Uploads from stagedoor

Royal Court 4643

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:15:19 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Royal Court Theatre Liverpool. The Royal Court is unusual in the UK in that it serves dinner in the stalls before the show, and the seating is therefore a mix of tables and chairs and bench seating. The two balconies contain conventional tip-up theatre seats giving patrons a wide choice of options. Sightlines are good throughout with no pillars.

Liverpool Royal Court Theatre
May 2013

Royal Court 4655

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:15:19 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Royal Court Theatre Liverpool. The very rear of the balcony is the least good place to sit, merely by dint that it is the furthest point from the stage. Nevertheless the view is good, the brand new seats are comfortable, and there are many theatres with far worse balconies.

Liverpool Royal Court Theatre
May 2013

Royal Court 4638fh

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:15:18 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Royal Court Theatre Liverpool. Phase 1 (of 4) of a major refurbishment was carried out in 2012 and involved the complete restoration, redecoration and reseating of the auditorium. The theatre seats around 1,200 on three levels and is grade 2 listed.

Liverpool Royal Court Theatre
May 2013

Royal Court 4632

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:15:17 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Royal Court Theatre Liverpool. The Royal Court is undergoing a massive refurbishment and rebuilding programme in four phases. Phase 1 was completed in 2012, part of which included the replacing the inadequate number of - particularly ladies - toilets. This particular facility increased the number of cubicles from 3 to 14 in a clean modern style.

Liverpool Royal Court Theatre
May 2013

Royal Court 4670

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:15:17 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Royal Court Theatre Liverpool. Designed in art deco style by James Hutchins after a 1938 rebuild following a fire which destroyed an earlier theatre on the site. Part of the Howard & Wyndham circuit. Equipped as a cinema from the start but rarely used until 1971 when a new biox eas added at the rear of the stalls and upto 6 months per year of films were shown. Grade 2 listed.

Liverpool Royal Court Theatre
May 2013

Warrington Town Hall 4500

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:25:46 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Town Hall Warrington. The gates and front of the Hall. Built as Bank Hall in 1750 designed by Gibbs. Grade 1 listed. The gates were exhibited at the London Exhibition in 1862.

Warrington Town Hall
May 2013

Warrington Town Hall 4499

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:25:45 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Warrington Town Hall. The Eastern Outbuilding of the former Bank Hall is also grade 1 listed.

Town Hall Warrington
May 2013

Warrington Town Hall 4467

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:25:44 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Warrington Town Hall. The rear of the Town Hall extends into a public park. It was described by Pesvner as "the finest house of it's date in South Lancashire". It was sold to Warrington Borough Council in 1870.

Town Hall Warrington
May 2013

Liverpool FACT 4576

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:09:09 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

FACT Liverpool. Opened in 2003 and designed by Austin Smith Lord Architects, the FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) centre was a key venue in Liverpool's year as the European Capital of Culture.

FACT Cinema and Gallery Liverpool
May 2013

Liverpool Chinatown 4566

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:09:08 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Chinatown Liverpool. The arch, commemorating the twinning of Shanghai and Liverpool, has over 200 dragons and is constructed of wood and marble.

Liverpool Chinatown
May 2013

Liverpool Chinatown 4565

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:09:07 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Chinatown Liverpool. The arch is over 15 metres high making it the largest Chinese Arch outside China. It stands on Nelson Street at the entrance to the first Chinatown established in Europe.

