Halifax Theatres
The oldest theatre in Halifax was the Theatre
Royal which was built in 1790 and destroyed by a fire in 1904
after which it was rebuilt. In later years it was to become a
cinema and cafã´ and then a bingo hall before being converted into a nightclub.
The timber-built Gaiety Theatre stood at the
end of North Bridge, Halifax, until it was destroyed by fire,
the last performance being in 1888. The site was later used for
building the Grand Theatre which was designed by Frank Matcham
and opened in 1889 by the famous actor Wilson Barrett. For many
years it was a popular repertory theatre and during World War
2 was used as a cinema, reverting to live drama afterwards. In
1957 it was demolished after part of the ceiling fell down in
spite of attempts to preserve it which were helped by Eric Portman
who brought his whole London company to Halifax to appear at
the Grand.
The Victoria Theatre in Halifax was opened
in 1901 under the name of the Victoria Hall. It was built on
a prime site at the end of Commercial Street where its fine architecture
can be seen at its best. Since it was built it has been used
for live theatre, featuring a variety of artists, singers, orchestras,
variety acts and drama. During World War 2 it was used as both
a cinema and a dance hall and it has long been used to stage
amateur theatricals by talented local singers and actors. In
1963, under the ownership of Halifax Council, it underwent a
complete overhaul and its splendid interior was shown to best
advantage after redecorating. It was then renamed the Civic Theatre,
partly to give it a new look and partly because its former name
conflicted with the main hall of Halifax Town Hall, which was
also known as the Victoria Hall. This name was used until 1993 when it was decided that
the name should once more reflect the time of its construction
and it was renamed the Victoria Theatre.
The Palace Theatre and Hippodrome in Halifax
was referred to as the 'sweetest theatre in the north' as a result
of the methods used in building it when, during bitterly cold
weather, quantities of sugar were mixed with the mortar to prevent
it from freezing. It was built in 1903 and was a popular place
of entertainment for many years featuring many of the best-known
artists of the time, including stars such as Arthur Askey, Henry
Hall and his orchestra, Sandy Powell, Reginald Dixon and many
others. In 1959 it was finally closed and demolished to make
room for new offices and shops.
The Oddfellows Hall opened in Halifax in 1840
and was used as a theatre and public hall. In its heyday it saw
appearances by many celebrities including Charles Dickens, who
gave highly acclaimed readings from his novels, but had a poor
opinion of the town itself. It later became known as the Trades
Club due to the meetings held there, and in 1917 a cinema was
installed known as the Alhambra which ran until 1959. The building
was demolished in 1963.
A music hall known as the Mitre was a popular
venue for light entertainment of this nature. It was run on the
usual lines of a Victorian music hall where the singing and dancing
were accompanied by bar facilities. It was situated in Market
Street in Halifax.
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