Theatre Lane
PLAQUE047
DescriptionTHEATRE LANE In 1795 the Theatre Royal, seating 600, was created in Marischal Street by Stephen Kemble, brother of the actor John Philip Kemble. Eminent performers included Charles Macready and Charles Keen. The theatre flourished until 1872 when it was replaced by Her Majesty's Opera House, later the Tivoli, in Guild Street.HistoryThis theatre, the Theatre Royal, was completed in 1795 and funded by a subscription; it was Aberdeen's first permanent theatre. The Theatre, designed by Mr Holland, cost £3000 Sterling and seated 5-600 people. In 1818 a box cost 6s, a place in the pit 4s and a place in the gallery 2s, whilst in 1837 this was 3s for a box, 2s for the pits and 1s for the gallery. The Theatre Royal was very popular with Aberdeen's high society until the 1830s when it began to fall into decline. Three years after the opening of Her Majesty's Theatre and Opera House in 1872 the premises of the Theatre Royal were sold to the Church of Scotland.
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Although theatre and public performances have a long history in Aberdeen this was the first permanent theatre in the city. Arguably public performances in Aberdeen can be traced back to the dramatic religious performances of the pre-reformation era. From the early 17th century James VI licensed stage plays and companies of comedians to perform in the city. From the latter 17 and early 18th century travelling theatre companies and theatre productions became almost unheard of in Scotland.
After some opposition a company of comedians established themselves in Edinburgh in 1745 and a detachment in Aberdeen in 1751. The detachment were initially denied any premises in Aberdeen itself and raised a building on the south side of the Spittal for performances. This closed after one season. In 1768 the magistrates licensed a company under one Fisher to perform in Aberdeen, in the New Inn. In 1773 the celebrated West Digges attempted to establish a theatre in Aberdeen. Having been opposed he set up a successful theatre on the north side of the Spittal.
In the wake of this success a site was selected on the newly formed Marischal St to house a permanent theatre in Aberdeen proper. The building was completed in 1795 at a cost of £3000 raised by subscription. Eventually the site was purchased outright by John Fraser, a local merchant. The theatre was effectively small to medium sized housing some 5-600 people. In the first few decades of its existence it was particularly popular and drew in many of those from Aberdeen's high society. The journalist W.Carnie reminisced that in the 1830s 'I have seen Marischal Street half lined with the waiting carriages of the best families of the town and county.' Its main attraction, after 1818, was its production of Rob Roy.
In 1817 the lease of the Theatre Royal had been taken on by Corbet Ryder, who was an actor-manager. He made a reputation for himself with his swashbuckling acting style. It has been argued that Ryder, and his wife Jessie Pollock (who managed the Theatre after her husband's death in 1842), established Scotland's northern theatre circuit using Aberdeen as their base. By the 1830s and the 1840s the growing evangelical reform movement in Aberdeen successfully challenged the notion of the theatre as being a respectable form of entertainment for the aspirational and established classes. At this time the 'Penny Rattler' or Bool Road Theatre attracted more patrons and more criticism for its poor performances and violence and drunkenness that attended its performances.
Aside from these considerations Pollock's tastes were conservative, at a time when London based shows were increasing available (via an improving transport network) to the north. This led to a need to build a big venue to attract these touring London shows, this led to the opening of Her Majesty's Theatre and Opera House in 1872 (reopened as the Tivoli in 1910 after a refit by Frank Matcham), the Palace Theatre in 1898 and finally His Majesty's Theatre in 1906, His Majesty's could seat 2500. Three years after Her Majesty's opened the premises of the Theatre Royal were sold to the Church of Scotland.
Location InfoOn Marischal Street, opposite Harbour
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