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Birmingham Theatre Royal

Hi Patty: This is fascinating indeed. Please let us know what happens about the photos. I can only imagine what your Mom and Auntie witnessed during their time managing the Bar at the Theatre Royal. Thanks for posting.
 
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Canopy off and a new canopy on.
The Theatre Royal 1953.
 
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Temple Street in 1901 and two doors away from Benson's Restaurant is the side entrance to The Pit Bar in the Theatre Royal
 
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This is an inside view of The Pit Bar.



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Te little building advertising Bass Pale Ale was the rear of the Pit Bar and the doorway in the foreground was the entrance from the yard to the Theatre Royals Gallery Bar. (see next post).
 
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It should be remembered that as with the seating arrangements, the Gallerry was a little better than the pit and this is The Gallery Bar.

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This of course is the posh one, The Circle Bar.
 
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This is a picture of the interior of the Wine Cellar beneath the Theatre Royal and as you can see from the picture below, it was really pretty basic with the patrons sitting on beer crates.
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This was an advert in the programme for the Theatre Royal. The brewery advertised was in Nursery Terrace, Hunters Lane in the 1890s.
 
Stitcher what wonderful photo's. My mom took me to the Theatre Royal a few times and I have always had fond memories of it. I went to a Panto starring Max Miller in the '40's, it was arranged for children of men in the Base Stores at Dunlop. I think the last show I saw was Sherezade, time mists the memory and I can't recall if it was an Opera or a Ballet, but I know it was in the 50's.
 
Hello Di, if my pictures stir your memories then I am glad I posted them, I have said before that I am sorting all my stuff out and I have no idea what I might find as I go through it all.
stitcher
 
I saw "South Pacific" at the Theatre Royal - and met Sean Connery at the stage door. He was in the back line of the chorus....Phwoar!
 
Some lovely pictures and perhaps this little story wouldn't be out of place here. I certainly haven't seen it quoted on here before and it was one of many told by Frederick William Humphreys, who was Musical Director of the Theatre Royal for 42 years during the second half of the 19th Century.

After the rebuild of 1820, there were no stalls and the pit extended around the orchestra to the stage. In those days, patrons of the Theatre were keen, if not always kindly, critics and their mode of expressing their sentiments was louder and rougher than in more recent times.

It was quite a popular amusement with them to interrupt the most pathetic periods of the play by dropping an empty mineral water bottle from the top tier. The object was to hit the big drum, but if the bottle descended on the artist with the drumstick, no one was perturbed except himself, and the house would much appreciate the inaccurate aim! :tongue:

[Taken from Mr Humphreys' obituary in the Birmingham Gazette & Express dated 1909]

Maurice :friendly_wink:
 
A Few more pics of The Theatre.
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Replacements photos, not necessarily the same as originals

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As a Special Thank you too Topsy.. Here is a picture from my collection... an Interior shot... I have a view of the Stage somewhere.. Hmmm I think she has put it in a safe place ???

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I can remember just before we got married taking Enid to see Noel Gordon in
"Call me Madam" at the Theatre Royal, must have 1953/4 Bernard
 
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