Royal & Derngate

"Derngate" redirects here. For the district of Northampton, see Derngate (district).

Coordinates: 52°14′10″N 0°53′37″W / 52.2362°N 0.8936°W / 52.2362; -0.8936

Royal & Derngate
Address	1 Guildhall Road
City	Northampton, Northamptonshire
Designation	Grade II listed (Royal)
Architect	C J Phipps (Royal) RHWLP (Derngate)
Owned by	Northampton Theatres Trust
Capacity	583 (Royal) 1200 (Derngate)
Opened	1884 (Royal) 1983 (Derngate) 2006 (Royal & Derngate)
Rebuilt	1887 C J Phipps (fire) 2005 (refurbishment)
Previous names	For the Royal Theatre: The Opera[1] Repertory Theatre
Current use	In-house produced productions National touring productions
royalandderngate.co.uk

The Royal & Derngate is a two-venue theatre located in Northampton, England. Formed in 1999 by an operational merger between the Royal Theatre and the Derngate Theatre, both the venues are now run by Northampton Theatres Trust. In 2005, both venues closed for a major redevelopment costing £14.5m re-opening as Royal & Derngate in October 2006 after an 18 month closure.

Pre-merger history

Designed by theatre architect C J Phipps with mural by artist Henry Bird,^[2] the Grade II listed building Royal Theatre opened on 5 May 1884 with a production of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.^[1] Built for Mr John Franklin by Mr Henry Martin, it was a bold and important development in the town's theatrical history. On the theatre's opening, The Stage newspaper reported:

No element of success was wanting to contribute to the superb triumph that crowned the opening of this new theatre; the audience which thronged every available part of the house, comprised the rank and fashion of the town and county, while the charming Thespian temple, fresh from the hand of the scene painters, gleamed everywhere with light and colour. The artistically designed scenery, the dress circle brilliant with blue and gold, the crimson rested chairs, together with the soft and delicate beauty of the ceiling and mural embellishment, were the theme of audible admiration from all parts of the house.

After the Royal Theatre suffered a fire in 1887, Phipps restored the theatre again. Two years later, its proscenium was widened. Despite such strife, many of those eminent in British theatrical history acted here during this theatre's first four decades. Productions included George Edwardes' musical comedies, opera, pantomimes, burlesques, operettas, melodramas and the first provincial of Mikado. Here Irving, whose walking stick, with Garrick associations, is in the foyer. Ellen Terry, Gordon Craig, Martin Harvey, Benson, Tearle, Seymour Hicks, Wilson Barrett, Mrs Patrick Campbell, were among those who played in their great roles.

Since 1927, when the Repertory Company was established, many of the eminent in today's theatre, films, radio and television have been members of the Company. Northampton's Theatre Royal and Opera House, saturated with three-quarters of a century of great and inspiring traditions, stimulated not only those who work in front and behind its gilded high proscenium, but continued to attract an ever-increasing patronage. The theatre was restored and redecorated in 1960 by the late Osborne Robinson, who painted various murals and updated the previously plain surface which surrounded the Rococo Plasterwork in the auditorium's ceiling with stylised clouds. In 1983, shortly before the Derngate Theatre next door was built, the Royal Theatre's backstage area was given an overhaul to improve its facilities.

The Royal Theatre has been a producing house ever since the Northampton Repertory Players took up residence in 1927 and can create its own scenery and costumes in house. The 2005-2006 refurbishment restored the auditorium closer to its original lavish Victorian appearance.^[3]

Actors who made early appaeances on the stage at the Royal before they went on to achieve greater fame included Errol Flynn who in 1933 had an acting job with the Northampton repertory company at the Royal, where he worked for seven months.^[4] In January 1977, scenes for the Doctor Who serial The Talons of Weng-Chiang were recorded inside the theatre. The serial was set in Victorian London and an authentic atmosphere was wanted for the theatre scenes. According to director David Maloney on the DVD commentary, it was chosen because it had the nearest original fly gallery to London.

Derngate

Sited in the town's Derngate region, the theatre complex opened on 4 April 1983 with an 8pm performance by jazz singer Jack Jones.

