Blackpool Opera House
| Her Majesty’s Opera House | |
Opera House theatre entrance
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| Address | 97 Church Street Blackpool England |
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| Coordinates | 53°49′02″N 3°03′03″W / 53.8171°N 3.0509°W |
| Owner | Blackpool Council |
| Operator | Crown Leisure Ltd. |
| Designation | Listed Building Grade II* |
| Type | Provincial |
| Capacity | 2,920 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1889 |
| Rebuilt | 1910, 1939 |
The Opera House Theatre is a 2,920 capacity theatre in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is located within the Winter Gardens, a large entertainment complex in the town centre and originally opened in 1889, although it has been rebuilt twice, in 1910 and 1939.
As part of the Winter Gardens, the theatre is a Grade II* Listed Building. It is operated by Crown Leisure Ltd, on behalf of Blackpool Council, who purchased the property from Leisure Parcs Ltd as part of a £40 million deal in 2010. The opera house is considered one of the finest theatres in Europe.
The Opera House Theatre is one of the largest theatres in the United Kingdom. The present theatre is the third one to have been built on the site.
The original building, completed in 1889, at a cost of £9,098 was designed by the prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham, who also designed the nearby Grand Theatre and the Tower Ballroom. It had 2,500 seats, and was named Her Majesty’s Opera House. The first performance at the theatre was Gilbert and Sullivan’s new Savoy opera, The Yeomen of the Guard on 10 June 1889.
The theatre was soon deemed too small and in November 1910 was closed for reconstruction. The new and larger building, by architects Mangnall and Littlewood, formally opened just nine months later. However, in 1938 the second Opera House was demolished and the present 3,000-seat theatre opened in 1939. It was designed in a modernist style with a sweepingly curved proscenium. A Wurlitzer organ was installed to the design of Horace Finch and he and Reginald Dixon played on the opening night. It was the last new Wurlitzer organ to be installed in the UK and it is still in regular use today. The new Opera House was opened on 14 July 1939 by actress Jessie Matthews and her husband, actor and director Sonnie Hale. The first performance followed - the revue Turned Out Nice Again, starring George Formby.
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