Theatre Royal, Bath
The entrance from Sawclose which was added in 1863
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 Theatre Royal
Shown within Somerset
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| Address | Sawclose, Bath, BA1 1ET Bath England |
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| Coordinates | 51°22′56″N 2°21′46″W / 51.3821°N 2.3629°W |
| Designation | Listed Building Grade II* |
| Type | Provincial |
| Capacity | 888 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1805 |
| Rebuilt | 1863 |
| Architect |
John Palmer, George Dance, Thomas Greenway |
| Website | |
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The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audience of around 900.
The Theatre Royal was built to replace the Old Orchard Street Theatre, funded by a Tontine and elaborately decorated. The architect was George Dance the Younger, with John Palmer carrying out much of the work. It opened with a performance of Shakespeare's Richard III and hosted performances by many leading actors of the time including Dorothea Jordan, William Macready and Edmund Kean. A major fire in 1862 destroyed the interior of the building and was quickly followed by a rebuilding programme by Charles J. Phipps, which included the construction of the current entrance. Further redecoration was undertaken in 1892; more extensive building work, including a new staircase and the installation of electric lighting, followed in 1902. Despite performances by casts including Sarah Bernhardt, the ballerina Anna Pavlova and Mrs. Patrick Campbell, the theatre was rarely very profitable. During World War II Donald Wolfit, Irene Vanbrugh, John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike appeared, with shows including Noël Coward's Private Lives and Blyth Spirit, a performance by Ballet Rambert and light entertainment such as Charley's Aunt, but audiences declined.
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