seeing theatre in a new light
Booking is now open for daily tours of the National Theatre next week.
The one-hour tour will include an overview of what the Archive collects and what it does; plus there will be a tour of our public research spaces and basement stores. You will be able to get hands on with the National Theatre’s history!
The tours are on Monday at 11.00am, Tuesday at 11.30am, Thursday at 2.00pm and Friday at 4.00pm. Places are limited, so early booking is advised.
For more information, and bookings, see here
The huge public interest around Stockton Globe’s recent highly successful reopening has encouraged them to add some more free venue tours to their schedule, which are available to book now. Booking is compulsory for these tours.
The venue says “We’ve loved being able to welcome so many of you through our doors already and due to popular demand we’ll be running some additional tours of the Globe this month! Tours will be taking place this Monday 18th October and again in half term on 26th & 27th October.”
Tickets are free and available to book now at: https://atgtix.co/3FIBWuE
Across the UK from 11-20 September, many historic and intriguing buildings are throwing their doors open to the public for unusual levels of access to explore what’s inside.
This year a large number of events have gone online, choosing to provide tours and access virtually, with the benefit that large numbers can participate and enjoy the sessions. As usual a number of theatres are participating, all online except where indicated, including
The Cygnet Theatre, Exeter, Devon
The Roman Theatre, Colchester, Essex
Cheltenham Playhouse, Gloucestershire
The Garrick Theatre in Stockport, Manchester
The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton (not online)
The Theatre Royal Winchester, Hampshire
The Playhouse, Preston, Lancashire
The Y Theatre, Leicester, Leicestershire (not online)
The Little Theatre, Southport, Merseyside
St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Palace Theatre, Newark, Nottinghamshire
The Blakehay Theatre, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
Theatre Royal Wakefield, West Yorkshire
You can find out more details about how to take a tour from the comfort of your own sofa by visiting the Heritage Open Days wesbite here
Wilton’s Music Hall is an unique survivor in London’s theatrical history.
Amazingly just a few streets away from Tower Hill Underground Station, and the Tower of London itself, hidden in a little dimly lit back street called Grace’s Alley, is an often-overlooked jewel of London ‘s theatrical history – Wilton’s Music Hall.
Dating back as far as 1743, it was first a pub and then improved and enlarged over the years. John Wilton bought the venue in 1850 and set about building his grand music hall which opened in 1859.
Sadly short-lived, the building changed owners in the 1870s and fell victim to a devastating fire in 1877. An eight-year reconstruction culminated in the building being acquired by the Methodist Church who created a Mission in the building, as such becoming an important community asset for the impoverished local communities. The Methodists left the building in the 1950s. As the whole area was scheduled for demolition in a widespread slum clearance, little hope was held out for its survival. However, a campaign was started to save the building with support from celebrities such as Sir John Betjeman, Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. After much campaigning, Wilton’s was given the protection of Grade II* listed building status in April 1971 and was bought by the Greater London Council who preserved it until 1999.
Wilton’s reopened in 1997 as a theatrical venue, however it was practically derelict and in need of much work to bring it back from the brink. In June 2007 the World Monuments Fund added the building to its list of the world’s “100 most endangered sites”. Many grants, fundraisers and appeals later, the venue was preserved in what is now generally accepted as a state of arrested decay, with no artificial recreations of previous appearances.
As such, a visit to Wilton’s like walking into a time capsule. The attractive long and high hall with its candy-twist columns supporting a slender gallery is a joy to behold. And performances there are greatly enhanced with the ambiance of almost 150 years of history.
If you haven’t visited, I strongly suggest you do so. There are so many interesting corners, nooks and crannies to explore. The extensive programme of activities and performances is very varied and the building, now owned by a Trust, is lovingly cared for.
Anyone who wants to explore this unique survivor from top to bottom is heartily recommended to book a tour which you can do through the venue’s website.
There are two different tours- the first, a full historic tour of the building which you can book here
There is also a film tour which concentrates on the venue as it has often been used in film and TV since the seventies. You can book the film tour here
London is blessed with unrivalled architectural history, and when you discover this little jewel tucked away in an unprepossessing little side street, you’ll be hungry to share it with your friends too.
The stunning Apollo Victoria Theatre is 90 this year, and celebrations include a rare chance to take a tour of the theatre’s foyers and auditorium. The next is on Saturday 8th February at 11.00am.
Opened as the New Victoria Theatre on 15th October 1930 , it was designed for Provincial Cinematograph Theatres(PCT) by William Edward Trent and Ernest Wamsley Lewis, seating over 2,500, this was a huge new entrant into London’s entertainment world .
The exteriors (two almost identical facades) are strongly Germanic and assume great authority on the street. The foyers and auditorium have nautical themes, with the fabulous auditorium resembling an undersea palace, filled with glass stalactites and a lavish attention to design detail. Designed to play the then-popular cine-variety (films plus short stage shows which bracketed the films), it had adequate stage and dressing room facilities for these purposes. When cinemas tailed off in popularity it was the stage facilities which saved the venue from demolition.
The cinematic legacy is a high capacity with excellent sightlines. In an extensive 2002 restoration, the auditorium was returned to its original glory with the original 3,500 auditorium lights being replaced by 88,000 LEDs, making it (as I believe) the first auditorium to be lit in this way.
The vast crowds which ebb and flow through the building at showtimes sometimes make it had to see details, so these limited-number tours are a great way to see the building without having to elbow your way through the masses.
Information from the theatre owner ATG states that “the tour lasts approximately 90 minutes. Tea, coffee and soft drinks will be offered. This tour will use routes that include steps.” Tickets are priced at £15 and can be obtained via the ATG website here.
Maybe I’ll see you there?
Read more about the theatre’s history at the Theatre trust website here