Grand Theatre

The Grand Theatre in Lancaster is a theatre that opened in 1782 as 'The Theatre, Lancaster'. It was purchased by Edmund Sharpe, who made alterations and re-opened it as 'The Music Hall' in 1843. The building was extended in 1857 and altered again, being renamed 'The Athenaeum' in 1884. A fly tower was added in 1897 as part of alterations designed by Frank Matcham. The theatre suffered fire damage in 1908, after which the interior was rebuilt by Albert Winstanley, and it re-opened as 'The Grand Theatre' in September 1908. A projection box was added to the roof in 1931. The building is made of rendered sandstone rubble with a slate roof. The main facade, facing north, features chamfered quoins and consists of three storeys and four bays. The windows, which do not align with the current floor levels, have rendered architraves added in 1884. The ground floor includes two similar window architraves flanking a central round-arched doorway, with a narrower doorway to the left and a blocked doorway to the right. Above the eaves is the added projection box. The south-west side has seven round-arched window openings, now blocked, with plain stone surrounds. The north-east side is constructed of squared and coursed stone and has three round-arched window openings. Inside, the theatre features a curved gallery front, a proscenium arch, and a ceiling decorated with fibrous plaster in a 'Free Renaissance' style.