Assembly Rooms

Venue Type & Location

Multi-use

Overview

Address: Prince Street, Bristol. Click here for map

Alternate Names: New Music Room (during the 18th C.), The Regency Theatre (after 1811)

Capacity: In a letter printed in the Bristol Mercury during 1850, the assembly rooms were criticized for being “too small” for concerts. Specific information about venue capacity is unknown.

Audience Composition: In the 18th Century, the rooms were a gathering place for the local elite. Information about the typical audiences between 1842 and 1852 is still to be found.

Performance Space Description: Peter Borsay suggests that, during the 18th Century, Assembly Rooms (including the Prince Street venue) consisted of opulent ballrooms, plus “whole suites of finely decorated rooms that could be used for activities other than dancing” (160). Further research into the nature of the performance space following its refitting as a theatrical venue is still required.

Typical Fare: During the height of their popularity in the late 1700s, the rooms were mainly used for dancing, card playing, and other forms of fashionable leisure activity. In 1812, shortly after the space was converted for theatrical use, burlettas were the most common offering. By the mid 19th Century, the assembly rooms offered any number of types of entertainment, including variety concerts, magic shows, and exhibitions of moving panoramas.

Performance History

The Assembly Rooms were built in 1754 and 1755, using funds raised by subscription. 120 shareholders purchased shares of 30 pounds each, making the total cost of construction 3,600 pounds.

The venue was converted for theatrical use in 1811. It then served a variety of purposes before being partially demolished during the 1920s. Final demolition took place in 1956.

Please see the 'Bibliographic Sources' link at right for a complete listing of materials (both primary and secondary) from which the above information was compiled.

Beth Marquis

Troupes at Assembly Rooms

Film	Affiliated people	Film Type	# of event(s)
Cave, J.H.	Cave, J.H.	Minstrel	Definite Cave, J.H.
Holt, Charles	Holt, Charles	Band	Definite Holt, Charles
No Troupe			Definite No Troupe

Events at Assembly Rooms

Event	Date	Venue Location	Film
Exhibition	22 Oct. 1849 -27 Oct. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	No Troupe
Exhibition	22 Oct. 1849 -27 Oct. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	Holt, Charles
Exhibition	12 Nov. 1849 -17 Nov. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	No Troupe
Exhibition	12 Nov. 1849 -17 Nov. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	Holt, Charles
Exhibition	19 Nov. 1849 -24 Nov. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	No Troupe
Exhibition	19 Nov. 1849 -24 Nov. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	Holt, Charles
Exhibition	26 Nov. 1849 -01 Dec. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	No Troupe
Exhibition	26 Nov. 1849 -01 Dec. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	Holt, Charles
Exhibition	03 Dec. 1849 -08 Dec. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	No Troupe
Exhibition	03 Dec. 1849 -08 Dec. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	Holt, Charles
Exhibition	08 Oct. 1849 -13 Oct. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	No Troupe
Exhibition	08 Oct. 1849 -13 Oct. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	Holt, Charles
Exhibition	15 Oct. 1849 -20 Oct. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	No Troupe
Exhibition	15 Oct. 1849 -20 Oct. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	Holt, Charles
Variety	31 Mar. 1845 -05 Apr. 1845	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	Cave, J.H.
Exhibition	04 Oct. 1849 -06 Oct. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	No Troupe
Exhibition	04 Oct. 1849 -06 Oct. 1849	Bristol, Bristol (city-county) in Gloucestershire	Holt, Charles