Bath Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, is over 200 years old. It is one of the more important theatres in the United Kingdom outside London, with capacity for an audience of around 900.

The theatre building from 1805 is supplemented by two smaller and more recent studio theatres. In 2010 the theatre underwent a major refurbishment. The theatre itself was erected in 1805, replacing the Old Orchard Street Theatre which was also called the Theatre Royal, which is now a Freemason’s Hall. After a fire in 1863 the interior was redone by C J Phipps.

The theatre, along with the neighbouring Garrick’s Head public house, is a Grade II listed building and is considered a prime example of Georgian architecture. The auditorium has tiers of ornate plasterwork, with red and gilt decoration, and a Trompe-l’œil ceiling and glittering chandelier. It was extensively renovated in 1982, with additional refurbishments to the auditorium in 1999, and to the foyer, public bars (including the creation of the Jeremy Fry Bar, recognising his work in rescuing the theatre in the early 1980s) and backstage areas in 2010.