Leeds Buildings Grand Theatre & Opera House
Simon O'Hare takes a closer look at one of the region's most historic theatres
Leeds Buildings: Grand Theatre & Opera House
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The Grand Theatre has given the people of Leeds the chance to see performances by some of the true greats of showbusiness over the years: Morecambe & Wise, Laurence Olivier and Julie Andrews are among those who have played to rapturous audiences inside the fantastic auditorium.
Constructed in 1878, the Grand Theatre is one of the great Victorian buildings still standing in the city, and to this day it continues to play host to all kinds of theatrical, musical, dance and comedy performances, attracting local and international stars to its stage. The neighbouring Howard Assembly Rooms was also reopened this year after a major refurbishment and is being run by Opera North to showcase chamber-sized art and music performances.
The Grand Theatre was designed by the architect George Carson and displays gothic stylings that are evident in other imposing buildings from the same era, such as the Leeds General Infirmary across the city on Great George Street. The theatre’s facade has a pleasing symmetry to it, with majestic archways and fairytale spires combining to create a church-like facade overlooking the ungodly modern-day takeaways of New Briggate. It’s a grand design for a grand building, which was built as a sophisticated response to the pub-based, raucous music hall entertainment that was so popular at the time.
Inside the auditorium it’s just as impressive, with ornately adorned trims dividing the different seating levels and helping to generate the feeling that you’re in for a really special evening’s entertainment. And these days it goes without saying that you can feel free, whether rich or poor, to enter the building through its main entrance before a show. That wasn’t the case in the class-obsessed Victorian days, when only those sitting in the most expensive seats could use the front entrance, while the hoi polloi swiftly filed in through the side door.
Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, LS1 6NZ, 0113 222 6222
Posted on Wednesday 17th February 2010
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