Harrogate Theatre

Last updated

Harrogate Theatre is a Grade II listed performance hall and theatre, located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It is a full hemp house theatre that uses a theatrical rigging system to fly components like curtains, lights and scenery on and off the stage. Unusually, however, the theatre does not have stage doors in the usual way. Instead, personnel enter through the main entrance, then a raised set of barn doors at the back of the building is used for the load-in/load-out. [1]

Contents

An image of Harrogate Theatre Harrogate Theatre - Oxford Street Harrogate HG1 1QF.jpg
An image of Harrogate Theatre

A brown plaque [2] is displayed outside the theatre paying tribute to some of the famous performers who have appeared on Harrogate Theatre's stage, including Sarah Bernhardt, Charlie Chaplin, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, Steve Harley (as a 4-man acoustic set, not as part of Cockney Rebel), Andy Parsons, Trevor Howard, George Robey, Ellen Terry, Fats Waller, Ken Dodd, Ben Kingsley

and Eddie Izzard.

History

The Harrogate Grand Opera House was designed by architect Frank Tugwell, whose other work includes the Futurist Theatre in Scarborough and the Savoy Theatre in London.

The building opened on 13 January 1900 with a charity performance for soldiers fighting in the Boer War. [3] This was followed by a run of Mr J. Tully's pantomime, Dick Whittington.

The theatre still possesses many of its original front of house fixtures and fittings, as well as a modelled plaster frieze by sculptor Frances Darlington in the foyer that depicts the development of arts through the ages. [4] [5]

Harrogate Theatre Scenic Services

As was typical for a repertory theatre at the time, Harrogate Grand Opera house was home to an on-site workshop to build their sets. This was eventually set up as a commercial venture under the name of Harrogate Theatre Scenic Services (HTSS) and it is now a dedicated workshop located in Starbeck, Harrogate. HTSS constructs and delivers bespoke sets for venues and companies, both in the UK and internationally. It operates with an experienced team of woodworkers, metalworkers, scenic artists and sculptors.

Harrogate Youth Theatre

Harrogate Theatre runs a comprehensive program of activities to engage children and young people aged between 3 and 18 in theatre. It offers training in drama, singing and playwriting, with 10-week terms in the autumn, spring and summer.

The Youth Theatre is currently based in HIVE, a dedicated space located next to the Harrogate Theatre building.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel</span> British glam rock band

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel were an English rock band who formed in the early 1970s in London. Their music covered a range of styles from pop to progressive rock. Over the years, they have had five albums on the UK Albums Chart and twelve singles on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool Empire Theatre</span> Theatre in Liverpool, England

The Liverpool Empire Theatre is a theatre on the corner of Lime Street in Liverpool, England. The playhouse, which opened in 1925, is the second one to be built on the site. It has the largest two-tier auditorium in the United Kingdom and can seat 2,348 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Harley</span> English singer and songwriter (1951–2024)

Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice, known by his stage name Steve Harley, was an English singer-songwriter and frontman of the rock group Cockney Rebel. He had six UK hit singles with the band in the mid-1970s, including "Judy Teen", "Mr. Soft", and the number one "Make Me Smile ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Opera House, Belfast</span> Building in Belfast, UK

The Grand Opera House is a theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by the most prolific theatre architect of the period, Frank Matcham. It opened on 23 December 1895. According to the Theatres Trust, the "magnificent auditorium is probably the best surviving example in the United Kingdom of the oriental style applied to theatre architecture". The auditorium was restored to its former glory, and the foyer spaces and bars were reimagined and developed as part of a £12.2 million project in 2020/2021, generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. [1]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Theatre, Halifax</span> Theatre in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England

Victoria Theatre in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, is a large theatre and concert hall that opened in 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O2 Academy Bournemouth</span>

O2 Academy Bournemouth is a live entertainment venue in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It is a grade-II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyne Theatre and Opera House</span>

The Tyne Theatre and Opera House is a theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is a Grade I listed building, rated "in the top 4% of listed buildings" by English Heritage and is afforded a three star rating by the Theatres Trust, "a very fine theatre of the highest theatrical and architectural quality". It opened in 1867 as the Tyne Theatre and Opera House, designed by the Newcastle upon Tyne architecture practice of William Parnell. The backstage area was damaged by fire in 1985, with subsequent rebuilding restoring the Victorian stage machinery.

