The Tyne Theatre & Opera House, a Grade 1 listed Victorian theatre in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, has been granted £247,500 of funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to undertake important restoration work to the gallery tier of the heritage venue.
The work, made possible thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, will start in Summer 2025 and will involve the lowering and restoring of traditional sightlines to improve audience comfort, safety and view. This will be achieved by removing a timber overlay, fitted above the original seating rows in 1986, to restore the original seating layout, which improves the sightlines requires less obstructive handrails. This work will also increase the capacity of the gallery tier. New seating designed in a heritage style, accounting for twenty-first century comfort, will be installed supported by a team of new and existing volunteers.
CEO Jonathan Higgins said “Historically, the Tyne Theatre & Opera House is a venue that has been saved numerous times through the hard-work and dedication of the community. Not only is this testament to how valued this venue is but also highlights how crucial volunteers are in helping charities like the Tyne Theatre & Opera House Preservation Trust. From Trustees, to maintenance, to research volunteers, we’re incredibly grateful for all volunteer support, past present and future, which ensure this heritage gem can be enjoyed by future generations.”
As part of this work, the theatre will also be carrying out a special digital recording project, “The Seat of Memories”, where people will be recorded sharing a memory they have of visiting the theatre. These recordings will be added to the theatre’s performance database, that was put together by volunteers, and holds a record of all performances at the venue from when it opened in 1867 – 1919 This will be expanded as part of the project to include all the films screened during the years the venue operated as a cinema.
Project Director David Wilmore said “Restoring the gallery is the beginning of an ambitious project to fully restore the whole site in a sympathetic manner that also caters for 21st century comfort. We are incredibly grateful to the National Heritage Lottery Fund for their continued support on this journey of re-discovery which will focus on our local arts communities.”
Helen Featherstone, Director of England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said, “We’re delighted to be supporting the Tyne Theatre & Opera House with their ambitious restoration project to ensure that it continues to be a venue that brings joy to its audiences. We are also excited to be supporting ‘The Seat of Memories’ project, which means that money raised by National Lottery players will not only preserve the fabric of the building, but also the treasured memories of theatregoers.”
The fully restored gallery will re-open to audiences in Autumn 2025.
This follows the completion of an initial phase of ambitious development works which saw the installation of a new energy efficient central heating system, the opening of the brand-new 1867 Cafe Bar and a restored double-height space in the former Bistro Bar, which has been renamed the 1867 Hall, and will now serve as an adaptable performance, community, and hospitality space.
Tyne Theatre & Opera House is currently celebrating 10 years operating as an independent venue. Since 2015, the theatre has been operated as a not-for-profit organisation, with all money raised through box office income, venue hire and bar sales going directly to the maintenance, restoration and development of the heritage venue. You can support the theatre by booking tickets to upcoming shows, donating or joining their Friends Club.
To learn more about the theatre or see what shows are coming soon, take a look at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House website: https://www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk