Harrogate Theatre (Grand Opera House)

• Theatre ID
  2534
• Built / Converted
  1900
• Dates of use
  • 1900 - 0: (continuing) as theatre
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  Theatre
• Address
  Oxford Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 1QF, England

Details

A delightfully intimate theatre, very well suited to its present role as a repertory playhouse in this attractive Victorian Spa town. The site is wedge-shaped at the acute-angled junction of two streets. The stage is at the wide end, with an irregularly shaped rear wall, and the side walls of the auditorium converge towards the back. There are two serpentine-fronted balconies and two boxes either side at each level, divided by delicate pilasters and surmounted by broken scrolled pediments. Balcony and box fronts richly decorated by cartouches supported by putti, garlands etc. Rectangular acanthus leaf bracketed proscenium surmounted by a central cartouche containing a lyre. Central part of the ceiling carried up into a dome. Intimate foyer with richly modelled plaster freize by F Darlington depicting the development of arts through the ages (‘The rehearsal of a Mystery Play’, ‘The Invocation of Terpsichore’, etc). In 1972 a major scheme of refurbishment was carried out by Roderick Ham & Partners, including reseating and the reduction of the gallery to two rows. The total capacity was reduced from 797 to 475. At the same time front of house and dressing rooms, etc were reorganised and updated. The exterior has a four-storeyed octagonal tower at the apex of the site, with the steeply pitched roof and illuminated leaded light cupola bearing the inscription ‘Grand Opera’. The 1972 scheme is now in need of further review. The theatre would benefit from a thorough restoration both front of house and backstage. The house light fittings are a less than pleasing (post-1972) addition to the auditorium. The upper circle has been given over to the unsympathetic insertion of a control room, but with some careful planning this could be improved, and the auditorium reseated to provide a superb small playhouse ideally suited to the present repertory company. The theatre still possesses many of its original front of house fixtures and fittings, all too rare a feature today. The intimacy of the foyers gives the place an almost domestic quality which is endearing and worthy of sensitive restoration.

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• Other names
  Opera House
• Events
  • 1900 - 0 Use: (continuing) as theatre
  • 1900 Design/Construction:
    • Frank Tugwell - Architect
  • 1972 Alteration: refurbished
    • Roderick Ham & Partners - Architect
  • 1900 Design/Construction:
    • F Darlington - Consultant: Plaster Frieze In Foyer
• Capacities
  • Later: 1971: 707 1972: 475
  • Current: 500
• Listings
  • Grade II
• Stage type
  • Proscenium raked
• Dimensions
  • Proscenium width: 7.9m
  • Height to grid: 13.72m
• Unreliable anecdotes
  Authorship has been attributed, incorrectly, to J P Briggs