Theatre Royal Restoration Diary
A fly-on-the wall record of our £4.75 million project to transform
Theatre Royal Newcastle to its former glory
WEEK 1 (w/c 14 March ‘11)

The big auditorium strip-out. The seats are removed from the stalls. Our team of
handy men dismantle each one,piece by piece, ready to be collected by the
successful bidders from last week’s auction.

The technical box, currently located in the Grand Circle, comes out. All wires,
cables and equipment are removed in one go.

Surgo arrived today and the auditorium has been officially cordoned off as a
building site. Hard hats, sensible footwear and high vis vests only allowed! The
seats are now completely removed from the Upper and Grand circles. Floor
boards in the stalls taken up.

Last remaining seats all came out today, and the carpet fully removed from the
Stalls. The Grand is also now completely bare - just a series of wooden benches
- looks a bit like an old Greek amphitheatre! Orchestra pit and the Stalls area
adjoining it is all up.
WEEK 2 (w/c 21 March)

Lots of progress this week - the full ‘birdcage’ of scaffolding is now up inside the
auditorium, right up to the ceiling (almost). The Gallery is now completely out.

A very exciting day today - when the old 70s seating was stripped away in the
Gallery, we were able to reveal the old original Matcham wooden benches
underneath. They are lower and closer in, and in a much better position to see
the stage.

All the plasterwork on the circles has been ‘shrouded’ to protect it while the major
seating work is done.

The 70s doors have now started to come out in the foyer and bar areas.
WEEK 3 (w/c 28 March)

A lot of demolition this week - the Grand Circle and Basement have been totally
stripped out and made bare. The Stalls have also been broken out and 'making
good' work has begun. The proscenium trusses and decorative edge have been
removed.
The flooring has been removed from the Upper Circle, Gallery & the new area
that will become the Amphitheatre (or premium gallery seating).

Elsewhere, the Kiosk has been taken out, the air conditioning units removed from
the roof space and work continues in the ceiling void.
WEEK 4 (w/c 4 April)

Work is progressing so quickly now, the auditorium is completely unrecognizable!
The bird cage scaffolding dominates the central area totally, like a scene from
The Matrix! Workmen all around at different levels. All the wallpaper is gone
now and the walls are being prepared for their make-over. All the original
Matcham features are bound up in Polywrap and very protected.

Lots of interesting work happening off-site this week, including the preparation of
the Matcham Arcading. When ready, this particular section will go in the Grand
Circle.

Critical electrical and mechanical work is now taking place in the Basement – the
mysterious area that audiences never see, beneath the Stage and Stalls.

All the external non-Matcham paneling is being taken out of the Entrance Lobby
this week – it’s nearly completely stripped of artificial trappings now and ready to
be restored.

Roof covering has now begun – an important phase in the repair process.
WEEK 5 (w/c 11 April)

Electrical and mechanical work commenced in the Entrance Lobby this week.

The new Matcham ceiling fresco (for the Lobby) is coming on very nicely at the
artist’s workshop down in Bristol. It’s a very specialist piece of work and will look
truly beautiful – the artists/restorers preparing it are Bush & Berry.

Demolition and strip out work is now well underway in the Upper Circle and
Amphitheatre. The Matcham stone benches are very clear to see now. Although
they can’t have been very comfortable for those Victorian audiences, they are
amazing to look at!

Some of the friezes in foyer areas have been ‘sugar soaped’ to try and clean
them. They became dirty over the years as a result of smoking in the building –
thankfully something we stopped here a LONG time ago!
WEEK 6 (w/c 18 April)



The important electrical and mechanical work has now begun in the Stalls and
Grand Circle – this will ensure all the lighting, air conditioning etc is as effective,
authentic and environmentally efficient as possible in our new auditorium!
Building work has begun on the back wall of the Stalls – in the new auditorium
this will be further back allowing for extra room and a more authentic Matcham
layout.
The ceiling paintwork is coming along, and the gold leafing above the
proscenium arch is looking very impressive! The ceiling of the auditorium has
been painted a pale cream, with the detailing in a darker cream.
WEEK 7 (w/c 25 April)

The new auditorium light fittings, modeled on Frank Matcham’s 1901 originals,
are now being made. At the same time the framework for the “sunburner” is
being restored whilst the internal workings are being recreated – the sunburner
will be reinstated in the centre of the auditorium ceiling.

There are several miles of cable strewn about the theatre – it is like spaghetti and
all credit to the electricians who know where each end should go!

The original Gallery seating tiers, now revealed, are being adapted to suit the
new seating layout (and allow a bit more legroom than was the case in 1901)

An exciting development in the main foyer this week – restoration has started on
the interior marble pillars.
WEEK 8 (w/c 2 May)

The balcony front is being reconfigured in the Upper Circle this week – it will
make the Upper Circle a much more comfortable place to sit, and will improve
the sight lines (theatrical term for view to the stage).

