Opera House (St Helier)

• Theatre ID
  614
• Built / Converted
  1900
• Dates of use
  • 1865: continuing
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  Theatre
• Address
  Gloucester Road/ Newgate Street, St Helier, Jersey

Details

The first entertainment building on the site was the Royal Amphitheatre, a circus theatre adaptable for arena or stage performances. This building was destroyed by fire in 1899 and replaced by a new ‘Opera House’ designed by Adolf Curry, which opened with Lillie Langtry in ‘The Degenerates’. Only the impressive stucco façe (a charming provincial interpretation of a Parisian commercial theatre of the 1880s) survives from 1900. The interior was almost completely rebuilt in 1921 after a fire, and was in the cinéariety manner of the day: two simple balconies, surmounted by a fine panelled ceiling radiating out from a semi-circular dome. The slips of the dress circle dipped down towards the proscenium, while the gallery was nearly straight-fronted. Both had somewhat sparse gilded plaster festoons. In c.1960, when the building returned to theatrical use after post-war years as a cinema, six badly designed boxes were added to the side walls. Where they could have been a definite gain to the bleakness prevailing earlier. The simple proscenium frame, topped by a curious stepping-up to the ceiling, had a thirties flavour, but was in fact built when the opening was widened to 27ft in 1976. For a building of the period there are quite spacious foyers and bars at various levels, and these were improved in 1993 when the façe was also restored. Works undertaken in 1999/2000 refurbished the interior, providing a new upper circle and boxes and a completely new stage house, with new dressing rooms and offices. Other improvements included a new entrance canopy and restaurant. The lantern was restored.

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• Other names
  Royal Amphitheatre, Theatre Royal
• Events
  • 1865 Use: continuing
  • 1900 Design/Construction:
    • Adolf Curry - Architect
  • 1921 Alteration: reconstructed after fire
    • Jesty & Baker - Architect
  • 1943 Alteration: converted to cinema
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1958 Alteration: reconverted for theatre use; 6 boxes added
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1978 Alteration: proscenium enlarged; backstage improved
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1993 Alteration: major improvements to bar and foyer areas; facade restored
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1999 - 2000 Alteration: Array major improvements
    • MEBP - Architect
  • 1993 Design/Construction:
    • D J Hartigan - Consultant: Associates, Engineers
  • 1999 - 2000 Design/Construction: Array
    • Colin Toms & Partners - Consultant: Engineers
    • Theatre Futures - Consultant: Consultants
  • 1865 Owner/Management: Henry Cornwall
  • 1869 Owner/Management: Wybert Rousby
  • 1898 Owner/Management: Sidney Cooper
  • 1900 Owner/Management: Channel Island Entertainments Ltd
  • Owner/Management: Jersey International Leisure Activities, proprietor; Dick Ray, managing director
  • Owner/Management: Currently: Local Authority
• Capacities
  • Later: 1994: 690
  • Current: 650
• Listings
  • Grade Unknown
• Stage type
  • Proscenium (will be flat)