Building Name

Palace Theatre of Varieties Oxford Street Manchester

Date
1889 - 1892
District/Town
Oxford Street Manchester
County/Country
GMCA, England
Work
New Build
Status
Much altered

MANCHESTER PALACE OF VARIETIES - This building (a double-page illustration of which we give) is now in course of erection at the corner of Oxford-street and Whitworth- street, Manchester. The theatre will have a frontage of 103 feet 6 inches to Oxford-street and 139 feet 6 inches to Whitworth-street. The auditorium will be 90 feet by 66 feet, and the height from the pit floor to the spring of the dome m will be 60 feet.  A novel feature the planning of the auditorium is that it is placed parallel with the stage, and not in prolongation of it. The block of buildings will stand isolated from the surrounding property The staircases, corridors, and all portions of the house used by the public will be fireproof. The dressing-rooms and stage are so arranged that each portion can be detached in case of fire. An interesting feature connected with the building is that access can be had from the main tier to the winter garden and foyer on the first floor, the dimensions of which are 66 feet by 27 feet, and an outside loggia, connected therewith, fronts Oxford Street. It has been so designed that the stage will be viewed from both the foyer and winter garden. The fireproof staircases, circle tiers, doors, partitions, and auditorium and stage ceilings will be executed by the Titancrete Company, with their patent fireproof materials. The decorations will be carried out by Messrs Heighway and Depree, of London. The building is being erected by Messrs. W. Brown and Son contractors, from the designs of Messrs. Alfred Derbyshire FRIBA, and F. Bennett Smith, the architects. [Building News 24 January 1890 page 132]

Probably Darbyshire’s most important work, The Palace of Varieties opened its doors to 3,000 people on the night of 16 May 1891. Darbyshire's theatres were characterized by an overall neatness and professionalism: a breadth of vision with no overstatement. Both internally and externally there was a strong flavour of French and German theatres of the 1830s, with echoes of Victor Louis. The Palace, (the structure of which remains within Crewe's rebuilding of 1913), was clearly influenced by W. H. Ward`s Grand Theatre in Birmingham (1883), with its arcading and dome over the facade, The Palace probably influenced Phipps' final masterpiece, Her Majesty's Theatre of 1897.

The principal frontage was to Oxford Street, with the side facing the newly created Whitworth Street. For the facades Darbyshire proposed a revival of 16th century Italian decoration including Gesso duro and Graffito. Italian workmen under the direction of Signor Marolda were brought to England to carry out the work in the traditional manner. The building was faced with self-coloured cements with the Graffito in red and gold. The Gesso duro ornament was modelled in situ.

Internal decoration was carried out in fibrous plaster ornament in relief, the colour scheme being of cream, gold, and scarlet.  Graffito work was again used in the large, coved panels connecting the dome with the walls, but of a finer quality, and in more colours than that used on the exterior.  These panels were filled by figure subjects supported by cinque cento ornament, and over the proscenium was a Graffito frieze picture representing a dignified female figure as the genius of entertainment, distributing laurel crowns to boy figures having various musical instruments and other emblems of amusement. Above this picture was an heraldic panel containing the city arms and, supporters, fully and truly blazoned. The tier fronts had groups of musical instruments,  medallion  heads  of composers, and heraldic shields containing the arms of Lancashire towns in the immediate vicinity of Manchester.  The entrance into the balcony featured a beautiful old marble doorway, elaborately carved and taken from a dismantled palazzo in Italy. This doorway stood on a wide Sicilian marble staircase which formed the double ascent from the entrance hall to the balcony promenade.

The design generally followed the features of the Irving‑Darbyshire Safety Plan carried out at Exeter. However, a second tier of seats called the “amphitheatre” was added in place of the old “gallery”.  The principle of isolation was followed throughout. The pit was below the street level, as in the Irving Safety plan, so as to reduce the height of the upper circle as much as possible above street level.   Each part of the auditorium had exits communicating directly with the streets. The pit had four exits, including the main entrance, the grand balcony three, and the amphitheatre four.  All the passages, floors, and staircases used by the public and the actors were of iron and concrete, to provide a safe means of passage in case of fire or panic.  The auditorium was placed parallel with the proscenium instead of as a prolongation of it. Thus the theatre was designed in old Greek form of a semi‑circle, bringing the audience nearer to the stage The proscenium opening being widened to accommodate this expansion of the auditorium.

