Liverpool ’ s Royal Court Theatre has been part of the city ’ s cultural landscape since it was first opened as ‘ Cooke ’ s Royal New Circus ’ in 1826 . Redesigned and reopened on the same site as the Royal Court in 1881 , it was destroyed by fire during a performance in 1933 before being rebuilt again in the Art Deco style and reopened to audiences in 1938 . |
The theatre has been entertaining audiences in the same building ever since and has played host to some of the acting profession ’ s most illustrious names , including Lawrence Olivier , John Gielgud , Vivienne Leigh and Judi Dench , who made her acting debut there in 1957 .
It also forms an important part of Liverpool ’ s architectural heritage , standing out as an Art Deco landmark in a city blessed with an embarrassment of architectural riches , including its Unesco Heritage Site waterfront .
|
Phased refurbishment
To ensure that theatre goers can continue to enjoy the building ’ s enviable heritage and sumptuous surroundings for generations to come , the Royal Court Liverpool Trust has successfully secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund ( ERDF ) towards the £ 11.9m cost of a complete refurbishment .
Explains Steven Hunt from Steven Hunt & Associates , ‘ The refurbishment scheme has been divided into phases or ‘ Acts ’ that will enable the theatre to remain open for
|
as much of the programme as possible , and the project is now well underway .
‘ The £ 1.2m Act 1 improvements to the auditorium were completed in 2012 and the latest scheme to transform the theatre is the £ 3m Act 2 programme involving refurbishment of the entrance and ground floor circulation areas , including an extension to increase the footprint of the public areas . Act 3 , a £ 2.9m revamp of the balcony and basement levels , is planned for 2017 and Act 4 , involving the construction of a stunning £ 5.5m rooftop venue , is also being planned .’
|
18 |