Wolverhampton's Architectural Heritage

Places of Leisure

Wolverhampton Theatres

Theatrical performances are recorded as taking place at the Town Hall as early as 1751. A new theatre was then built at the rear of the Swan Inn, now the site of Lloyds Bank, Queen Square. The building was a plain but substantial brick building with a seating accommodation of 700. The entrance to the theatre was through a dimly lit courtyard covered with straw. The admission charges in 1830 were: boxes, 3 shillings, pit, 2 shillings, and gallery 1 shilling. Some of the famous actors and actresses to appear at the theatre included Mrs Siddens and her brother John Phillip Kemble, Charles Kemble, and the ever popular Madame Vestris.

Theatre Royal

Around the year 1840 there was a desire for a more suitable theatre and as a result of a meeting in the Pack Horse in Dudley Street in September 1841 a company was formed to raise the capital for the building project.

The foundation stone was laid in June 1844 and the theatre, situated on the corner of Cleveland Road and Garrick Street (now the site of the Central Library) was opened on Easter Monday 1845. The builder was Mr Robinson of Castle Street. Some of the famous actors and actresses to appear at the Theatre Royal included Charles Dillon, Gustavus Vaughan Brooke and Henry Widdicombe.

In the 1850's audience figures fell to the extent that Mr Henry Powell, the theatre manager, reduced the admission price to 3d for the gallery and 6d for the pit. During the 1870's the theatre opened and closed a number of times. Finally the building was demolished in December 1894.

Grand Theatre

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton 1928 (M8/GRA/E/4a)

The new Grand Theatre, situated in Lichfield Street, was opened in December 1894 by the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Alderman Charles Mander and his wife.

The architect of the building was Charles J Phipps and the builder was Henry Gough of Wolverhampton. The estimated cost of the building was £10,000.

Foundation Stone Grand Theatre 1980 (M8/GRA/E/8)

The capacity of the theatre was 2,151 and the first night featured the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company performing Gilbert and Sullivan's Utopia Limited. Speeches full of praise, congratulatory telegrams including one from the actor Henry Irving and a celebratory dinner followed the performance. The opening night was a roaring success with hundreds of people turned away. Among the famous actors and actresses to appear at the Grand Theatre are Charlie Chaplin, Ellen Terry and Henry Irving, and in later years Marlene Dietrich and jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. The Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George gave his famous "building a land fit for heroes" speech from the stage of the Grand Theatre in November 1918.

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Interior of Grand Theatre c.1930 (M8/GRA/I/10)

The theatre was completely refurbished and reopened in October 1983.

Interior of Grand Theatre 1999 (M8/GRA/I/55)