THE NEW THEATRE ROYAL.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 742, 4 November 1876, Page 3

THE NEW THEATRE ROYAL.

Tonight a new era will be inaugurated in the history of the drama in Christchurch, when a more worthy home for it will be opened to the public. For many years one has heard on all sides complaints of the unau'itability of the building which so long supplied the place of a theatre. Visitors frora other provinces have come amongst us, and written disparagingly of what they called " the barn," in which the people of Christchurch were content to sit to witness the representation of the drama. Now, however, all this has changed ; in place of the shabby barn-like edifice, where audience and actors alike shivered, or were suffocated with heat, according to the season, we now have a building which is a credit alike to the city and the enterprise of its proprietors. "When it is considered that only some seventeen weeks has elapsed since the old building was demolished, it will be seen that no time hab been lost, and the contractors are to be congratulated upon the expedition used by them. In order to give our readers some idea of the size and general appearance of the building we append a short description of it. The building covers an area of sixtysix feet frontage on Gloucester street, having a depth of 130 feet. The front presents a very handsome appearance, the doors and windows being surmounted with cornices and entablature. Of the former there are three in the front, the one to the eastward adjoining the Palace Hotel, giving admission to the stalls, the centre one to the pit, and the westernmost to the dress circle. The circle is reached by a broad and handsome staircase of easy ascent. Between the doors are windows giving light to the rooms appropriated to the manager and ticket-takers. On the upper storey are five windows, the centre one being double the size of the others, lighting the ladies' dressing, private, and cloak rooms, and the refreshment room at the back of the dress circle. There are six pilasters running from the ground to the upper part of the building, and the centre window is surmounted by a raised and embossed panel, bearing the royal arms in bold relief. The dress circle has sitting accommodation for 250 or 300 persons. It. is of horse-shoe shape and contains eight tiers of seats, which are very comfortable, and covered in crimson rep. At the back of the dress circle is a passage Bft wide, leading to the refreshment, cloak, and ladies' rooms. These are 26 x 15, 22 x 10, and 15 x 9 respectively. The refreshment room is very nicely fitted, and will be lit with glass chandeliers. There are two boxes, one each side of the circle, handsomely furnished. The centre dome is very lofty, aud when fit to receive the color will be handsomely decorated. The one great feature in the circle is that there is no pillars to obstruct the view of the stage. The pit and stalls are fitted to seat 800, the seats in the latter being padded and covered with maroor. rep. The pit seats are raised in tiers, by means of the floor being curved, so that the view from the back portion is equal to the front. In addition to the entrance already spoken of there is one to the dress circle from Cathedral square. The whole building is lighted with gas from 500 burners, and it is intended to place a handsome chandelier in the dome so soon as it can be procured. The stage from box to box is 60ft in width and 48ft depth, being the largest stage in New Zealand. At the rear of the stage is the painting room, 33ft x lift, fitted with all the modern appliances, and there is also a green room, property room, &o, &c. The dressing rooms are situate at the top of a flight of stairs, approached by a balcony over the stage, and are well lit both by day and night. In case of fire or accident there are escape doors of large size, so contrived that in three minutes two thousand people could find egress, the doors being constructed so as to open outwards. The decorations, owing to the shortness of the time, will only partially be carried out, but these show that, when completed, they will add greatly to the appearance of the theatre. The architect is Mr A. W. Simpson, the contractors for the building Messrs Allen and Son, and for the stage Messrs Heath and Kose, Mr W. B. Samuels doing the decorative portion. The ventilation is good, and generally all the work connected with the building has been completed in a most substantial manner.