Frank Matcham – the man who changed the face of theatre | WhatsOnStage

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Today is the 100th anniversary of the death of architect Frank Matcham. To many readers on the site, his name may not mean much, but almost all audiences in British theaters will appreciate his hand-made.

In his 40-year career, it is estimated that he designed and helped build 90 theaters, while also overseeing the design of 80 theaters. This is an absurd number-an average of more than four theaters per year.

Equally important, these theaters are spread across the country-venues across the UK have sprung up, giving the community the opportunity to witness performances in the most magnificent environment imaginable.

Regrettably, only 20 of the original theaters built by Matcham today are still nearby-many have been demolished or lost. However, we have compiled some photos and facts about Matcham's earthquake business.

Cheltenham Everyman (Cheltenham Everyman) is the oldest theater in Matcham's existing theater, he designed the theater in 1891.

The Lancaster Grand Theatre is the oldest theatre, which is equipped with Matcham designs. This 457-seat venue was originally built in 1782 in the Christopher Wren style (considered the standard for Georgian theaters at the time), and was remodeled by Matcham in 1897, adding A new fly tower and iconic auditorium decoration. The theater was destroyed by a fire in 1908, but the current Edwardian design was restored six months later, and the matcha interior was fully restored to its former glory-it can still be seen today.

The revolving stage of the stadium was the first of its kind in London when it was designed by Matcham. The construction cost of the theater was £250,000.

The Bristol Arena is the last major design of Matcham. When the theater first opened, a major feature of the theater was the huge water tank at the front of the stage, which can be filled with 100,000 gallons of water, and is equipped with a large glass protective screen to protect the orchestra and the people in the booth.

The Royal Wakefield Theatre is the smallest theatre among the rest of Matcham, with a capacity of 499 seats.

It is said that Matcham was successful because he was able to make the 3,000-seat theater become intimate, so our theater is best at creating a unified live theater experience.

The exact number of theaters in matcha’s lifetime is not yet known, because many of the matcha archives were destroyed in the London bombing in World War II.

The palladium of the matcha house was once the seat of the circus in Hungele.

The lyrics and the opening ceremony of the Matcham Auditorium were accompanied by a speech by the famous actress Lille Langtry, followed by a solo performance.

. On July 20, 1985, the Times published a lengthy column on the new design of the event and theater:

"The stalls, dressing ring and upper ring are all equipped with eye-catching velvet chairs, and retirement rooms and cars are provided. The elevated plaster is decorated with rich details, cream and blue tones are very tasteful...

"The new stage is much deeper than the old stage, and on each side is equipped with a scene base [...] and everything needed to stage a large-scale production.

"Tonight, Mrs. Langley will deliver an opening speech. This is the address of Mr. Wilton Jones; Miss Grace Warner will play the role of Charles Reid in a play "Dora" that evening. main character."