Gaiety Theatre, Isle of Man
Encyclopedia
The Gaiety Theatre is a theatre
, on the Isle of Man
. The theatre was built in 1899 to the designs of architect Frank Matcham
, as an opera house and theatre. It was built on the site of the former Pavilion, an entertainment hall that had been constructed six years earlier.
The theatre opened on 16 July 1900 with a West End
production of The Telephone Girl featuring Ada Blanche. The theatre enjoyed considerable success in the Edwardian era, but after World War I
the island's tourist industry fell into decline, and so did the theatre.
Various attempts were made to regain its former commercial success, including the 1920s installation of cinema equipment and a 1938 ice show
. Income could not keep pace with the cost of maintenance, and by 1971 the Isle of Man government acquired the freehold of the now dilapidated building. In 1976 the restoration began under the direction of architect Victor Glasstone.
The theatre has undergone further restoration beginning in the 1990s and was largely restored to its 1900 opening condition, in time for the centenary celebration in 2000. Today the theatre continues with productions by local companies and touring productions of musicals, drama and opera. It now forms a part of the Villa Marina complex, together with a nearby 1,500 seat auditorium.
The Gaiety theatre featured on an Isle of Man 24p commemorative stamp, in 1994.
In February 2008, The Gaiety played host to Hollywood movie Me and Orson Welles
, starring Zac Efron
and Claire Danes
. The Gaiety replicates the Mercury Theatre
in New York in 1937.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. The theatre was built in 1899 to the designs of architect Frank Matcham
Frank Matcham
Frank Matcham was a famous English theatrical architect. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery.-Early career:...
, as an opera house and theatre. It was built on the site of the former Pavilion, an entertainment hall that had been constructed six years earlier.
The theatre opened on 16 July 1900 with a West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of The Telephone Girl featuring Ada Blanche. The theatre enjoyed considerable success in the Edwardian era, but after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the island's tourist industry fell into decline, and so did the theatre.
Various attempts were made to regain its former commercial success, including the 1920s installation of cinema equipment and a 1938 ice show
Ice show
An ice show refers to an entertainment production which is primarily performed by ice skaters. Such shows may primarily be skating exhibitions, or may be musical and/or dramatic in nature, using skating as a medium in order to accompany a musical work or to present a story. The term ice show...
. Income could not keep pace with the cost of maintenance, and by 1971 the Isle of Man government acquired the freehold of the now dilapidated building. In 1976 the restoration began under the direction of architect Victor Glasstone.
The theatre has undergone further restoration beginning in the 1990s and was largely restored to its 1900 opening condition, in time for the centenary celebration in 2000. Today the theatre continues with productions by local companies and touring productions of musicals, drama and opera. It now forms a part of the Villa Marina complex, together with a nearby 1,500 seat auditorium.
The Gaiety theatre featured on an Isle of Man 24p commemorative stamp, in 1994.
In February 2008, The Gaiety played host to Hollywood movie Me and Orson Welles
Me and Orson Welles
Me and Orson Welles is a 2009 period-drama film directed by Richard Linklater and starring Zac Efron, Christian McKay, and Claire Danes. Based on Robert Kaplow's novel of the same name, the story, set in 1937 New York, tells of a teenager hired to perform in Orson Welles's stage production of...
, starring Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
and Claire Danes
Claire Danes
Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress of television, stage and film. She has appeared in roles as diverse as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, as Kate Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, as Yvaine in Stardust and as Temple Grandin in...
. The Gaiety replicates the Mercury Theatre
Mercury Theatre
The Mercury Theatre was a theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and John Houseman. After a string of live theatrical productions, in 1938 the Mercury Theatre progressed into their best-known period as The Mercury Theatre on the Air, a radio series that included one of the...
in New York in 1937.