Tyne Theatre Building Tour
Newcastle Tyne Theatre
and Opera House
Saturday 3rd September 2016
Next
year represents the 150th anniversary of the Grade I listed
Victorian masterpiece that is the Tyne Theatre and Opera house. Originally
conceived by Joseph Cowan, the theatre is listed in the top 4% of listed
buildings by English Heritage and has the highest rating from the Theatres
Trust. The Preservation Trust that own
the building are going to open the building on a few occasions in 2016 in order
to share with the public what makes this theatre so special.
Our
knowledgeable tour guide Alan led us into the Bistro Bar for a short video
explaining some of the unique aspects of the venue during which we were given a
tea or a coffee. It is clear from this outset that the theatre is in caring
hands by a group of people who want to develop the building that they love so
much. Everyone also gets an informative leaflet about the history of the building and the work of the preservation trust that own it.
With
the safety curtain down we were then led into the main auditorium. This was a chance for Alan to describe the
many features of the public side of the venue that one tends to miss when watching
a show. He was also able to say why Placido Domingo loved the building when he
came to perform Tosca here in the 1980s. For example, I wasn’t previously aware
that the wood lining on the walls and ceiling help give the venue the acoustics
which make it so suitable for opera.
Alan
did a great job outlining the history from Cowen’s first concept, William
Parnell’s tour of Italy in order to get ideas
for his design through to the various impresarios that tried to do the
impossible on stage. If I had a time machine I’d love to head back to the time
of Augustus Harris who pulled off many a stunt on stage. Some of the changes needed to update the
building were interesting, as the venue installed electricity and modified the
hospitality facilities for the more well-off clientele.
The
venue was the region’s first cinema to show talkies. Fortunately in turning the
building into a cinema, Stoll didn’t rip out the theatre workings and hence,
after a long campaign, it was able to return to its original use in 1977. The only trouble was that on
Christmas day 1985 a fire destroyed a lot of the stage area. Compounding the
problem, the remaining standing wall of the fly tower then collapsed in strong
winds a few weeks later.
Fortunately
the theatre has been rebuilt and the restoration revealed some structural
details that had been previously miss in the auditorium such as the names of
famous playwrights and composers.
The
iron safety curtain was then raised to reveal the bare stage. Some of the group
commented upon the rake/slope of the stage. The tour then goes on stage to look
at the workings on the other side of the arch. A mixture of old and new exists
behind the scenes. Hemp ropes can be
found alongside the modern workings of the fly tower. Photography is permitted on
the tour and plenty of snaps were taken of the view from the stage.
Of
course, what makes this theatre special is what goes on under the stage. Before
heading down, the modular nature of the stage was explained. The
demon/angel/hamlet traps are in front of the various bridges that can lift the
scenery (and cast if desired) from below the stage. We headed past the dressing
rooms and the green room to see the wooden workings below the stage that can
create the magic. Alan described how sailors were often deployed to pull on the
ropes in order to make the apparatus work. As with all stages of the tour, Alan
was willing to take questions about the workings of a theatre as he understood
that the tour will be, for many, their first time back stage.
The
hour long tour was highly illuminating. We got many a glimpse of the past but
we also were given insight into how the Preservation Trust intend to continue
to improve upon facilities and arrange popular programming so that the public
continues to enjoy shows at this historic venue. It is an impressive jewel in the North East’s
arts and culture crown and it plenty of unique features to make the tour worth
while. Any profits coming from the
operation of the theatre are now being reinvested into the infrastructure. This
can be seen in the repainting of the Bistro Bar and the gradual improvements in
the quality of the seating.
Tours can be booked from the website:
Saturday 5th November 2016
Please note: Visitors
with restricted mobility will have limited access. Tour includes lots of steps
and comfortable shoes are recommended.
Thank you Stephen. I am delighted that you enjoyed your tour.
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