The Gallery ceiling has now been stripped out to expose the original Matcham
structure and trappings. Once it’s cleaned up and any repairs made, gold leaf
paintwork can begin.

The roof has had its tiles repaired to create a stronger more durable surface and
greater protection for the building below.
WEEK 9 (w/c 9 May)

Very exciting discovery this week – stripping out the ceiling in the Grand Circle
revealed the original Matcham ceiling, and a fantastic piece of rosette light
plasterwork. By amazing coincidence this is the ‘missing piece’ to complete the
auditorium plasterwork pattern – we can now replicate it across all levels of the
auditorium.

The erection of scaffolding over the Grey Street Portico has begun - over the
years weathering has taken its toll and these majestic pillars are in need of
repair.

Work to form the Boxes has begun this week and as well as the four towards the
stage, there are going to be three new Boxes in the Grand Circle, two seating
five people and one seating four. We have adapted previously unused space to
make these, and they are going to be premium seating areas – great for treating
your family and friends!

Repairs are being made to the concrete stairs in the amphitheatre now – this is
going to be such a great area to sit – much less steep and much more
comfortable – nearer to, and with a premium view of the stage! The 1970s
skirting board is about two foot above the original stairway, which shows how the
floor level was unnecessarily raised in previous years!

In the Gallery a new lighting access bridge and hoists have gone up. The top
lighting from here is key for the stage.

The gold leaf work has now begun in the gallery ceiling, and it’s no exaggeration
to say it’s simply heavenly. The craftsmen first have to apply a burgundy base
layer, which forms the base for the gold leaf to be applied by hand. Matcham
originally used gold leaf in the Theatre, as it has an inimitable luster and shine
that makes walls and decorations seem to ‘glow’. Over the years though, it’s
been painted over and once that happens, it has to be completely redone.
WEEKS 11 & 12 (w/c 23 May)

The wallpaper samples are now here and the different types are being placed
around the Grand Circle Bar / conservatory walls to test how they look in different
lights and with different finishes. One of the wallpapers has plum tones, one is
cream and heavily embossed. They are very beautiful, and based on Matcham’s
original designs. The embossed one is made of Linseed, so is actually edible!

In the Basement, work on the ladies toilets is being completed and the tiling is
going in. They are going to offer great extra facilities for those folks in the Stalls!

In the Stalls, the barrel-vaulted ceiling is being prepared for the base layer of
plastering and then the ornate plasterwork. This is a major area for services
(wires, cables, etc) and so there is a huge amount of re-wiring to be done.
Originally, this ‘barrel’ dome was the ceiling for the area where the smokers
would stand - intersected by grills which would allow the smoke fumes to drift
upwards and out. We are re-introducing the design but without the facility for
smokers – the Theatre Royal is a smoke-free zone!

In the front of the auditorium, the area is being prepared for the orchestra pit lifts
which are being constructed off-site. The lifts will allow the floor level to change
according to the requirements of the production – either to extend the stage out
or be flexible to the size of the orchestra itself.

In the Grand Circle, the strip out is now complete and the area is being prepared
for decoration and the new seat fit. The structural foundations for the four new
boxes are being laid out, and the audio-describers’ box too. Because these will
feature new kidney-shaped ceilings, there’s a lot of re-routing of cables to be
done here too.

The Grand Circle Foyer area and Ira Aldridge Room are getting their gold leaf
decoration now, and ceilings and window frames are being painted.

In the Upper Circle Foyer, some decoration has begun, with the base lining paper
down on the walls. The Gallery foyer has also been completely stripped out now
and decoration will begin shortly to make way for the permanent V&A exhibition!
The people from the V&A museum are actually due on site this week to take
measurements for this. It will be a fantastic exhibit depicting the history of the
Theatre Royal.

Across the three seating galleries, and in the Gallery Amphitheatre too the
construction of the new timber tiering has begun. This is a critical stage that
requires absolute precision. Matcham tiers are very difficult to work with, and our
engineers must get the perfect balance to meet the needs of an accurate
restoration against contemporary regulations and the demands of a modern
audience!

The old near-stage boxes are being stripped out ready for re-shaping and the
accommodation of the new lighting services.

On the top level of the Theatre, the decoration of the Gallery ceiling is now nearly
complete, and only needs the installation of the LED lighting to finish it off. Once
in, the top layer of the Birdcage scaffolding can go down a level allowing for work
to begin on the decoration of the Upper Circle balcony.

On the roof, all equipment is now in, including the air-conditioning chillers. These
top-of–the-range systems will actually reverse the air flow and significantly
improve the circulation of air around the building, making it more comfortable for
audiences. The roof has also been re-insulated and water-proofed.

