Jubilee Theatre

Infobox Theatre
name = Jubilee Theatre

---

caption =
address = St Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth
city = Newcastle upon Tyne
country = UK
designation =
latitude =
longitude =
architect =
owner =
capacity =
type =
opened = 1899
yearsactive =
rebuilt =
othernames =
currentuse = Theatre and meetings
website = www.juniperproductions.org.ukThe Jubilee Theatre, is a grade II listed buildingcite web |url=http://www.firstacttheatre.com/jubilee.htm |title=First Act Theatre |accessdate=2006-12-31 |publisher=F.A.T] theatre. It opened in 1899 in St Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

History

The theatre is a 109 year old Victorian theatre; its beautiful proscenium arch is decorated with Royal Doulton tiles by W.J. Neatby, and was built for the use of staff and patients of the Hospital.

Originally, the theatre had a sprung dance floor made from maple and a full sized orchestra pit, and was used for both shows and dances. The orchestra pit is currently not in use, but could be if part of the front of the stage was removed, as the stage was recently extended covering the orchestra pit.

So that films could be shown in the theatre a projection room was added to the back of the building in 1920 housing at least two movie projectors. They remain, but are not in use,currently sealed off. Together with the projection room there was a cinema screen which could be lowered in front of the proscenium.

Two doors lead into the theatre from the main corridor. The male and female patients at the hospital were constantly separated; men would enter using the door on the left, and women the right door. Rules dictated that men stayed on the left of the auditorium and women on the right, and were only allowed together for dancing. On the men's side there is a door out to a corridor which was previously used as the 'Gentlemen's Smoking Promenade' and is now used as a fire corridor.cite web |url=http://www.juniperproductions.org.uk/?p=theatre |title=Juniper Productions Theatre Information|accessdate=2006-12-31 |publisher=Juniper Productions]

Current usage

Currently the theatre is primarily used by two groups: First Act Theatre, a youth theatre company, which was invited by the hospital Trust to be the resident theatre company in the Jubilee Theatre in 1992, and Juniper Productions a drama group for sufferers of Mental Health Difficulties.(Founded in 1998)

The theatre is also used regularly for staging productions by local and national organisations and is available for hire from the hospital.

The future of the theatre is currently uncertain, due to numerous potential proposals for alternative usage being put forward by the NHS Trust.

References

External links

* [http://www.juniperproductions.org.uk Juniper Productions] - Juniper Productions
* [http://www.juniperproductions.org.uk/gallery/index.php?level=album&id=20 J.P. Photo Album] - Theatre Photograph Album
* [http://www.firstacttheatre.com/ F.A.T] - First Act Theatre