The Grand Opera House is a theatre

Theater (structure)

A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...

 in York

York

York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

, England. It is currently operated as part of the Ambassador Theatre Group

Ambassador Theatre Group

The Ambassador Theatre Group is an independent operator of theatres in the United Kingdom. Formed in 1992, by Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire,OBE, it acquired the Live Nation theatre group in November 2009.-List of theatres:...

. It plays host to touring productions of plays

Play (theatre)

A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...

, musicals

Musical theatre

Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...

, opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 and ballet

Ballet

Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

, one-off performances by comedian

Comedian

A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...

s, and other theatrical and musical events. The theatre has been designated a Grade II listed building by English Heritage

English Heritage

English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...

.

Origins

The Grand Opera House was not originally built as a theatre. It was a conversion of two buildings, one a warehouse, the other a corn exchange

Corn exchange

A corn exchange or grain exchange was a building where farmers and merchants traded cereal grains. Such trade was common in towns and cities across Great Britain and Ireland until the 19th century, but as the trade became centralised in the 20th century many such buildings were used for other...

 designed by G. A. Dean in 1868. The architect, Mr J. P. Briggs of London, was commissioned to perform the conversion, which took three months and cost £24,000. The theatre opened as the Grand Theatre and Opera House on 20 January 1902 with a performance of a pantomime (Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....

), starring Florrie Forde

Florrie Forde

Florrie Forde , born Flora May Augusta Flannagan, was an Australian popular singer and entertainer. She was one of the greatest stars of the early 20th century music hall....

.

History

• 17 July 1902: the first public performances of films in York. Professor Herbert's animated pictures displayed in his 'Biograph Box' The showing of films at the venue became a permanent feature from 1903-1916.
• 1903: the theatre was renamed as the Opera House and Empire Theatre. This was an economic move to attract a mass audience, as smoking was not permitted in high-class theatres but was in music hall
  Music hall
  Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
  
   type venues; smoking was very fashionable at this time.
• 1909: a major redecoration of the building was undertaken.
• 1916: the theatre was now known as the Empire Theatre.
• 1958: Ernest Shepherd of the Shambles bought the theatre, now called the S. S. Empire [Shepherd of Shambles]. The stage and the rake to the stalls floor were removed to give a level surface for roller skating, bingo and wrestling bouts. The theatre remained in this configuration until 1985 when it closed for business.
• 1987: the property was purchased by the India Pru Company Ltd. who renovated the building and restored the decor to its 1909 Art Nouveau
  Art Nouveau
  Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
  
   style.
• September 26, 1989: the theatre reopened as the Grand Opera House with a performance of Macbeth
  Macbeth
  The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
  
  . After two years with mounting debts the theatre suddenly closed without warning.
• 26 February 1993: the theatre reopened again, retaining the name of the Grand Opera House.

External links

• Theatres Trust description