Granted its Royal licence by King George III, the Theatre Royal Newcastle opened on Drury Lane off Mosley Street in 1788 and soon established itself as one of England’s leading theatres.
Three months before Queen Victoria ascended the throne, in February 1837, the Theatre moved to Grey Street, a flagship building in Grainger and Dobson’s famous city plan. It features what is generally regarded as the finest Theatre façade in the UK, later combined with a fine 1901 auditorium by one of the great Theatre architects, Frank Matcham after the original interior had been destroyed by fire in 1899.
Over the centuries, many of the great names of the English stage have played at the Royal, from Keane to Irving, Olivier to Dench and the Hollywood greats Orson Welles, Charlton Heston and Jack Lemmon have also trodden the famous boards; Sir Ian McKellen has described the Theatre Royal as his favourite theatre.
The Grade I Listed Theatre today is both neo-classical monument and cultural engine, with an annual audience of 400,000 and over 400 performances each year; the finest drama, the brightest West End musicals, the cream of the comedy circuit, award winning ballet and dance, family friendly shows, sensational opera – and (we think) the best Pantomime in the country!
The UK Theatre Awards
The UK Theatre Awards are the only nationwide awards to honour achievement in regional theatre throughout the UK. Over 170 theatres of all sizes from across the country enter this award, which is voted for entirely by the public.
We were delighted to be crowned the North East’s Most Welcoming Theatre four years in a row, from 2015 – 2018, and named as the overall national winner in 2015 – we’re very grateful to everyone who took the time to vote for us.
We’re very proud of the welcome we’ve been giving our customers, casts and crews for over 180 years!