York Theatre Royal
United Kingdom
We pass by the Theatre Royal as we venture to another historical cultural venue and find out the significance of a Victorian Author who created Christmas as we know it.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to the York Theatre Royal, an extraordinary institution that has been the 'beating heart of drama' in this city for over 250 years. As you stand before this building, you are looking at a living 'architectural…
Listen in the app2The Modernist Foyer and Patrick Gwyn's Vision
We begin in the striking foyer, a masterpiece of 'mid-century modernism' designed by the architect Patrick Gwyn and completed in 1967. This space was a radical departure for York, featuring the first significant use of 'poured…
Listen in the app3The Medieval Arches and St. Leonard’s Hospital
Descending from the foyer, we find ourselves in the 'Carrigan Room,' named after Thomas Carrigan, the actor who founded the original theater here in the 1730s. The walls and pillars surrounding you are not part of a theater, but…
Listen in the app4The Main Auditorium and the Grey Lady Ghost
We now enter the magnificent 'main auditorium,' a space of red velvet, gold leaf, and Victorian theatricality. While the theater dates to 1744, the current configuration is largely the result of late 19th-century renovations. …
Listen in the app5The Backstage Mint Wall and 14th-Century Arrow Slits
Behind the curtain and the elaborate sets of the main stage lies one of the theater’s most 'extraordinary secrets.' The back wall of the stage is not a modern construction, but a massive section of a '14th-century wall' that once…
Listen in the app6Dressing Rooms and Theatrical Superstitions
Moving into the 'backstage labyrinth,' we reach the dressing rooms. There are eight rooms of various sizes, added in 1901 during the Edwardian expansion. …
Listen in the app7Tate Wilkinson and the Royal Patent
To understand why this is the 'Theatre Royal,' we must look at the history of Tate Wilkinson, the legendary actor-manager who took over the theater in 1769. Wilkinson was one of the most 'influential figures' in 18th-century…
Listen in the app8Closing
As our Whistlestop tour of the York Theatre Royal concludes, we return to the light-filled foyer, carrying with us the 'many layers of the building’s soul.' We have moved from the 'soaring modernism' of Patrick Gwyn to the…
Listen in the app
What is York Theatre Royal?
York Theatre Royal is a place in United Kingdom with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 53.9619, -1.0853 |
| Last updated |
