Theatre Royal

The first New Street theatre was built in 1774 for Richard Yates by a group of manufacturers and traders. In 1780 a new façade was added by Samuel Wyatt. This was a fine neo-classical design of two storeys in five bays, the two outer bays being higher by a low attic with a pitched roof. The three centre bays had entrances set behind a recessed arcade, above which was a first floor loggia with coupled doric columns and a crowning balustrade. This façade survived a fire in 1792 and the theatre was rebuilt to George Saunders’ designs, opening in 1794. It finally received a Royal patent in 1807.

Another destructive fire occurred in 1820, following which the theatre was rebuilt, again behind Wyatt’s frontage, by Samuel Beazley. At the behest of the building committee (whose number included the engineer Matthew Boulton) more cast iron was incorporated into the structure than Beazley considered wise and a collapse occurred during the building of the stage, but the theatre opened on time in August 1828.

Major alterations were made, notably in 1885 when the fly tower was raised. Beazley’s theatre and Wyatt’s façade were finally demolished in 1902. A new theatre by Runtz opened in 1904 with a front elevation described as being ’in Adam style’. This had a capacity of 2200 and was a late example of a three-balcony (i.e. four tier) house.

The theatre closed in 1956 and the site was redeveloped with shops and offices.