Description

PORTSMOUTH

SU6300 GUILDHALL WALK, Landport
774-1/8/270 (West side)
30/10/69 Theatre Royal
(Formerly Listed as:
LANDPORT
COMMERCIAL ROAD
Theatre Royal)

GV II*

Theatre, formerly hall. Built as Landport Hall 1854, converted
to theatre 1856, substantially rebuilt 1884 by CJ Phipps,
reconstructed 1900 by Frank Matcham, restoration work in
progress from 1980. Grey and red brick in English bond, stone
dressings and iron balcony. Welsh slated hipped roof.
EXTERIOR: 3-storey facade with attic at centre. 5 bays. Across
front is a projecting 2-storey iron and glass shelter with
curved ends, arcaded with 5 fretted round-arched openings,
flanking paired and enriched iron Corinthian columns, basket
arched opening at each end, moulded iron cornice. On first
floor are 5 paired windows each with two 2-leaf fixed
casements set under round iron arch with centre dividing
column and flanking paired pilasters, ornate patterned aprons.
On left and right return and to each of the recessed flanking
curved wings is a similar round-headed casement with fretted
iron balustraded balcony; band cornice and similar balustrade
over with splayed rooflight over centre 3 bays. Ground floor
facade is faced in black marble and has six 2-leaf entrance
doors with fanlight; each leaf has 2 moulded lower panels, 2
oval middle panels and glazed upper panel. Plasterwork above
imposts has decorated panels. First floor has rusticated stone
quoin strips, moulded band then fluted stone Corinthian
pilasters to quoins and flanking the centre 3 bays to second
floor. On each side of iron rooflight, high level first floor,
is a 2-leaf casement set under flat stone arch with flanking
paired pilasters, moulded band, moulded stone head panel and
second floor sillband between pilasters. Second floor has five
2-leaf 6-pane casements each with stone architrave and
pediment. Entablature and moulded stone eaves cornice. Centre
3 bays have facing stone dentilled pediment with relief
carvings within tympanum and at centre is a half round fixed
attic casement with moulded stone architrave and keystone.
INTERIOR: decoration of 1900 is intact and unaltered with
nautical theme having seafaring emblems such as ships prows
between the boxes, Dolphin's anchors and mermaids, life belts
and shells on the dress circle with military emblems on the

upper circle.
(Balfour A: Portsmouth: London: 1070-: 67; Lloyd DW: Buildings
of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 109, 110,
111; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire
and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1967-: 460).

Listing NGR: SU6401300094

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• New Theatre Royal at Wikipedia
• New Theatre Royal official website
• Wikidata Q7012095

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)