13th April 2023
The DOGS Outing to Theatre Royal was an interesting experience as 20 intrepid Donmoggers braved the cold weather and met at the Dress Circle Foyer for our tour.
Our host and guide was Ezekial Bone – actor, scholar, storyteller, poet, historian or a version of all of them.
From the opening night of the Theatre Royal in 1865 to the contemporary world of entertainment today we were regaled with stories about how the theatre was the only one of its kind outside London at the time of construction by architect C J Phipp working for John and William Lambert, Lace manufacturers, at a cost of £15,000.
We were then taken into the auditorium which originally seated 2,200 and also up on the stage where the mechanics of putting on performances was explained. Backstage was an awful lot bigger than you could imagine giving plenty of room for rapid costume changes. We also learnt the origins of being in the limelight, the footlights and breaking a leg.
In 1897 Frank Matcham built the Empire Palace of Varieties next door and remodelled the Theatre Royal with innovative cantilevered steel balconies to get rid of the pillars, lowering the stage and increasing the rake of the tiers so that capacity increased to 3,000.
Saved from demolition by Ken Dodd, other actors and members of the public a petition of 20,000 signatures was taken to the city councillors who actually agreed that Nottingham could not lose its magnificent theatre. Bought in 1969 by the city council, it reopened in 1978. The theatre now seats 1,186 and has many bars and restaurants having been refurbished in the second half of 2019 and into 2020.
A short stroll from the theatre took us to the Castle Pub where lunch had been pre-ordered and was much appreciated by those attending.
Many thanks to Ezekial Bone, Georgina at the Theatre and the pub staff for making us welcome.
On the way back to the car park, our self confessed Derby County fan took the opportunity to visit Mr Clough.
Words: Carol Wood
Pictures: Paul Fileman