Using your mobile device to pay by phone and play exciting casino games does not come at the expense of great bonuses. A Casino called the Opera House Casino was then built on the site, you may like to visit their own website here. This Wooden Circus was built by John Petch in 1876 and then almost completely reconstructed the following year by Frank Tugwell when it changed ownership and was renamed Hengler’s Grand Circus. The necessity of providing more convenient and additional booking facilities had long been occupying the minds of the administrators of the Opera House, but it was not until the 24th May of this year that the actual work commenced. Above – The auditorium of the Scarborough Opera House in 1990 – Courtesy Ted Bottle. Left – A Tin Plate Sign for the Scarborough Hippodrome saying ‘Open every evening, Twice Nightly, 7 and 9’, which originally accompanied a second one placed on the main entrance doors of the Theatre during its time as the ‘New Hippodrome Scarborough’ between 1908 and 1910 – Courtesy Martin Wood. Above – An Entrance Token for the 1908 New Hippodrome, Scarborough, the name which preceded the Opera House – Courtesy Alan Judd.
Right – The Auditorium of the Opera House, Scarborough in the 1930s, Courtesy The Theatres Trust. Right – The Stage and Stalls of the Scarborough Opera House in 1990 – Courtesy Ted Bottle. The Scarborough Opera House was designed by Frank Tugwell and, until its demolition in 2004, was one of the last remaining buildings designed by him still in existance. Right – Six 1948 Season Programmes for the Opera House Scarborough which was being run at the time by the York Repertory Company, and produced by Geoffrey Staines, who ran two companies at this time alternating weekly with the York Theatre Royal. Advertisements are from various 1948 Season Programmes. The new Cinema had some of the original plasterwork from the Odeon installed in its auditorium, and its films are still projected from the original projection box. On the 30th October, the staff were able to conduct business from the new Box Office, and it is hoped that by the time our patrons read this article the foyer will be free of all obstruction.
In 1948 the Box Office was rebuilt and this simple task didn’t go quite as smoothly as was predicted, you can read more about this in the article below. The above text is from a December 6th 1948 Opera House Scarborough Programme. When the picture above was taken in 1901 the 1771 Theatre was already 130 years old. The Rev. Thomas Haggitt, a clergyman of the Church of England, built it just one hundred and thirty years ago for Thomas Bates, a celebrated comedian of the day, who controlled it for about forty years, when it was purchased by Stephen Kemble (brother of Mrs.Siddons), since which time nearly every popular actor and actress have appeared on its boards. However, this Theatre replaced an even earlier Theatre Royal which is said to have existed since 1733, see article below. The architect for the conversion of the former Odeon into a smaller Cinema and a live Theatre was Harry Osborne of Osborne Christmas Associates, and the conversion itself is reported to have cost around £5 million. Some of the above information for this Theatre was gleaned from the excellent Cinema Treasures Website.
Above – A Google StreetView Image showing the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough – Click to Interact. It’s opening was attended by the well known actor Charles Laughton who was born in Scarborough in 1899. The Theatre’s original auditorium, which could seat 1,711 on two levels, was unusual for an Odeon Theatre as it was decorated with ‘elaborate plasterwork’ by Mollo & Egan. There was a small article printed along with the image in the Playgoer which reads thus:- ‘Few theatres existing can boast so historic a dramatic record as the Theatre Royal, Scarborough. And sadly the Grade II listed Theatre was demolished in 2004 after the auditorium was flooded, and the foyer block ruined after a series of arson attacks. A new bar was also added at the rear of the Theatre at this time too. The appearance of our recently completed new Box, Office, with its added amenities to both patrons, and staff, has caused considerable appreciative comment, but during its construction there were many occasions when both patrons and management felt the work was taking an unconscionable time, especially when, in spite of previous assurances to the contrary, the work progressed throughout the height of our busy season.
