Liverpool Playhouse

The Liverpool Playhouse stands in Williamson Square in the centre of Liverpool. It began in 1866 as a music hall called the Star Music Hall and became a repertory theatre in 1911. The building has been altered several times, most recently in 1968 when a modern extension was added to the north. In 1999 a trust was formed to manage both the Playhouse and the Everyman Theatre together. The theatre nurtured many actors who later became nationally and internationally famous. The Playhouse is worth visiting for its long history and the artists it helped launch. William Armstrong directed the theatre from 1922 to 1944 and guided future stars such as Michael Redgrave, Rex Harrison and Robert Flemyng. Other notable names who worked there include Noël Coward, Gertrude Lawrence, Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Patricia Routledge. The theatre also played a key role in developing repertory theatre in Britain, becoming the first to own its building outright. Inside, the older section shows Greek Revival style with cast-iron columns and two balconies. The newer extension uses concrete and glass, with three cylindrical forms rising through the foyers. The main auditorium and foyer were redesigned by Stanley Adshead in 1911. The exterior has a stucco finish, slate roof and a central entrance with a broken pediment. The building is listed at Grade II* for its architectural importance.