Liverpool Playhouse

The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in Liverpool, England. The theatre started in 1866 as a music hall. In 1911, it became a repertory theatre that nurtured the early careers of many actors and actresses. some of whom went on to achieve national and international reputations. Architectural changes have been made to the building over the years, he latest of which in 1968. A modern-style extension was added to the north of the theatre. In 1999 a trust was formed, which joined the management of the theatre with that of the Everyman Theatre. History In 1866, the present theatre opened as the Star Music Hall. It was designed by Edward Davies and replaced the earlier Star Concert Hall. In 1895, its name was changed to the Star Theatre of Varieties. In 1898, it was improved by Harry Percival with a new auditorium and foyer. Electricity was installed. In 1911 the Liverpool Repertory Theatre Limited was established with Basil Dean as its "controller and producer". The company could not afford to build a new theatre and bought the Star Theatre for £28,000 (equivalent to £2,870,000 in 2019), which made it the first repertory in Britain to own the freehold of a theatre. The company spent a further £4,000 (equivalent to £410,000 in 2019) on redesigning and modernising the theatre. The auditorium and the basement foyer were redesigned by Stanley Adshead. He was the Professor of Civic Design at the Liverpool School of Architecture. The theatre was for many years managed by Maud Carpenter and was renamed the Liverpool Repertory Theatre. In 1916, it was renamed the Liverpool Playhouse. In 1961 and 1966, minor structural alterations were made to the theatre. In 1968, a modern-style extension was added to the north of the theatre to accommodate new foyers, bars, dressing rooms and a workshop. In the 1990s, the theatre company went into liquidation. In 1999 the Liverpool and Merseyside Theatres Trust Limited was established as a charity, and the theatre re-opened. It is managed jointly with the Everyman Theatre by Liverpool City Council. Artistes As a repertory company, the theatre has been involved in the careers of actors and actresses, who often later achieved wide fame. Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence worked with the company as child actors. Other artistes who gained experience at the theatre are Robert Donat, Lilian Braithwaite, Cecil Parker, John Gregson, Clive Brook, C. Aubrey Smith, Richard Burton, Michael Redgrave, Diana Wynyard, Rex Harrison, Patricia Routledge, Anthony Hopkins and Richard Briers. Architecture Older section The exterior of the older part of the theatre is stuccoed and has a slate roof. Its entrance faces Williamson Square. It has seven bays and is in three storeys. The central three bays project forward and are surmounted by a broken pediment. On the ground floor, the central bays contain three entrances, which are separated by pillars that lead to a recessed porch. Over each entrance is an architrave containing a fanlight. The lateral bays contain two round-headed and one flat-headed entrance on each side. There are three blind round windows. In the middle storey, the bays are separated by pilasters. The three central bays each have a balustrade and a window with a tympanum containing a roundel. Each of the three lateral bays contains a window with a cornice, and a round window above it. Along the top storey are oculi between panelled pilasters. On the summit of each of the two lateral bays is a cupola on a short Tuscan colonnade. Inside the older part of the theatre are two balconies, which are supported by cast iron columns. The interior is decorated in Greek Revival style. Newer section The newer section is constructed in concrete. It is mostly faced by glass. On the ground floor are entrance doors. Above this, the building is based around three cylinders. The largest of these starts at the first floor and rises through two storeys. It is cantilevered from a central column. To the left is a smaller cylinder, cantilevered from a separate column, interlocking with the larger cylinder. Inside the whole is a hollow column containing the stairs. Assessment and critique The theatre is recorded in the National Heritage List for England. On 14 March 1975, it was designated a Grade II* listed building. The list quotes the Architects' Journal of 1968 that the older section ws "significant as an early and rare work by one of the pioneers of the Liverpool School of Architecture, in the Grecian style favoured by the school at that date". The newer section was "a brilliant concept, joyously realised, which exploits asymmetrical volumes and ever varying spaces yet achieves unity and also balance with the adjoining Victorian façade". In the Buildings of England series, the architectural historians Richard Pollard and Nikolaus Pevsner call the newer section as "a spectacular composition which creates an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation, exactly right for a theatre foyer". References Other websites Official website of the Playhouse and Everyman theatres