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Royal Amphitheatre

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Venue Type & Location

Theatre

Overview

  • Address: Originally, the venue's location was given as Great Charlotte Street. The current address of the same site is 1 Roe Street, Liverpool. For a current map, Click Here.

  • Alternate Names: Cooke’s New Circus, Cooke’s Royal Amphitheatre, Royal Court Theatre (1881-present)

  • Capacity: A description of the venue from the early 1830s suggests that it could hold 3000-4000 spectators.

  • Performance Space Description: In Annals of the Liverpool Stage, R.J. Broadbent gives the following description of the Amphitheatre’s exterior (c.1830): “The handsome front of the building in Great Charlotte Street consisted of stucco-work […] The exterior comprised three stories, of which the lowermost one was rusticated. Four Corinthian pilasters supported the pediment” (224).

    The auditorium itself seems to have been a rather large and tasteful affair, featuring both a proscenium stage and a ring for equestrian performances. A lengthy account of the venue interior (again, c. 1830) can be found in Allen’s Lancashire Illustrated. It reads: “It is said, by those who have had opportunities of forming an opinion on the subject, that [the Royal Amphitheatre] may claim the distinction of pre-eminence, both as to extent of accommodation and splendour of decoration, over every similar erection in the kingdom. […] The total length of the building is 135 feet by 76 feet wide. The roof presents a remarkable specimen of skilful carpentry, being so constructed as to span the whole breadth of the building, without any interior support. The stage is 51 feet long by 41 ½ feet, opening at the proscenium. […] The audience part of the house is fitted up in the most convenient, tasteful, and brilliant style. The front of the three tiers of boxes, and of the galleries, presents to the eye a prevailing mass of crimson ground, enriched with burnished gold mouldings and ornaments. A large and splendid gas chandelier, suspended from the ceiling, and numerous subsidiary ones ranged round the front of the boxes, serve to shed over the whole place the glow and radiance of an Oriental palace” (53).

  • Typical Fare: The Picture of Liverpool (1835) notes that the Royal Amphitheatre was “allotted to equestrian and pantomimic performances” (164). Between 1842 & 1852, however, these types of acts were supplemented and varied by ballets, operas, Greek tragedies, melodramas, musical interludes, farces, and productions of several of Shakespeare’s works. A concert by Jenny Lind in 1849 was also a big draw. (See Broadbent Annals of the Liverpool Stage for a more detailed breakdown of the entertainments offered at this venue).

    • Performance History

  • Though the Royal Amphitheatre was built and opened, at John Cooke’s instigation, in 1825-6, it was not fully completed and decorated until a few years later. All told, it cost more than 18,500 pounds to erect.

  • In 1881, the Amphitheatre was gutted, and its interior was reconstructed according to designs by Henry Summers. This newly renovated venue opened under the name of The Royal Court Theatre.

  • The remains of the original building were completely destroyed by fire in 1933. A new version of the Royal Court (still extant) was erected and opened in 1938.

    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 Royal Amphitheatre

    Film Affiliated people Film Type # of event(s)
    Betty, Henry Betty, Henry Dramatic Definite Betty, Henry
    Brooke, G.V. Brooke, G.V. Dramatic Definite Brooke, G.V.
    Brower Minstrel Definite Brower
    Buffalo Gals Troupe (Liverpool, 47) Dramatic Definite Buffalo Gals Troupe (Liverpool, 47)
    Cathcart Cathcart, Dramatic Definite Cathcart
    Creole Troupe (Liverpool, 50) Dramatic Definite Creole Troupe (Liverpool, 50)
    Dark Denizen of the Desert Circus Definite Dark Denizen of the Desert
    Dunn, John, the British Jim Crow Dunn, John Minstrel Definite Dunn, John, the British Jim Crow
    Ethiopian Minstrels Minstrel Definite Ethiopian Minstrels
    Kraye, Chester Kraye, Chester Dramatic Definite Kraye, Chester
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Swaine, Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Sanford, Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Rainer, Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Ole Bull jun., Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Burke, Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    Othello Troupe (Liverpool, 49) Dramatic Definite Othello Troupe (Liverpool, 49)
    Sullivan, Barry Sullivan, Barry Dramatic Definite Sullivan, Barry
    Sweeney, J.W. Sweeney, J.W. Minstrel Definite Sweeney, J.W.
    Unknown Minstrel Troupe (Liverpool, 1846) Minstrel Definite Unknown Minstrel Troupe (Liverpool, 1846)

    Events at Royal Amphitheatre

    Event Date Venue Location Film
    Minstrel Show - Liverpool, Lancashire New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Cathcart
    Variety - Liverpool, Lancashire Dunn, John, the British Jim Crow
    Variety - Liverpool, Lancashire Sweeney, J.W.
    Variety - Liverpool, Lancashire Brower
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Creole Troupe (Liverpool, 50)
    Variety - Liverpool, Lancashire Ethiopian Minstrels
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Kraye, Chester
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Unknown Minstrel Troupe (Liverpool, 1846)
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Unknown Minstrel Troupe (Liverpool, 1846)
    Circus - Liverpool, Lancashire Dark Denizen of the Desert
    Variety - Liverpool, Lancashire Unknown Minstrel Troupe (Liverpool, 1846)
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Betty, Henry
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Buffalo Gals Troupe (Liverpool, 47)
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Othello Troupe (Liverpool, 49)
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Sullivan, Barry
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Brooke, G.V.
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Sullivan, Barry
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Brooke, G.V.

    Bibliographic Sources

    View a list of abbreviations.

    • (Under Liverpool - Royal Court Theatre)
    • Liverpool: Thomas Taylor, 1835
    • London: H. Fisher, R. Fisher & P. Jackson, 1832
    • Liverpool: Edward Howell, 1908