Birmingham Theatre Royal

[Vivienne14]

Don't know Lady P. The Bushall-Matthews acquired them when the Theatre was demolished to make way for the Woolworth's building on New Street. They were balustrades from stall boxes. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

Sadly, just 3 months later the balustrades were stolen from the garden. You do wonder if the publicity contributed to their loss. Viv.

 

[www.midlandspubs.co.uk]

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:

The cost of seeing a top-tier game of football is the equivalent of a theatre ticket. At a footy game many fans spend 90 minutes abusing referees or players for their poor performance. At the theatre, when the standard is very low, the audience sits in silence. Let's bring back the missiles!

 

[mikejee]

Here is a photo of the front of the theatre royal during demolition

 

[oldMohawk]

From another thread - one of a series of newspaper photos about the demolition of the theatre ...

In 1957 a Birmingham Mail photographer climbed down into the hole left by the demolition of the Theatre Royal and photographed a small crowd looking in. I suppose it shows typical clothing worn by Brummies for city centre shopping in those days and all their clothes would have been made in Britain.

 

[devonjim]

When permission was granted by BCC to re-develop the theatre site for retail use the proposal was to rebuild the Theatre Royal in the vicinity of the Hippodrome/ Alexandra Theatre, to create a mini-Birmingham Theatre land.

 

[mikejee]

I have merged two threads on the New St Theatre Royal

 

[mikejee]

Grand Ball at the Theatre Royal in 1843

 

[Eric Gibson]

Just out of interest do you (anyone) know what the first column of the writing above the picture is referring to?

 

[mikejee]

Eric
That is to do wIth a building in Reading

 

[Eric Gibson]

Thanks Mike, it looked interesting but the headline was cut off.

Ps. I like the quality of the prose, a bit different to todays journalists work.

 

[mikejee]

Off topic, but as you were interested Eric. It is still there, but now a pub . As I live in reading obviously the cutting was of interest to me, two separate items on one page!!

 

[evosteve83]

Hi there I have a programme/book of the theatre royal Birmingham 1774 - 1924.
I have looked for the value of this but can not find much on it. I have see that library's have prints which you can get out but this is an original piece.
Any info will be much appreciated,
Many thanks Steve

 

[Vivienne14]

Henry Harris Lines captured the ruins of the early Theatre Royal in 1822 after it burned down in a fire. Not much left, just a shell. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

The end of a long history for this Birmingham Theatre. I wonder if the Bushell- Mathew's / Rodway family still have the Shakespeare and Garrick medallions ?



Source : British Newspaper Archive