Grand Theatre Leeds

Infobox Theatre
name =The Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House


caption =
address = 46 New Briggate
Leeds, LS1 6NZ
city = Leeds
country = England
designation = listed building Grade II*
latitude =
longitude =
architect = George Corson
owner = Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House Ltd
Registered charity 500408
capacity = 1550
type = Visiting productions
Home of Opera North
opened = 1878
yearsactive =
rebuilt =
closed =
othernames =
production =
currentuse =
website = www.leedsgrandtheatre.com

The Grand Theatre (also known as Leeds Grand Theatre and Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House) is a theatre and Opera house in the centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was designed by James Robinson Watson, chief assistant in the office of Leeds-based architect George Corson, and opened on 18 November 1878. The exterior is in a mixture of Romanesque and Scottish baronial styles, while the interior has such Gothic motifs as fan-vaulting and clustered columns. The theatre is a Grade II* listed building. It seats approximately 1,500 people.

The theatre is home to Opera North and is regularly visited by Northern Ballet Theatre. It has hosted many touring productions, musical artists and comedians.

The theatre closed at the end of May 2005 for a major refurbishment, entitled "transformation", and re-opened on 7 October 2006 with a production of Verdi's "Rigoletto". The Stalls area has been completely re-seated and re-raked, the orchestra-pit has been enlarged, air-conditioning has been installed, backstage technical facilities have been dramatically improved, and Opera North now has its own Opera Centre to the south of the theatre, accessible via a bridge and at street-level. The Centre includes two new stage-sized rehearsal spaces and increased office space. The cost of the refurbishment has been estimated at £31.5m.

A second phase of "transformation", now in progress, includes structural improvements and further refurbishment of the theatre, and also the restoration of the Assembly Rooms, a forgotten area on the first floor of the building. The Assembly Rooms opened in 1879 and functioned as the Plaza Cinema between 1912 and 1978 and subsequently as a rehearsal room for Opera North. When restoration is complete, the theatre will have a second performance space, to be used for recitals, experimental and educational work, and other events for which the main theatre is unsuitable.

Bibliography

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External links

* [http://www.leedsgrandtheatre.com/ Grand Theatre website]
* [http://www.transformationatleeds.co.uk/ "transformation" website]
* [http://www.leeds.gov.uk/page.aspx?pageID=3B5842A8B7FDADC980256E200033B9E1 Leeds City Council page on the theatre]
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* [http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?chyno=500408 Charity Commission record]