this theatre replace the old Theatre Royal, and apparently when it opened, the bells of St Nicholas and St John were rung; it must have been quite an event! The theatre was destroyed by fire in 1899 after a performance of macbeth, which has led to many superstitious stories. Fortunately, the structure of the theatre remained intact, and the theatre “rose from the ashes”, reopening on 31st December 1901 with a pantomime.
In the 1980s, the theatre went through a huge refurbishment, when the theatre was closed for 20 months, reopening in January 1988. With the advent of the 21st century, the theatre has again been refurbished with a new stage being built and the installation of technical facilities.
The Theatre Royal is one of only 5 Grade 1 listed theatres outside of London.
~~Shows and all the rest…~~
The theatre hosts many different types of performances every year; statistically, more than 380 performances to over 300000 people.
As a “native” of Newcastle, I always feel a sense of pride that it is the regional home of the Royal Shakespeare Company… really does make me feel cultured. However, on the subject of Shakespeare’s plays, it’s imperative that you book a long time in advance, because tickets sell out very quickly. It is also regional home of the National theatre, Opera north and Rambert dance Company. It also hosts West End musicals pantomimes and contemporary dance.
A truly diverse range of performances; in the words of the Chief Executive, it is the theatre’s aim to provide performances which will “inspire, challenge and above all entertain”.
For anyone wanting to visit the theatre, it’s worth picking up a programme, which come out twice a year, summer and winter. This season, summer 2007 has the RSC at the theatre for a couple of months, as well as performances from NDT, One man Star Wars Trilogy, Swan Lake, Danny the Champion of the World, Carman (not a mis spelling!) and Disney’s beauty and the Beast. These are just a few of the performances but start to illustrate the fact that for anyone who enjoys the theatre, there is something for everyone.
~~You’ve booked your ticket and need to get there~~
Very centrally located, it’s one of those places where even if you feel lost, ask anyone, and they can direct you.
The theatre is in a pedestrian only zone, but down the sides of Grey Street, there is on street parking- check the meters for charges, and times when you can park. Further down towards the quayside is a large NCP car park which is open 24hours.~~
The theatre is about a 10 minute walk from the Central Station, although it is quite a steep up hill walk, so be prepared!
If you don’t want to do a lot of walking, and prefer to arrive fresh at the theatre, best get the metro to Monument, exit the station at Grey street, and the theatre is there in front of you.
~~Other bits of information…~~
Dining: Food available in Caffe Teatro. Located inside the theatre, it opens early in the morning and serves drinks and breakfasts…no need to be a theatre goer. Also serves wines and drinks as well as a pre theatre dining package
Access: wheelchair spaces are available in the stalls as well as accessible toilet. Parking spaces for badge holders close to theatre and free ticket for the assistant of a disabled person. Guide dogs are welcome in the theatre.
~~What I think~~
As a building, this is fantastic, with its large columns and once inside it is magnificent With its wide sweeping staircases and the detail on the sides of the circles. The red drapes and muted walls add to the whole sense of having been transported to a by gone era.
Even when very busy on nights when there is a show, when entering the theatre, there is almost a hush, although the bar areas are quite different- nothing rowdy just a general hub, and usually a discussion during the interval about the performance. It’s worth remembering to order drinks before the interval so that they are waiting for you, otherwise there is always a big queue at the bar. It always fascinates me how drinks are always waiting in the correct bar for whoever has ordered them, and that I have never heard of anyone having got fed up with the wait and the bar, and claiming drinks as their own.
So, a fabulous building, steeped in history, with an interesting history. Add to this fact that it has a range of great performances from around the world, and I think it’s a winner.
For anyone in Newcastle, who enjoys the theatre, it’s definitely worth checking out the website to see if there is anything you would like to see. Remember though to do this checking out well in advance!. If you don’t want to see a performance, then it’s still worth a visit. You can go inside the theatre during the day, and so can have a look around or something to eat.
Definitely worth a look especially when the buildings surrounding this theatre are taken into consideration.
Advantages: He's right behind you .... Oh yes he is ... Disadvantages: Oh no he's not .....
...the portico of the Newcastle Theatre Royal. Yes, we were joining pantoland.
We had come to see an evening performance of Aladdin (Saturday December 28th 2002) which was more or less half way through its run. The Theatre Royal is quite small by some standards and this evening proved to be a full house. The public areas outside the auditorium are limited, each with bars and seats. Even the staircases were busy. It is thankful that the management made ... ...routines. The acoustics at the Theatre Royal are quite good but this does not always help when trying to follow a string of unknown tunes and choruses. There was only one short reference to the music of Disney’s film Aladdin (the grand procession) and as far as I am aware nothing from the immediate popular front. In general the four girl and four male dances were polished in performance and ‘together’ in their spots. The funniest comedy highlight ...
Newfloridian 29.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Theatre Royal (Newcastle)
Advantages: Great budget, amazing architecture, large audiences Disadvantages: tickets can be expensive if you want a good view
Newcastle Theatre Royal is a stunning Grade 1 listed building constructed from stone in a classical style. The entrance is ornate and imposing. It sits amongst the almost entirely listed Grey Street, slightly down from Monument metro station, and is walkable from here, the main train station or the bus stops. There are many car parks in the area, and the theatre is entirely wheelchair accessable. The theatre inside is a traditional proscenium arch, ... ...are shown in the spring. There is a restaurant and half time bar, as well as a kiosk for sweets. The restaurant does a nice pre-show deal, however it remains pricey, and there are several better and more reasonable restaurants also doing theatre specials within a 100m radius. ...
Dinah93 21.10.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Theatre Royal (Newcastle)
Advantages: Wide variety of shows and top stars Disadvantages: Intervals are very short (which can also be a plus)
Just walking into the Theatre Royal is an experience - its sumptious! The front structure of carved stone with the collonades standing like sentinels give the effect of a Greek temple. Inside the large carved, marble staircases leading from the foyer, walls hung with paintings, there are bars on most levels and an upper foyer where you can dine at leisure. The auditorium itself is even more splendid with ornate guilded carvings and two tiers of boxes ... ...these seats but it was worth a try for one visit.)
The productions themselves vary from Opera, Ballet, Musicals, Shakespeare (Comedies & Tragedies), Plays, Monologues and many more. I've seen many stars performing here as well as amatuer productions and every one has been a treat.
Paul Nicholas is one of my favourites as he has a great rapport with his audience. Dame Judi Dench - magnificent in Shakespeare!
Last month we had a family outing to ...
concat 07.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Theatre Royal (Newcastle)
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Advantages: Beautiful building, historically significant. Disadvantages: A bit shabby and doesn't attract the big shows.
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***CHICAGO ON TOUR***
Want to see it but nowhere near London? Then check this out!
Monday 3rd - Saturday 15th March 2003.
THEATREROYAL, NEWCASTLE.
0870 905 5060
Mon-Thurs 7.30pm; Fri 5.30pm & 8.45pm; Sat 5pm & 8.30pm.
With JOHN ALTMAN as Billy Flynn.
Monday 17th - Saturday 29th March 2003.
GRIMSBY AUDITORIUM.
01472 311311.
Mon-Thurs 8pm; Fri 5.30pm & 8.45pm; Sat 5pm & 8.30pm.
With JOHN ALTMAN as Billy Flynn ...
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