Post-merger history

1999-2007

In 1999 the Royal Theatre was operationally merged with Derngate Theatre and both the venues are now run by Northampton Theatres Trust. In 2005 both venues closed for a major redevelopment costing £14.5m re-opening as "Royal & Derngate" in October 2006 after an 18 month closure. Soon after, its future was threatened by annual cuts of £250,000 by Northampton Borough Council. This was an apparent attempt to claw back its own budget deficits, even though they had largely paid for the refurbishment work. It was feared that this withdrawal of funding would trigger similar withdrawals from other sponsors. A short term solution was reached with Northampton County Council funding the Borough Council's cuts for the next 2 years.

Royal & Derngate is now the main venue for arts and entertainment in Northamptonshire. In its two auditoria – the Royal auditorium seats 530 and the Derngate auditorium seats 1200-1400 people - the venue offers a diverse programme of work with everything from drama to dance, stand-up comedy to classical music, children’s shows to opera on its stages. It also hosts the February degree conferment ceremonies for the University of Northampton each year. Some of the biggest names and productions on tour can be found here, alongside a programme of widely acclaimed inhouse produced work.

Over the past few years, Royal & Derngate have produced a number of critically acclaimed shows including Sondheim’s Follies, J.B. Priestley’s The Glass Cage, The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie and Roald Dahl’s James And The Giant Peach, as well as collaborating with Frantic Assembly on productions of Frankenstein and Othello.

2007-2009

During 2007/08, Royal & Derngate welcomed over 300,000 audience members through its doors to see work on both of its stages and in the Underground space. 20,000 people also took part in over 700 Creative Project sessions that give audiences the chance to get involved in performing, writing and to find out more about what goes on behind the scenes at the theatre.

During 2009/10, Royal & Derngate welcomed over 300,000 audience members through its doors to see work on both of its stages and in the Underground space. 20,000 people also took part in over 700 Creative Project sessions that gave audiences the chance to get involved in performing, writing and to find out more about what goes on behind the scenes at the theatre. Over 20,000 people attended a free outdoor spectacular at Delapre Park, Crackers by The World Famous and a further 80,000 people enjoyed Royal & Derngate productions (Made in Northampton) on tour throughout the UK.

In 2009, to celebrate its 125th anniversary, the theatre’s seasons included a celebration of Britain’s most popular living playwright, Alan Ayckbourn, a brand new show created with the funny company Spymonkey, and a "Young America" season featuring two rarely seen plays by Eugene O’Neill and Tennessee Williams about young people in love. Royal & Derngate also toured co-productions of Kneehigh Theatre’s Brief Encounter and with Fiery Angel, The BFG. In addition, Royal & Derngate played host to some of the biggest touring shows in the country, including the UK premiere of English National Ballet’s Angelina Ballerina’s Big Audition and Rambert Dance Company also returned since the redevelopment.

2010-2011

2010 saw transfers of the Young America season to the National Theatre in London (winner TMA Award, nominated Evening Standard Award), as well as the West End transfer of End of the Rainbow (nominated for 4 Olivier Awards), running until end of May 2011 at Trafalgar Studios.

In 2010 the senior management team of Royal & Derngate developed a new charity, to provide not for profit management services for both Royal & Derngate and another new charity established to operate the new theatre at the Corby Cube, The Core.

In early 2011, Royal & Derngate was named "The Regional Theatre of the Year" in the inaugural Stage 100 awards.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Pevsner, Nikolaus (1961). The Buildings of England – Northamptonshire. London and New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 334. ISBN 978-0-300-09632-3. 
2. ^ http://www.turnipnet.com/atc/safetycurtain.htm Henry Bird and his Theatrical Mural on the Ashcroft Theatre Safety Curtain, Croydon
3. ^ "The Royal Theatre, Northampton on the Arthur Lloyd Theatre website, includes various interior and exterior views". http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Northampton/RoyalTheatreNorthampton.htm. Retrieved 10 October 2009. 
4. ^ Connelly, Gerry (1998). Errol Flynn in Northampton. Domra Publications. ISBN 978-095-2441724. 

Bibliography

• Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950, John Earl and Michael Sell pp. 170–71 (Theatres Trust, 2000) ISBN 0-7136-5688-3

External links

• Royal and Derngate Theatres, Northampton
• History of Northampton's Theatres and Cinemas