Watford Colosseum

Last updated
Watford Colosseum
Watford Colosseum in February 2020, venue for the 2020 Snooker Shoot Out.jpg
The venue in February 2020
Watford Colosseum
AddressRickmansworth Road
Location Watford, England
Coordinates 51°39′33″N0°24′13″W / 51.6591°N 0.4035°W / 51.6591; -0.4035
Public transit Watford Junction railway station
TypeTheatre
Capacity 2,000
Construction
Built1938
Opened1938 (1938)
Renovated2010/11
Architect Charles Cowles-Voysey
Website
watfordcolosseum.co.uk

Watford Colosseum is an entertainment venue in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. Established in 1938, as the Assembly Rooms for Watford Town Hall, the complex was extended in 2011 with improvements which included new meeting spaces, a new restaurant and new bar facilities.

Contents

The venue boasts a pipe organ, designed and built by John Compton, which is particularly highly regarded by The Cinema Organ Society.

Performers at the venue have included the soprano Maria Callas in September 1954 and the tenor Luciano Pavarotti in June 1995. The Colosseum has been used to record various film soundtracks and is regularly used to host concerts by the BBC Concert Orchestra, including Friday Night is Music Night . It has also housed performances by performers including The Who, Robbie Williams, and Oasis.

The Colosseum is also an important venue for boxing matches with heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury building on his reputation, shortly after turning professional, in 2009. The venue also has seen some important and highly popular plays taking place and it regularly holds events in support of charities. The 2020 Snooker Shoot Out professional snooker tournament was held at the Colosseum between 20 and 23 February 2020.

History

Watford Colosseum was built in 1938 as Watford Town Hall Assembly Rooms on the site of an early 18th century mansion, The Elms, which had been purchased by the council in 1919. [1] It was designed by architect Charles Cowles-Voysey and acoustician Hope Bagenal, [2] and cost £186,000. [1] It acquired a worldwide reputation for its fine acoustics, [3] and throughout the second half of the twentieth century it was used for concerts and recordings by leading orchestras and musicians. [4]

Rising costs and falling attendance led the council to close it in 1994, reopening it in 1995 as the Colosseum in a joint management agreement with a commercial company who had previously operated at the Town and Country Club in London (now known as The Forum, Kentish Town). [3] [4] A steady form of income in the 1980s and early 1990s was the takings from Bus Stop 70's discos [5] and when this revenue fell off in the late 1990s the management company got into financial difficulties: Watford Council provided a £200,000 rescue loan to the management company repayable in 2003. [6]

After the management company collapsed in 2004, the Colosseum was managed by Watford Council until April 2010, when it closed to undergo a £5.5 million refurbishment; reopening in August 2011. [7] Since the re-opening in 2011, the venue has been managed by Qdos Entertainment, which is owned by Nick Thomas and his wife, Sandra. [8]

The refurbishment of 2010/11, which was carried out to a design by RHWL, which subsequently became part of Aedas, and undertaken by Kier Group, included an extension which included grey brick facades which contrasted with the original building and involved large sections of coloured glazing. [9] The internal improvements included new meeting spaces, a new restaurant and new bar facilities. [9] The work on the concert hall itself, on which Arup advised, was minimal in order not to disturb the fine acoustics properties of the facility. [9] The acoustics had been analysed by an acoustics company in 2009, who reported that the size and "shoebox" shape of Watford Colosseum and the flat floor and the materials used in construction allow for pleasant reverberation and good sound quality and clarity, such as to make it among the best in Europe. [2] The facility which extends to 949 square metres (10,210 sq ft), can accommodate 2,000 people standing or 1,392 people seated. [10]

The venue boasts a pipe organ, designed and built by John Compton, which was removed from the Gaumont Palace in Chelsea when it was modernised in 1960 and instead installed at the Colosseum. [11] The organ, which has a four-manual illuminated console, was re-commissioned in 2007, with the first of a series of concerts involving the restored instrument taking place on 12 March 2008. [12] It was returned to its full and original standard in 2011. [12] It has been described by The Cinema Organ Society as "one of the very best Compton organs anywhere in the country" and "one of the most versatile civic instruments in use today." [12]

Events and activities

The soprano Maria Callas recorded two albums at the venue, then known as the Assembly Rooms, in September 1954. [13] The first album, Puccini Heroines, included excerpts from Manon Lescaut , La bohème , Madama Butterfly , Suor Angelica , Gianni Schicchi and Turandot . [13] The second album, Lyric & Coloratura Arias, included excerpts from Rossini's The Barber of Seville , Verdi's I vespri siciliani , Meyerbeer's Dinorah , Boito's Mefistofele , Delibes's Lakmé , Catalani's La Wally , Giordano's Andrea Chénier and Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur . [13] The conductor for both albums, which were recorded for EMI Records, was Tullio Serafin. [13]