Following the Greek model, the theatre was planned to provide uninterrupted sight lines from each seat.  To achieve this, the eight large columns supporting the upper two tiers were set back, with cantilevered beams supporting the overhanging of the balcony above. The coupled columns supporting the upper circle stand on the back of these cantilever beams, at a position which, for clearness of explanation, may be said to represent the position of the circular wall forming the passage at the back of the old theatre tiers, and through which access is obtained to the seats.    Thus, there are no columns in the circle, and, as there is no tier above upper circle, it has a free and uninterrupted view of the stage, and of the top portion of the auditorium. The ceiling is formed by a large “cove,“ from which springs an elliptical dome 60 feet above the floor.  The auditorium was 90 feet wide, and 66 ft. deep, the stage is 66 feet by 40 feet. deep, and the proscenium opening 36 feet. wide by 32 feet 10 inches high. The highest point the audience could reach from the street was 33 feet 6 inches. For reasons of fire safety, the only opening in the proscenium wall was that of the proscenium arch.  Members of the orchestra had a separate entrance from the street, and the manager passed to the auditorium by a door near his own office.  The large proscenium opening could be closed in ten seconds by a fire and smoke proof curtain made of the new material, “Titancrete” (asbestos). The stage was roofed with the same material, and a funnel formed in the centre which will absorb all smoke or poisonous gases in case of conflagration.  The dressing rooms were placed on either side of the stage, which could be shut off by an automatic “Titancrete” door, and the dressing‑rooms in each wing had their own fire escape staircase. Stagehands were had similar facilities while the stage itself has two fire exits direct to the streets.   The rear walls of the grand foyer and winter gardens were pierced by Italian arcaded openings, protected by balustrades, through which fine views could be obtained of the stage.  These grand promenades were at a higher level than the circle promenade, and by raising the upper circle higher than normal, it was possible to see the stage without going into the auditorium. From the foyer there was an entrance to the external loggia, used as a smoking lounge. The coupled columns carrying the top tier and the arches which they carried formed an arcade round the balcony which followed the sweep of the circle.

Fire safety was considered paramount. There were no joiners' shops; the engines, dynamos, boilers, etc, were located outside the building; there were no fire‑places, all the dressing rooms and the auditorium being heated by hot water. The heating of the building was worked in conjunction with a complete system of ventilation.  Exit doors were fitted with Kaye’s patent automatic  exit fittings, the  slightest  pressure  from  the inside upon the push bars causing them to open wide in an outward direction.

The act drop was painted by Signor Marolda and his Italian assistants. Designed in the style of Giulio Romano, it was composed of piles of Roman architecture, drapery, and dancing figures.  On the left, and high up against the crimson drapery, were painted winged figures blowing trumpets, cleverly foreshortened.

The main ceiling of the auditorium was in Italian renaissance style. The centre portion, with its fleecy clouds, surrounded by a representation of wrought‑iron trellis‑work intertwined with flowers. The remainder of the ceiling was divided into panels and decorated with Renaissance motifs executed in Graffito. This was the first example of the revival on a large scale of Graffito in Manchester.  The whole of the ornamental plaster work was carried out with the assistance of Italian modellers, deemed capable of reproducing the  style with character  and vigour.  

The building was entirely lit by electricity, although it was still possible to use gas when occasion may require it. The fittings have all been specially designed,

There was a great deal of local opposition to the building of the Palace of Varieties. Many people feared that a music‑hall would become a den of vice, especially as it was proposed that alcohol should be sold in the refreshment bars. The Church of England Temperance Society, the Methodists and many individuals opposed the granting of a licence.  The local press was full of letters both of protest and support. The matter was still not fully resolved on completion of the building. Eventually a music and dancing licence was granted, the proprietors deferring an application for licence to sell intoxicating liquors.

Construction too had not been straightforward. The licensee of the nearby Railway Inn brought a legal action against the contractors to restrain them from using any more explosive to clear the site for the foundations Compensation was also demanded for damage done to the Inn. It was stated in evidence that “one of the shocks was so severe ... the glasses in the Railway Inn were caused to ”dither,” and the customers ... got away as soon as they possibly could.” Matters were not helped when Darbyshire forbade the workmen on the site to enter the Railway Inn on pain of instant dismissal. Further, a section of the side wall of the building when about sixteen feet high collapsed because of the pressure of water from the Rochdale Canal. Headlines announced “Disaster at the Palace of Varieties,“ although the damage was not too serious.

