The Theatre Royal, until 1807 the New Street Theatre, or, colloquially, New Theatre, was a 2000-seat theatre located on New Street in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

, England. It was erected in 1774 and demolished in 1956. The theatre was damaged by fire in 1792 (as a result of arson) and again in 1820, after which it was rebuilt. In 1897, W. S. Gilbert's ''

The Fortune Hunter ''The Fortune Hunter'' is a drama in three acts by W. S. Gilbert. The piece concerns an heiress who loses her fortune. Her shallow husband sues to annul the marriage, leaving her pregnant and taking up with a wealthy former lover. The piece wa ...

'' premiered at the theatre. The theatre was rebuilt again in 1902, designed by Ernest Runtz, reopening in 1904 with 2200 seats. This building lasted until 1956 when it was closed and demolished. The Woolworth Building was then constructed on the site, seen today as the location of a branch of Boots and Bella Italia. Two large coade stone medallions, from the front of the theatre, depicting

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...

(on the viewer's left) and

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, survive and are now displayed in the

Library of Birmingham A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

. In June 1848, Charles Dickens' Amateur Theatrical Company performed at the theatre as part of Dickens' efforts to raise funds for the curatorship of William Shakespeare's house in Stratford-upon-Avon. ''Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham'' records that on 16 February 1873 a boy fell from the gallery and died.

References

Bibliography and further reading

* * * * * * Former theatres in Birmingham, West Midlands 1774 establishments in England 1956 disestablishments in England Buildings and structures demolished in 1956 Demolished buildings and structures in the West Midlands (county) {{UK-theat-struct-stub