Chinatown Liverpool
May 2013

Palace Theatre Warrington 4509

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:49:24 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Palace / Showbar Warrington. Opened in 1907 and designed by George F Ward, the Warrington Palace Theatre and Hippodrome bears much in common with the Darlington and Middlesbrough Hippodromes by the same architect. All three are in a mix of Arts & Crafts and Baroque style constructed of brick and stone and having square towers topped by cupolas. Owned by the McNaughten Circuit for much of it's life, the Palace was converted to a cinema in 1931 which closed in 1964, following which it was used as a bingo club until 1997. After 3 years of disuse it was converted to Brannigans Nightclub and is now The Showbar.

www.theshowbar.co.uk/

Warrington Palace Theatre / The Showbar
May 2013

Palace Theatre Warrington 4524

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:49:24 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Palace / Showbar Warrington. Inside the former theatre, there are now two separate spaces, this is the first floor area which clearly was once the dress circle. Pillars support the balcony and the line of the balcony front can be seen top left (for some reason the plasterwork on the balconies was stripped in the 1960's). There is a dance floor to the left of the barrier on a false floor inserted above what would have been the front stalls of the theatre. Both spaces are well appointed and comfortable. As the Palace Theatre it originally claimed a 2,100 seating capacity - though for many this would not have been in nearly the same levels of comfort as today!

Warrington Palace Theatre / The Showbar
May 2013

Palace Theatre Warrington 4531

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:49:23 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Palace / Showbar Warrington In 1931 the theatre was converted to a cinema, still under the McNaughten Circuit control, and seating was listed as 996 by 1943, almost certainly the top balcony was disused. The climb to the projection room was tortuous and would not be permitted today. Note the steep throw required, evidenced by the slanted portholes. The cinema was closed in November 1964.

cinematreasures.org/theaters/24076

Warrington Palace Theatre / The Showbar
May 2013

Palace Theatre Warrington 4533

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:49:23 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Palace / Showbar Warrington. Above the false floors and ceilings there is a fair amount of the theatrical plasterwork surviving, including the shallow-domed ceiling and the top of the 29ft wide proscenium arch (seen here). The "welcome" is from the years of bingo use (c1964 - 1997 operated under the Surewin and later Apollo brands.

Warrington Palace Theatre / The Showbar
May 2013

Palace Theatre Warrington 4544

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:49:23 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Palace / Showbar Warrington. The lower nightclub space occupies both the stalls and lower stage area, but above the flytower remains, although the rigging and safety curtain facing (frame remains in situ) have been stripped out. There is a fly floor on each side.

Warrington Palace Theatre / The Showbar
May 2013

Hippodrome St Helens 4427

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:02:04 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Hippodrome St Helens. Original design by J A Baron of St Helens, opened in June 1903 as the Empire Theatre of Varieties. It was built for Stan & Billy Boardman but they had overstretched their resources and the new theatre was not an immediate success. Within 3 months it had been sold to Tom Barrasford who renamed it to his preferred name in the Barrasford Circuit, and introduced "twice nightly" performances. Became a cinema in the late 1930's and a bingo hall, still successfully operating today, in 1968. The attractive Edwardian façade is constructed of brick and terracotta tiles from Bispham Hall Terracotta Co. and the tall flytower can be seen at the rear.

cinematreasures.org/theaters/23484

St Helens Hippodrome
May 2013

Hippodrome St Helens 4289

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:02:04 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Hippodrome St Helens. High up and hidden from public view is this former workstation, located just outside the projection room. From here an operator would lower the auditorium lights on the the two long dimmer boards and range of switches, and open the curtains. A hatch immediately to the right of the dimmer switches allowed viewing into the auditorium. It was most likely last used at least 45 years ago.

St Helens Hippodrome
May 2013

Hippodrome St Helens 4282

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:02:03 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Hippodrome St Helens. In 1956 the cinema proscenium was altered to accommodate Cinemascope. More recently the rear wall of the stage was extended to allow a balcony to be inserted on the stage, increasing capacity and allowing for bingo-in-the-round!

St Helens Hippodrome
May 2013

Hippodrome St Helens 4280

nobody@flickr.com (stagedoor) — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:02:03 -0700

stagedoor posted a photo:

Hippodrome St Helens. Oddly, in the 1930's when the original theatre auditorium was swept away for the art deco cinema insertion, the Edwardian ceiling with the fibrous plaster and dome was retained. The base of the sunburner is still in situ today, together with the panels representing music and drama.

St Helens Hippodrome
May 2013