The Playhouse, Hulme

The Playhouse, Hulme

Theatre designed in 1902 by J.J. Alley. The building is constructed in red brick with white glazed-brick dressings and slate roofs, comprising three storeys plus basement. It is listed at Grade II.

The Playhouse was originally surrounded by terraced housing, now cleared by later redevelopment. The theatre presents three principal elevations to Chichester Road, Warwick Street and Wilberforce Close. The separately listed Hulme Hippodrome is attached to its north-west end.

The south-east elevation facing Chichester Road is the widest, containing eight bays with a series of original and later-inserted door and window openings, alongside a number of bricked-up openings. Paired white glazed-brick bands align with window sills and lintels, a feature replicated across the building's other two elevations. The two rightmost bays have later tile cladding to the ground floor, which continues around the east corner and extends across the north-east elevation for a further three bays. This area was formerly the theatre's east entrance; its three doorways are now covered externally by roller shutters. The first and second-floor windows contain casements (some altered), with painted sandstone sills and lintels featuring chamfered inside edges. The second-floor windows are slightly shorter. A parapet incorporating a dentilled band runs continuously around all three elevations and across the adjoining Hulme Hippodrome. The roof is hidden from view behind this parapet.

The north-east elevation facing Warwick Street is similarly styled with six bays, containing original and later doorways to the ground floor and casement windows (several altered) to the upper floors. A flat-roofed canopy shown in mid-20th-century photographs over the east corner entrance has been removed.

The south-west elevation facing Wilberforce Close incorporates later-inserted windows to the ground floor and a later mezzanine level inserted into the back-of-stage area. Two large arched ground-floor openings have been partly bricked-up with later openings inserted within. The first-floor windows have been bricked-up, while the second-floor windows have replaced glazing.

Internally, the theatre retains its original stairs, which are mostly covered with replaced treads and feature some decorative plasterwork; these provide access to various levels and exits. Most internal doors are later replacements. The U-shaped auditorium is aligned north-east to south-west and contains two galleries, the circle and balcony, with mid-20th-century alterations. The gallery fronts retain decorative Baroque-inspired plasterwork, now largely covered by later paint but believed to have been originally gilded. The ceiling incorporates diamond-patterned panelling. The stage has been extended into the stalls, but the original proscenium remains intact and is flanked by giant fluted Ionic engaged columns supporting an entablature incorporating a trophy of arms. Both galleries are supported by painted cast-iron columns with stiff-leaf capitals. The circle contains rows of seats to the central stage-facing section and side arms, whilst the balcony is set further back with straight rows to the centre section and slips running along the side walls to the proscenium. The proscenium ends of the circle, which possibly originally held boxes, now house a bar area and toilets. A later projection room is inserted at the centre of the balcony. Seating has been removed from the stalls and balcony, though some surviving circle seating, possibly original, includes double 'love seats'. A Wurlitzer organ, installed from the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool when the BBC moved in, has since been removed.

The theatre's east corner entrance contains three sets of late-1920s or 1930s double doors, currently covered by external roller shutters, and a former kiosk, probably inserted when the theatre was converted to a cinema in 1929. The original stage and back-of-stage areas were converted into a cultural centre in the 1980s and have been altered and modernised, with a steel-framed mezzanine level inserted along the south-west side. The basement contains a series of plain former dressing rooms.