As Christmas comes ever close and the Theatre becomes a hive of activity once again with not one, not two, but THREE pantomimes (Footlights, Schools’, and Adult), I thought I’d take a look at the historic venue that they will be taking place in. Having “trod the boards” in this historic theatre, I can say that it is a wonderful place to perform, and I can’t wait to get the chance to do so again.
Lancaster Grand Theatre is a Grade II listed building built in 1782, and has been a mainstay of Lancaster’s cultural scene since then. Originally just called “The Theatre” and part of the Northern Circuit of theatres, where touring groups and players would make the rounds with their shows. The Grand is now the only surviving venue in it’s original state. The Grand Theatre is the third oldest working theatre in Britain, and it has been in near continuous use since it was built, apart from the odd year here and there when it has been dark. Pretty good going for a theatre approaching it’s venerable 250th birthday!
In the first summer it opened, the theatre put on Hamlet, with Lady Macbeth being played by Sarah Siddons, a relation of one of the men who opened the theatre. Other performers included Ira Aldridge, who was the first Black British actor to appear on a UK stage.
There is a pervasive theatre myth that the ghost of Sarah Siddons haunts the venue. I mean, what would a theatre be without a good ghost story and a residential spirit? As someone who has spent quite a bit of time there, I have yet to meet her, although if I do, I do hope she’s friendly. After all, this was a place she loved to be! Hopefully she would appreciate everything the volunteers and players do to keep The Grand going and vibrant.
Theatre performances at the theatre declined through the 1830s and 1840s, but it was reopened in 1849 as a music hall with a focus on classical music, as well as having a space for a museum for the Natural History Society, and was increasingly used for lectures. Charles Dickens appeared twice in 1860s, reading from A Christmas Carol and The Pickwick Papers.
In 1897 the theatre was modified, including a new stage, by architect Frank Matcham, but the work of this architect was lost in 1908 when the building was badly damaged by fire. It reopened the same year, after significant restoration, as The Grand Theatre. In it’s currently form it seats 457 over two levels and is owned by Lancaster Footlights, an amateur dramatic group, who have been performing since the 1920s, but bought the theatre in 1951 for £7,000 to save it from demolition in the remodelling of the Canal Quarter in the city. This “remodelling” involved mass demolition of streets of old housing, in order to rebuild for “healthier,” more spaced out, housing.
Tours of the theatre that explore it’s history, both older and more recent, are available throughout the year, hosted by extremely knowledgeable volunteer tour guides. Check out Lancaster Grand’s website for more information of when you can visit and take a tour.
There is also very exciting things planned for the theatre’s future, and a major fundraising operation is ongoing to raise money for an extension to make a new foyer, and to make the building more accessible for all.
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