Listing details of the Theatre Royal

The Official Listing Reads:

"Former theatre, later cinema. 1901-2 by Campbell and Horsley of Manchester. Red brick and terracotta; some render old stock brick to rear; slate roof, Three storeys and attics. Elaborate symmetrical frontage, nine bays wide with broad and elaborate central bay under round terracotta arch with keystone. Piliasters to both sides and three central bays have a distinguished composition with windows in terracotta surrounds to second storey, two oeuils de boeufs above flanked by balustrading. Elaborate moulded and cut brick decoration in pediment, flanked by finials. Simpler short pilasters and keystones to the remaining three bays and these features are continued on the Henry Street elevation. Sash windows in timber frames throughout. Doors under projecting ground-floor canopy blocked. Roof with lantern.

Interior. Substantial intact auditorium of stalls, circle and gallery, supported on cast-iron columns in circle, which also has a plaster ceiling. Large coved ceiling forms central dome over auditorium, with steeply raked gallery continuing behind. Elaborate balcony fronts with plaster swag decoration. Proscenium arch survives, with top cresting, blocked by later inserted cinema screen. Theatrical flies, grid and 13.4m deep raked stage survive behind this.

The Theatre Royal was opened in 1902 as a replacement for an early Theatre Royal nearby in Frank Street. It first showed films in 1914, which were combined with live shows until 1972. Included as a complete Edwardian theatre, its balconies and decorative areas-remain intact, with proscenium arch. The exterior is notable for its lavish terracotta and brick decoration."

(Source: Curtains!!! A New Life for Old Theatres Trust, 1982)

Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State
Eleanor Hodge
Department of Culture, Media and Sport
13 April 2000

About the Listing Process:

Listing began in Britain on January 1st 1950 in the austere post-war years. Sadly we were not the pioneers in the field; the French had been classifying historic buildings for the previous years while we in Britain relied on pressure groups such as the Georgian Group, formed in the 1930's to prevent the wholesale destruction of our Georgian architecture, perceived at that time as dull and lacking in merit.

English Heritage states: Historic buildings are a precious and finite asset and powerful reminders to us of the work and way of life of earlier generations. The richness of this country's architectural heritage plays an influential part in our sense of national and regional identity. Your favourite views of England* - street, village, town or city - almost certainly contains buildings protected by the process called 'listing'.

*Other UK countries have their own heritage organisations, such as Cadw in Wales.

De-listing: a question frequently asked

A decision to list a building is taken solely on the grounds of architectural or historic interest. There is no formal right of appeal against this decision, at the moment of listing, but an owner may at any time put to the Secretary of State evidence that his building does not possess the architectural or historic interest identified. If the Secretary of State accepts that the original assessment of a building�s interest was wrong in this way and that it does not possess special interest, he will then de-list the building (details from English Heritage website about listed buildings).