Stone masons are busy off-site cutting stone to repair the colonnades on the
front of the Theatre. The scaffolding is now fully up so work can begin proper at
the end of next week. Previous refurbs of the Theatre have actually been
counter-productive, and plastic padding used to fill cracks has actually caused
faster erosion of the areas around cracks. This new repair job will be much more
authentic and sound, using real stone.
WEEK 13 (w/c 6 June)

All the decoration of the Auditorium ceiling is now complete and next week the
top layer of scaffolding can come down. The final touch will be the installation of
72 brass Matcham-style egg-shaped lights in the ceiling, amidst the plasterwork,
which will give an ornate fairground effect.

Painting and decorating is now being completed on all balconies, and new
discreet colour-match lighting rigs are being put in place. The old ones, which
were very incongruous, have all come out.

The seat tiering is very advanced now in the Amphithheatre and Upper Circle (as
seen from images above) and work has begun on the access stairs between the
aisles.

In the stalls, work continues apace on the complicated cabling and wiring, and
also on the ramp. The preparation for the highly decorated vaulted plasterwork
ceiling has begun.

In the foyers, decoration has now commenced at all levels.

In the Grand Circle Bar the Matcham-style light fittings are being installed.

Outside on the portico, full repairs on the stonework are underway. The new
stone is being chopped in at high level to replace the disintegrated work.

On the roof, the photovoltaic framework is now in and the ductwork is being
connected to the services.
WEEKS 14 & 15 (up to 24 June)

The scaffold has now been taken down completely from the Gallery and
Amphitheatre and is now standing only as far as Upper Circle level. All work has
been completed on the auditorium ceiling, the small ‘fairground lights’ are all in
and wired up and the new mosaic artwork panels too, which look really beautiful.
Only the chandeliers to go in now!

In the Gallery and Amphitheatre, work is advancing very well. Decoration is
nearly complete and the lighting steel work is in. The side walls have been
painted and the wiring for the houselights is all complete. The first of the side
access areas is now in on Auditorium Right, providing a stairway that goes down
into the Amphitheatre and up into the Gallery. This was a very tricky architectural
and construction feat!

In the Gallery Bar work is now all finished and is ready for the V&A exhibition to
go in!

In the Upper Circle, the balcony fronts are all complete now and the new lighting
bars have been fitted. The seat tiering and stud-work is being completed and
decoration continues in the Foyer space.
In the Grand Circle, the creation of the new Boxes is in full swing and these are
already starting to take shape - the structure is all studded out and encased in
plasterboard. The balcony fronts here are progressing well and are going

through the three-stage process of wiring, lighting bars and decoration.

In the Grand Circle Foyer, all the ductwork is being brought in from above, the
Back Bar is being re-fitted and the reshaping of the Bar area is about to begin.

Decoration on the Matcham Stairway and in the Ira Aldridge room is progressing
apace.

The carpets will be arriving in stages – this week!

In the Stalls, it’s all about the fibrous plasterwork ceiling right now! The service
wiring is being fed through and the detail has been agreed for the chandelier
bosses, which will go in soon. Other than this, it’s wiring, wiring wiring right now!

In the Main Entrance Foyer, the ceilings are being made ready for the newly
restored murals to go in.

The toilets are being tiled at all levels now.
WEEK 16 - 18 (up to 15 July)

The Gallery and Amphitheatre are now receiving their final layer of decoration the beautiful Matcham carpets are being laid, the barriers are being installed and
the side stairs are nearly finished. The light fittings that resemble chinese cooli
hats and were there before (authentically Matcham), have been cleaned and
polished and are being re-installed.

In the Amphitheatre, the main barrier is now in and the fibrous decorative panel is
being fitted. The tiering has been completely finished and the balcony only
needs re-cladding inside.

The Gallery and Amphitheatre area have been cordoned off from the rest of the
site now to protect them.

Work is at the half-way stage in the Upper Circle - the main barrier is in at the
back and the wheelchair positions too. The back wall is being plastered, and the
ceiling being completed, and a quarter of the floor area has been carpeted.

In the Grand Circle the long-absent side arcades have been brought in and fitted
- they are highly decorative and very beautiful. All the tiers have been clad ready
for carpeting. The boxes have been lined, insulated and plastered, ready to be
decorated. The control boxes have been plastered on the outside and the
workmen and electricians are re-routing and connecting up large volumes of
wiring.

On the Grand Circle ceiling, the first coat of paint has gone down and the timber
fittings are being put in place so that the new wreath lights can go in.

In the Stalls, the vaulted ceiling is now complete and ready to be painted. The
rest of the ceiling is being prepared for decoration. Lots of work is going on in
the orchestra pit now that the new lift, which was constructed off-site, is being
installed.

The new and existing toilets on all levels have been fully tiled and re-tiled leaving the tiler free to begin work on the decorative tiling in the Stalls.

