Copyright © 2023 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
The Tyne Theatre and Opera House in Newcastle, England.
Last month I attended an international conference at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House in Newcastle, England. It was entitled Victorian and Edwardian Theatre in Performance, Music & Machinery – Stagecraft & Spectacle.
On the last day of the conference, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I, presented papers for the Beyond Britain panel. Later that afternoon Dr. David Wilmore led a demonstration of the newly-installed theatre machinery.
It was a devastating fire on Christmas Day 1985 that razed the Tyne’s backstage area. The conference celebrated the completion of the project dubbed “Drury Lane of the North,” highlighting the stage machinery. Here is a link to the project, led by Dr. Wilmore: https://www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk/heritage-project/
Dr. Wilmore describing the 1985 fire.
Image from Dr. Wilmore’s presentation.
It was the safety curtain saved the rest of the Tyne Theatre from being destroyed by fire.
Here are a few photos from our Tyne Opera House & Theatre tour:
Dr. Wilmore describing the stage machinery.
Here are a few photos from our tour of the theater and stage machinery on Sept. 15, 2023.
David Wilmore explaining the under stage machinery at the Tyne Opera House.
Poles for future scenery.
The stage floor retracts to reveal a working bridge.
The bridge being lowered into position.
Some of the machinery under the stage.
Here are some images of the auditorium.
The Tyne Opera House auditorium.
Auditorium ornament.
Auditorium ornament.
Ceiling detail
Proscenium detail.
Looking up at the grid.
A newly-constructed thunder run.
Mike Hume, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Alan Butland, and Rick Boychuk.
To be continued…
Thank you Wendy for all your posts but especially today for your reporting on. @tynetheatreandoperahouse
You are most welcome, Alan!