<i>The Best Years of Our Lives</i> (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel album) 1975 studio album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

The Best Years of Our Lives is the third studio album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was released by EMI in 1975. It was the first album to feature Harley's name ahead of the band's. The album was produced by Harley and Alan Parsons, and contains the band's only UK number one, the million-selling "Make Me Smile ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Es Devlin</span> British stage designer (born 1971)

Esmeralda Devlin is an English artist and stage designer who works in a range of media, often mapping light and projected film onto kinetic sculptural forms. She has received several accolades including a Tony Award and two Olivier Awards. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 by Queen Elizabeth II for services to design. She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballerina (Prima Donna)</span> 1983 single by Steve Harley (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel)

"Ballerina (Prima Donna)" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Steve Harley, released by Stiletto Records as a non-album single on 29 July 1983. The song, written and produced by Mike Batt, reached number 51 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartbeat Like Thunder</span> 1986 single by Steve Harley

"Heartbeat Like Thunder" is a song by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, released by RAK as a non-album single on 21 April 1986. The song was written by Harley and ex-Cockney Rebel keyboardist Duncan Mackay, and produced by Mickie Most.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preston Guild Hall</span> Entertainment venue in Preston, Lancashire, England

Preston Guild Hall is an entertainment venue in Preston, Lancashire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tumbling Down (Cockney Rebel song)</span>

"Tumbling Down" is a song by the British rock band Cockney Rebel, fronted by Steve Harley. It was released in 1975 as the third and final single from the band's second studio album The Psychomodo (1974). The song was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Alan Parsons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Friend for Life</span>

"A Friend for Life" is a song by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, released by Intrinsic Records on 30 April 2001 as a non-album single. The song was written by Harley and former Cockney Rebel guitarist Jim Cregan, and was produced by Cregan. Harley's first release of new material since his 1996 album Poetic Justice, "A Friend for Life" was later included on Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's sixth studio album The Quality of Mercy (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company</span>

The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company is an English professional repertory company that performs Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. Founded in 1995 to perform at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, the company generally stages three or four productions each summer, giving up to 16 performances in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and also touring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian (song)</span> 1973 single by Cockney Rebel

"Sebastian" is a song by the British rock band Cockney Rebel, fronted by Steve Harley. It was released as the band's debut single in 1973 from their album The Human Menagerie. The song was written by Harley and produced by Neil Harrison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Wickens</span> Musical artist

Barry Wickens is a British musician, multi-instrumentalist and composer. Primarily a violinist and guitarist, he also plays mandolin, viola, Appalachian dulcimer (psaltery), dobro and keyboards. He is best known for being one of the longest-serving members of Steve Harley's rock group Cockney Rebel, and for being a former member of the pop group Immaculate Fools. He is also a violin teacher for Brighton & Hove Music & Arts.

<i>Uncovered</i> (Steve Harley album) 2020 studio album by Steve Harley

Uncovered is the sixth and final solo studio album from English singer-songwriter Steve Harley, released on 21 February 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Darlington</span> British sculptor

Frances Darlington, born Fanny Taplin Darlington, was an English artist of the New Sculpture movement. In the early 20th century she created decorative panels, busts, garden statuary, medallions, group sculptures, and statuettes, in various materials including copper, bronze and painted plaster. She also designed a railway poster, featuring Ilkley.

References

  1. ↑ Historic England. "GRAND OPERA HOUSE, Harrogate (1149453)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  2. ↑ Stuff, Good. "Charlie Chaplin and Sarah Bernhardt brown plaque in Harrogate". www.blueplaqueplaces.co.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  3. ↑ "Harrogate Theatre marks 110 years". 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Miss Frances (Fanny) Taplin Darlington – Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951". sculpture.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "Harrogate Theatre (Grand Opera House) | Theatres Trust". database.theatrestrust.org.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2018.

53°59′40″N1°32′24″W / 53.99441°N 1.53993°W / 53.99441; -1.53993

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.