Theatre Royal, Manchester

The Theatre Royal stands on Peter Street in central Manchester, an island site next to the Free Trade Hall. Built in 1845 of sandstone ashlar, it is a two-storey neoclassical building with a modillioned cornice and a pedimented niche above the entrance. The façade is symmetrical, with a portico of Corinthian columns and a statue of Shakespeare in the central niche. Steps lead up to three entrances, and the lateral bays have upper-storey balconies. The interior retains its 1875 gallery, though later alterations have obscured much of the original layout. The theatre was commissioned by John Knowles, who wanted to revive serious drama in Manchester after a fire destroyed the previous Theatre Royal in 1844. Knowles spent £23,000 to build a fire-resistant theatre with a 20,000-gallon water tank on the roof. It opened with Weber’s Oberon overture and a ballet spectacle, and soon hosted Charles Dickens and George Cruikker. Knowles sold the theatre in 1875 for £50,000, and it later became a cinema, bingo hall and nightclub before closing in 2011. The exterior remains largely unchanged, with the 1875 balcony still in place and the Shakespeare statue above the door. The Theatres Trust describes the façade as one of the finest surviving examples of early-19th-century theatre architecture. Though the interior has been altered by its past uses, the Trust believes it can be restored to its original form. The building is Grade II listed and stands as a rare survivor from Manchester’s theatrical past.