Later Theatres & Other Works

Frank Matcham 1854-1920 List of Theatres & Other Works

In addition to the List of Theatres on the previous page, here is the list of theatres that were originally built by others, but for which Frank Matcham was the architect of the re-built theatre, or partial adaptations of a pre-existing building. All have been demolished except where shown in bold. It has been taken from the Theatres Trust “Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950 A Gazetteer”.

1879 Glasgow, Royalty Theatre (with Eadie)
1880 Glasgow, Gaiety Music Hall, alterations
1883 London (Islington), Islington Empire
1884 London (Lambeth), Astley’s
1884 London (Southwark), Elephant and Castle, later rebuilt as cinema within original walls
1884 London (Lambeth), Canterbury Theatre of Varieties
1884 London (Tower Hamlets), Mile End Empire ( Paragon)
1886 Blackburn, Theatre Royal
1887 Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley), Theatre Royal, reconstruction (with C.J. Phipps)
1888 Douglas, Isle of Man, Grand
1888 London (Islington), Islington Empire (with C. Bell)
1888 Colchester, Grand, reconstruction
1889 Bristol, Prince’s, reconstruction
1889 Rochdale, Theatre Royal and Opera House, alterations
1890 London (Lambeth), Canterbury Theatre of Varieties
1891 London (Westminster), Tivoli, alterations
1892 Bishop Auckland, Eden
1892 Great Yarmouth, Theatre Royal
1892 Edinburgh, Empire, new theatre built
1893 Derby, Grand, alterations
1894 Birmingham, Empire Palace
1894 Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley), Theatre Royal, major re-modelling, now theme bars
1894 London (Hackney), Shoreditch Empire
1894 Birmingham, Empire Palace, rebuilt
1894 Manchester, Comedy
1895 London (Hammersmith), Lyric Opera House, reconstructed 1979 within new structure
1895 Reading, Royal County
1895 Bristol, Prince’s, alterations
1896 Liverpool, Empire/Alexandra, reconstructed, replaced in 1925 by Milburn
1896 Stoke-on-Trent (Longton), Empire
1896 Manchester, Palace, alterations, present interior by Crewe
1897 London (Haringey), Crouch End Opera House
1897 Dublin, Theatre Royal
1897 Nottingham, Theatre Royal, adaptation of C J Phipps original
1897 Aberdeen, Tivoli, auditorium altered
1897 Glasgow, Empire
1897 London (Westminster), Metropolitan, rebuilt within old shell
1897 Morecambe, Winter Gardens, with Mangnall and Littlewood
1897 Lancaster, Grand, alterations
1897 Glasgow, Hengler’s Grand Cirque
1898 Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley), Gaiety, rebuilt
1899 South Shields, Empire Palace (with Milburn), minor additions, fragment remains in retail use
1900 London (Greenwich), Woolwich Empire, major reconstruction
1900 Keighley, Queen’s
1900 Portsmouth, New Theatre Royal, major reconstruction
1900 Derby, Grand Theatre, reconstruction of interior
1900 Douglas, Gaiety, major reconstruction for theatre within existing shell
1900 Cardiff, Empire Palace, rebuilt after fire
1901 London (Islington), Islington Empire
1901 Brighton, Hippodrome, major reconstruction
1901 St Helens, Theatre Royal, reconstructed after fire, 1964 theatre replaced by new
19O1 Newcastle upon Tyne, Theatre Royal, Grey Street, reconstruction of interior
1901 Sheffield, Theatre Royal, Tudor Street, alterations
1902 Hull, Empire Palace
1902 Bristol, Prince’s, re-modelling
1902 Newcastle upon Tyne, Olympia
1902 London (Newham), Stratford Theatre Royal
1903 Eastbourne, Devonshire Park Theatre, internal alterations
1903 Glasgow, Empire
1904 Newcastle upon Tyne, Empire, minor alterations
1905 London (Camden), Holborn Empire, rebuilt behind Runtz’s facade
1905 London (Westminster), Terry’s Theatre, minor alterations
1906 London (Camden), Holborn Empire
1907 Birmingham, Grand, alterations (with Essex, Nicol, and Gordon)
1907 Portsmouth, Prince’s, alterations
1908 Manchester, Gaiety

1908 London (Westminster), Metropolitan (see above)
1908 Ramsgate, Royal Palace, converted from New Amphitheatre
1909 London (Westminster), London Hippodrome
1909 Aberdeen, Tivoli, auditorium reconstructed
1910 Keighley, Hippodrome
1910 London (Hammersmith), Palace of Varieties
1910 London (Westminster), London Palladium (new theatre behind Lewis’s Corinthian facade)
1911 Birmingham, Prince of Wales (with Tugwell)
1911 Castleford, Theatre Royal
1911 Edinburgh, Empire, partly rebuilt, later replaced by the Festival
1912 London (Westminster), Alhambra, alterations
1912 Castleford, Royal
1913 Leicester, Palace

Frank Matcham was also architect to a number of other projects which did not reach fruition (including a European opera house, Woolwich Grand, Beresford Square, a complex in Llandudno, new theatres in Dewsbury, Barrow-in-Furness, Huddersfield (Grand) and Chatham; a new theatre, circus and market in Blackpool and probably many others. Among his non-theatre works were a new wing, designed without charge, for the Variety Artistes’ Benevolent Fund at Brinsworth House, the County Arcade in Leeds, the Blackpool Tower Ballroom and Circus, and various pubs and shops. Matcham and Co. designed cinemas in the period after 1912 latterly in partnership with F.G.M. Chancellor.