The Palace Theatre in Mansfield,

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The trad ...

, England first opened in 1910 as a

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

. It was later converted to a live theatre, which has been its primary function ever since. The theatre was completely renovated and refurbished in the 1990s and now stages a varied programme of events including dance,

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

and

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

. It is a popular receiving house for one night shows. The theatre is owned and operated by

Mansfield District Council Mansfield District is a local government district in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Mansfield. The district is bounded by the districts of Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood and Gedling, as well as the Derbyshire dist ...

History

The Palace Electric Theatre opened on Tuesday 13 December 1910. It was the first cinema in the town and only showed silent films at first. In 1949 the cinema was converted to a live theatre, featuring famous names such as

Larry Grayson Larry is a masculine given name in English, derived from Lawrence or Laurence. It can be a shortened form of those names. Larry may refer to the following: People Arts and entertainment *Larry D. Alexander, American artist/writer * Larry Boon ...

, Steve Lawrence and Hilda Baker. Mansfield District Council bought the theatre for £11,500 in 1953 and have been responsible for it ever since. After commissioning renovation work, the council reopened the theatre as 'Mansfield Civic Hall' with the first performance in the 'new' theatre being "School for Spinsters" by Chesterfield Repertory Company. In 1963, nearly all of the foyer and façade were rebuilt to give the theatre a new look. In 1968, a public competition offered a prize to rename the theatre. Many suggestions were made, but it was decided that the 'Civic Theatre' was the most appropriate, although this later changed to the 'Palace Theatre', the building's original name.

The Palace today

As part of a project to make the Palace Theatre a major touring venue for the North of England, the theatre closed for major redevelopments in 1997. During the seven-month period in which it was closed, many areas of the theatre were demolished, with all of the building being completely renovated. The project cost over £2.9 million. As a result of the works, the Palace Theatre has been designated as a regional mid-scale touring venue, meaning that it caters for an audience within a 40-minute drive-time. Along with physical improvements to the theatre, programming of the venue has also been revised to offer a broader range of events suited to its new status. To complement the amateur and professional variety shows performed at the theatre, it now stages a wider range of professional performances including classical music,

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

and contemporary dance.

Redevelopment

* The orchestra pit was extended and redesigned to accommodate more musicians and provide improved sound quality, with some acoustic adjustments made to the auditorium * The wings were extended to provide a greater back-stage space – this was essential to the development as it enables the theatre to receive larger scale sets and shows * A high fly tower was built above the stage – this allows traditional backdrops to be used more effectively * The proscenium arch was widened to enhance the greater stage space * New seats were installed, providing greater leg room and comfort and improved access for disabled patrons * The foyer and public spaces were fully refurbished and modernised * A lift and ramp were installed to enable easy access to all areas except the balcony * New spaces were created to facilitate the use of the theatre for corporate entertainment, training and workshops * A computerised box office system was installed * A new, contemporary façade was built {, style="margin:1em auto;" , , , Auditorium - Palace Theatre Mansfield

External links

Official Website
Theatres in Nottinghamshire Buildings and structures in Mansfield