"The Richmond Theatre opened in 1899 as the Richmond Theatre and Opera House. Designed by the prolific theatre builder, Frank Matcham, barring some modest changes, it's pretty much still the same theatre that opened over 125 years ago."
"The tour takes in the history of the building, the restoration in the early 1990s, a Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen painted mural and how the box office used to be split into cheap and posh tickets back when posh people wouldn't expect to be in the same queue as the poor people."
"It's very much a history and architecture tour, and while some celeb name-dropping takes place, it's quite low-key. Which is a good thing, as a celeb name-dropping tour can be insufferably dull if you've come to look at the building."
Richmond Theatre opened in 1899 as the Richmond Theatre and Opera House, designed by prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham. The building remains largely unchanged over 125 years, with only modest modifications including a sympathetic side extension and removal of an odd circus tent canopy in the 1990s. The theatre underwent significant restoration in the early 1990s. Tours lasting 60-90 minutes cover the building's history, architecture, and restoration work, featuring a Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen mural, VIP rooms, backstage areas, and theatrical traditions. The venue originally had separate queues for wealthy and poor patrons. Tours occur roughly twice monthly at £20 per person, with photography permitted throughout.
#theatre-architecture #historic-building-tours #richmond-theatre #cultural-heritage #frank-matcham-design
Read at ianVisits
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]