Grand Opera House (Belfast)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Grand Opera House in Belfast, Northern Ireland (2009)

The Grand Opera House is a theater in Belfast , Northern Ireland . It was designed by Frank Matcham , probably the most prominent theater architect of his time, and opened on December 23, 1895. According to the Theater Trust, the building is arguably the best preserved example of the incorporation of oriental elements into theater architecture in the United Kingdom.

history

The theater was renamed the Palace of Varieties in 1904 , but got its original name back in 1909. In the 1920s and 1930s, u. a. Gracie Fields , Will Fyffe and Harry Lauder . During the Second World War, the theater became a repertoire theater. Eisenhower , Montgomery and Alanbrooke attended a gala performance by the theater to celebrate the victory over Hitler Germany .

After the end of the war, the Grand Opera House was acquired by the Rank Organization , which used it as a movie theater from 1949 to 1972. The building was then ready for demolition, but was reopened in 1980.

In the early stages of the political unrest and violent rioting in the Northern Ireland conflict , the building was placed on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest in the 1970s and listed as a Grade A listed building. Since then, the building has been extensively renovated. This suffered severe damage from bomb explosions, which were aimed in particular at the nearby Europa Hotel, most recently in 1991 and 1993. However, the theater remained open to the public and presented guest performances from musical theater, classical theater, pantomime and live Concerts.

Renovation and reopening

In 1995 the theater was taken over by the Grand Opera House Trust. A comprehensive renovation and refurbishment of the building was carried out in 2006, during which u. a. the foyer, the staircase area, the stage wing and the changing rooms for the artists were expanded, and handicapped accessible access to the theater was established. The theater was then reopened on October 21, 2006 with 1,063 seats. Today the theater also has a restaurant and bistro on the ground floor on the third floor. The expansions as part of the redevelopment plan resulted in controversy among the local public. The main point of criticism was directed against the modern conception, which the critics saw not in line with the original character of the theater. Currently the main stage of the theater is mainly used for smaller music, drama and comedy performances.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Grand Opera House, Belfast . In: Theaters and Halls in Belfast . Retrieved July 18, 2007.
  2. ^ A b Over 106 Years of Theater Going at Northern Ireland's Premier Theater . In: Grand Opera House Theater Information . January 7, 2005. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2007.
  3. ^ Search results for Grand Opera House, Belfast . theatretrust.org. Retrieved August 2009.
  4. ^ A b Brian (ed) Lalor: The Encyclopaedia of Ireland . Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, Ireland 2003, ISBN 0-7171-3000-2 , p. 453.

Web links

Coordinates: 54 ° 35 '43.4 "  N , 5 ° 56' 6.2"  W.