THE MANCHESTER “PALACE OF VARIETIES” - The Manchester “Palace of Varieties” which was formally opened on the 15th instant  has two frontages, the principal one to Oxford-street, and the other to the new thoroughfare known as Whitworth-street In several respects it follows the features of the lrving- Darbyshire safety plan recently carried out at the new theatre at Exeter, but its main point of divergence is the addition of a second tier of seats called amphitheatre in place of the old “ gallery ” The principle of isolation which has been adopted as a sine qua non by the Manchester County Council has been adhered to. The pit portion of the theatre is below the street level, so as to reduce the height of the amphitheatre as much as possible from the street level. Each portion of the house has its exits communicating directly with the streets. The pit has four exits, counting the entrance one the grand balcony three, and the amphitheatre four. All the passages, floors, and staircases used by the public and artistes are of iron and concrete. According to the Manchester Courier, the auditorium has been placed parallel with the proscenium instead of as a prolongation of it; or, in other words, the architects have returned to the old Greek form of the semi-circle, which brings the audience closer to the stage, the proscenium opening being widened to accommodate this expansion of the auditorium. Having decided upon this method of planning, the next point of interest, following the Greek model, was uninterrupted sight lines from each seat. This object has been secured in the following manner: The eight large columns supporting the superstructure of the two tiers are set back, and the girders resting on them are of a cantilever character, with an overhang for the balcony above. The coupled columns supporting the amphitheatre stand on the back of these cantilever beams, at a position which, for clearness of explanation, may be said to represent the position of the circular wall forming the passage at the back of the old theatre tiers, and through which access is obtained to the seats. There are thus no columns in the circle, and, as there is no tier above the amphitheatre, that portion has a free and uninterrupted view of the stage, and of the top portion of the great auditorium. The ceiling is formed by a large “cove,” from which springs an elliptical dome at 60 ft. from the floor. The auditorium is 90 ft. wide, and 66 ft. deep, the stage is 66 ft. by 40 ft. deep, and the proscenium opening 36 ft. wide by 32 ft. 10 in. high. The highest point the audience can reach from the street is 33 ft. 6 in. Carrying out the principle of isolation in detail, in the interior of the building there is no opening of any description except the stage opening in the proscenium wall. The members of the orchestra have a separate entrance and exit from the streets, and the manager passes to the auditorium by a door in the immediate proximity of his own room. The large proscenium opening can be closed in ten seconds by what is described by the journal before-mentioned as a fire and smoke-proof curtain made of the new material, “Titancrete,” which has a light specific gravity, and is unburnable. The stage is roofed with the same material, and an immense funnel is formed in the centre which (it is said) will absorb all smoke or poisonous gases in case of conflagration. The artistes are placed on either side of the stage, which is shut off by an automatic Titancrete door, and the dressing-rooms in each wing have an escape staircase which leads direct to the streets. The fly men and paint-room men are similarly provided for, and the stage itself has two exits direct to the streets. All the exit doors are fitted with Kaye’s patent automatic exit fittings. In designing the palace, we are told that the architects have been anxious to add something to the street architecture of Manchester, which should not only have dignity and plenty of light and shade, but should, if possible, possess the additional charm of colour. With a view to secure this latter desideratum they decided to attempt a revival of the exterior decoration practised by the Italians of the sixteenth century such as Gesso duro and Sgraffito. Italian artists were employed, and, under the guidance of Signor Marolda, this portion of the work has been carried out with a remarkable degree of success. The building has been faced with self-coloured cements. The Sgraffito is in red and gold colour, the Gesso duro ornament was modelled in situ. The general character of the architectural features is Palladian. The internal decorations consist of fibrous plaster ornament in relief, and the colour scheme is cream, gold, and scarlet. The object has been to secure brightness without vulgarity. Sgraffito work has been again used in the large, coved panels connecting the dome with the walls. The decorative and upholstery work has been carried out by Messrs. Heighway and Son, of Manchester, and Messrs. Heighway and Depree of London. The theatre has cost a little over £40,000 and the contract has been carried out by Messrs’ William Brown & Son, of Salford. The marble mosaic floors and staircase have been supplied and the heating and ventilating carried out, by Messrs. Elliot & Co., of Manchester; the ironwork by Mr John Jones, of Manchester; and the electric light and fittings by Rashleigh, Phipps, & Dawson, of London, The constructive ironwork was executed by Messrs. Bellhouse, with Mr. E. Muir as consulting engineer; and the stage has been built by Mr. Morley. The whole undertaking has been carried out from the designs and under the immediate supervision of the architects, Messrs. Alfred Darbyshire, FRIBA, and F. Bennett Smith. [Builder 30 May 1891 page 438]

 

Reference    Building News 24 January 1890 page 132
Reference    Builder 30 May 1891 page 438]
Reference    Manchester Faces & Places
Reference    Lockett; Three Lives
Reference    Manchester Guardian Tuesday 10 September 1889 Page 4 - extensive description