In 1988 Watford was twinned with the town of Pesaro in Italy. [14] In June 1995 the tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, who had a house in Pesaro, agreed to visit the Colosseum where, supported by the Philharmonia Orchestra, he recorded Hymn of the Nations by Giuseppe Verdi. [15] From 1996, the Classic Concerts Trust presented regular concerts by the English Classical Players until the end of 2009. [3] The Colosseum was used to record various film soundtracks, including The Lord of the Rings , The Sound of Music , and Sleepy Hollow ; and among classical recordings, Julian Lloyd Webber's performance of Elgar's Cello Concerto, conducted by Yehudi Menuhin. [7] It is regularly used to host concerts by the BBC Concert Orchestra, including Friday Night is Music Night , and has housed performances by performers including The Who, Robbie Williams, and Oasis. [4]

The Colosseum is also an important venue for boxing matches with heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury building on his reputation, shortly after turning professional, by winning a fight against the Northern-Ireland boxer Scott Belshaw in a technical knockout there in May 2009. [16] Local boxer, Dan Bowie from Holywell, won the WBC British Muaythai Boxing title at the Colosseum in November 2013. [17]

The venue also has seen some important and highly popular plays taking place including Calendar Girls , a play about some ladies from Yorkshire raising money by posing for a charity calendar; the play starred Lesley Joseph, Sue Holderness, Ruth Madoc, Camilla Dallerup, Helen Fraser, Deena Payne, Kacey Ainsworth and Kevin Sacre and took place in 2012. [18]

The Watford Colosseum regularly holds events in support of charities. In February 2010 the Hardcore punk band, Gallows , whose performers come from Watford and Hemel Hempstead, put on a performance at the venue which raised funds for the Peace Hospice, a local health facility caring for people with a life-limiting or terminal illness, which is funded by public donations. [19] In October 2011 a charity concert, involving Zulu warriors, Ghanaian acrobats and Masai cultural dancers was held at the venue in order to raise funds for an appeal following the 2011 East Africa drought. [20] The rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer, Ms. Dynamite, arranged a function in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital at the venue in April 2012, [21] although that particular event had to be moved at the last minute because of a leaking roof. [22]

The 2020 Snooker Shoot Out professional snooker tournament, which was the 10th edition of the tournament, was held at the Colosseum between 20 and 23 February 2020. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Tyson</span> American boxer and media personality (born 1966)

Michael Gerard Tyson is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990. Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. Claiming his first belt at 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old, Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, as well as the only heavyweight to unify them in succession. The following year, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds of the first round. In 1990, Tyson was knocked out by underdog Buster Douglas in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teatro Colón</span> Opera house in Buenos Aires

The Teatro Colón is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acoustics expert Leo Beranek among leading international opera and orchestra directors, the Teatro Colón has the room with the best acoustics for opera and the second best for concerts in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Albert Hall</span> Concert hall in South Kensington, London

The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luciano Pavarotti</span> Italian operatic tenor (1935–2007)

Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, gaining worldwide fame for his tone, and gaining the nickname "King of the High Cs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concertgebouw, Amsterdam</span> Concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Royal Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" translates into English as "concert building". Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls in the world, along with Boston's Symphony Hall and the Musikverein in Vienna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musikverein</span> Concert hall in Vienna, Austria

The Wiener Musikverein, commonly shortened to Musikverein, is a concert hall in Vienna, Austria, which is located in the Innere Stadt district. The building opened in 1870 and is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watford</span> Town and borough in Hertfordshire, England

Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 mi (24 km) north-west of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Festival Hall</span> Multi-purpose venue in London, England

The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I listed building, the first post-war building to become so protected. The London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the London Sinfonietta, Chineke! and Aurora are resident orchestras at Southbank Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambassador Auditorium</span>

Ambassador Auditorium is located on the historic Ambassador College campus in Pasadena, California, United States. Its architectural design has been noted to be somewhat similar to that of the Temple in ancient Israel. The auditorium's main hall has a capacity of 1,262.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boardwalk Hall</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.

Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Atlantic City in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It was Atlantic City's primary convention center until the opening of the Atlantic City Convention Center in 1997. Boardwalk Hall was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987 as one of the few surviving buildings from the city's early heyday as a seaside resort. The venue seats 10,500 people for ice hockey, and at maximum capacity can accommodate 14,770 for concerts. Boardwalk Hall is the home of the Miss America Pageant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Academy of Music (Philadelphia)</span>

The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at 240 S. Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its location is between Locust and Manning Streets in the Avenue of the Arts area of Center City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hexagon</span> Multi-purpose arts venue and theatre in Berkshire, United Kingdom

The Hexagon is a multi-purpose theatre and arts venue in Reading, Berkshire, England. Built in 1977 in the shape of an elongated hexagon, the theatre is operated by Reading Borough Council under the name "Reading Arts and Venues" along with South Street Arts Centre and Reading's concert hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Chapel, Islington</span> Church in London Borough of Islington, England

Union Chapel is a working church, live entertainment venue and charity drop-in centre for the homeless in Islington, London, England. Built in the late 19th century in the Gothic revival style, the church is Grade I-listed. It is at the north end of Upper Street, near Highbury Fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Cinema</span> Historic cinema venue in Grays, England

The State Cinema is a Grade II* Listed building in Grays, Essex. Designed by F. G. M. Chancellor under Matcham & Co., it opened in 1938 as one of the most modern cinemas of its type at the time with seating for 2200 people. As a cinema, it closed in 1988 but has held numerous events and been used for various purposes since. Historic England describe the cinema as being "one of the best preserved of the super cinemas of the late 1930s."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow Theatre</span> Grade II* listed theatre in London, England

The Rainbow Theatre, originally known as the Finsbury Park Astoria, then the Finsbury Park Paramount Astoria, and then the Finsbury Park Odeon, is a Grade II*-listed building in Finsbury Park, London. The theatre was built in 1930 as an "atmospheric cinema", to house entertainment extravaganzas which included a film show. It later became an ordinary cinema, then a music venue, as which it is best known, and then an occasional unlicensed boxing venue. Today, the building is used by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, an Evangelical church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watford Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Watford, Hertfordshire, England

Watford Town Hall is a municipal building in Rickmansworth Road, Watford, England. It is a Grade II listed building.

The 2017 Shoot Out was a professional ranking snooker tournament which took place at the Watford Colosseum in Watford from 23 to 26 February 2017. It was played under a variation of the standard rules of snooker. In 2017 it was extended from 64 to 128 players, and became a ranking tournament for the first time in its history. It was the 15th ranking event of the 2016/2017 season.

The 2019 Shoot Out was a professional ranking snooker tournament, taking place from 21 to 24 February 2019 at the Watford Colosseum in Watford, England. It was played under a variation of the standard rules of snooker, and it was the fourteenth ranking event of the 2018/2019 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeBartolo Performing Arts Center</span> Building in Indiana, United States

The Marie P. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC) is a performing arts venue located on the south end of the University of Notre Dame campus and open to the South Bend, Indiana, and wider community. The 150,000 square foot facility, which opened in September 2004, was financed in large part by a gift from Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., and the building was named in honor of his wife. The current executive director of the facility is Ted Barron. In addition to performance spaces, the building also contains offices, teaching spaces, and production facilities for Notre Dame's Department of Film, Television, and Theatre, as well as for the Department of Music, the Department of Sacred Music, and the Shakespeare at Notre Dame program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colosseum Tournament</span> Kickboxing and mixed martial arts promotion

The Colosseum Tournament (COLOSSEUM) is a kickboxing, mixed martial arts (MMA) and boxing promotion company based in Romania, which is owned by Gabriel Georgescu. It is one of the largest kickboxing promotions in the country, and takes its name from colosseum.

References

  1. 1 2 Paul Rabbitts; Peter Jeffree (15 Sep 2019). Watford in 50 Buildings. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 125-126. ISBN   978-1-4456-9013-1.
  2. 1 2 Scarbrough, Paul (6 March 2009). Acoustical Survey Report for the Watford Colosseum (PDF). Akustiks. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Classic Concerts – Watford Archive". classicconcerts.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "Watford Colosseum Refurbishment". BBC News . BBC. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Dance". Watford Observer. 17 August 2000. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "The Colosseum saved by 11th hour cash injection". Watford Observer. 28 July 2000. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. 1 2 "About the venue | Watford Colosseum". watfordcolosseum.co.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  8. ↑ Hughes, Maureen (2013). A History of Pantomime. Remember When. ISBN   978-1-84468-077-1.
  9. 1 2 3 "Watford Colosseum". AJ Buildings Journal. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  10. ↑ "Watford Colosseum". Cvent. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  11. ↑ "Curzon Chelsea Cinema". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 "Watford Colosseum". The Cinema Organ Society. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Maria Callas - Puccini Heroines and Lyric Arias". Presto Musoc. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "Timeline History of Watford". Welcome to Watford. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  15. ↑ "My time with Pavarotti". Watford Observer. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  16. ↑ "Tyson Fury Hopes Scott Belshaw Shows Up To Fight". Boxing Scene. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  17. ↑ "Watford fighter Dan Bowie wins WBC British Thai Boxing title at Watford Colosseum". Watford Observer. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  18. ↑ "Calendar Girls at Watford Colosseum". Watford Observer. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  19. ↑ "Watford band Gallows plays a charity gig at the Colosseum for Peace Hospice". Watford Observer. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  20. ↑ "Charity concert for East African Famine Appeal at Watford Colosseum". Watford Observer. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  21. ↑ "Rapper Ms Dynamite heads up charity gig at Area Nightclub". Watford Observer. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  22. ↑ "New venue for Ms Dynamite fundraising gig". Watford Observer. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  23. ↑ Årdalen, Hermund. "Calendar 2019/2020 - snooker.org". snooker.org (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
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.