In the Entrance Foyer major changes are afoot. The platform for the new Box
Office space has been constructed - meaning it's not long before the temporary
Box Office can make way for 9 Bar Coffee and the team can move to their new
home in the Foyer!

The entrance foyer ceilings (everywhere except where the murals are) are
currently being decorated and gold leaf applied to them.

In the Grand Circle and Upper Circle lobbies, decoration continues, with painting
all complete in the Upper Circle and the underlay down and ready for carpeting.

The Gallery Foyer is the first area to have been completed wallpapered - this
area also has been cordoned off to protect it.

Paintwork has begun on the exterior of the building - on the window frames and
other smaller areas. Large chunks of the portico have been taken off-site for
extensive repair, and the lion's tail and unicorn's leg will both be re-fixed in the
coming weeks!

The photovoltaic panels are fully installed in on the roof now, and will very shortly
be functioning, meaning we can start to sell some of our power back to the grid.
There will be a display panel next to the Box Office so visitors can see how much
energy we are producing. With these panels in place the Theatre will be much
warmer.

Construction company TCUK Property Services, which was set up by the
region’s largest charity for the homeless and disadvantaged, The Cyrenians was
recently appointed to redevelop our new concept coffee shop 9 Bar Coffee and
exciting Italian-style bar and restaurant, Pasqualinos, and work is progressing
very rapidly on their initial job Pasqualinos.
WEEKS 19 - 21 (up to 3 August)

The Gallery and Amphitheatre are now nearly complete, and as the seats arrived
this week, they are now being installed here first. The new lighting bridge is in painted to match the ceiling and with movable arms, it is another world from the
old lighting bridge. The Amphitheatre is starting to look particularly plush, with its
ornate carpet and re-clad balcony - it will make a lovely private area with lots of
leg room and a great view!

The Upper Circle is coming together rapidly with only final touches to plasterwork
and carpeting being made before the seats go in.

In the Grand Circle, the gorgeous Matcham aisle arcades are fully in and painted
- in the next couple of weeks they will be padded with velvet to match the seats.
The carpets have now all been laid in, ready for the seats to be installed, and
decoration has begun on the near-side boxes. The timbering on the walkway at
the rear of The Grand has been painted - this gallery will give much greater ease
of movement to the audience.

The stage-side boxes are almost completely finished now with all the technical
framework in and ready for installation of lights and sound equipment. As these
offer a very poor view (they were originally intended for the 'great and good' of
Newcastle to be seen rather than to see!) - it is a much better use of space to
have technical equipment here rather than clogging up the sides of the stage, as
previously. The result? A much better view of the stage from everywhere in the
auditorium!

In the Stalls, some beautiful plasterwork details are now being added, including
two majestic viking ships at either end of the vaulted ceiling - these are symbolic
of Newcastle's past and the story of the city.

Decorative tiling is well underway - with three quarters of the Stalls now tiled in
deep red and gold ornate Matcham tiles.

In the Entrance Foyer work is nearly finished on the ceiling murals - which are
looking truly lovely. The angels and classical figures, replete in flowing garments
and pastel hues, so popular in murals of the Victorian era, adorn the ceiling. As
a mirror to these, there are two new mini-murals in the Grand Circle for the
audience to enjoy - two baby cupids in flight, one on either side of the balcony.

The new wallpaper and fresh ivory paintwork now adorns all levels of the foyers in the Gallery Foyer and Upper Circle Foyer the carpet is down and temporarily
covered in protective plastic. The carpets are going in at all other levels now and
work is progressing apace on the new Box Office!

On the Portico, the beautiful dark green Victorian lantern brackets are in again on
the collonades (not seen on the front since the early 20th century!). The
cylindrical lantern fittings will be put in over the next couple of weeks.
Only 1.5 weeks to go!
WEEK 21 - 24 (up to 24 August)

The building team will leave the auditorium in less than a week now and work is
progressing in the final leg! All major construction work is done now and the
team is finishing off and tweaking - there's even a bit of dusting going on!! Small
adjustments, fittings and finishes are being carried out across the auditorium, but
the end is in sight....!

The seats are now installed across the auditorium, and it's looking really
spectacular - the only areas still to get seats are the Stalls and top of Gallery.

In the Grand Circle, the gorgeous Matcham aisle arcades have been padded with
velvet to match the seats, and the handrails, balconies and edges have been
specially upholstered in the same fabric. At present most of this is covered in
bubble-wrap to protect it.

The new red carpets for front of house are currently being laid - they are a rich
weave and complement the ornate swirls of the Matcham carpet inside the
auditorium

The installation of the technical framework, lights and sound equipment is now
mostly complete on the stage-side boxes.

Deep red and gold ornate Matcham decorative tiling is complete in the stalls.

In the Entrance Foyer work is finished on the ceiling murals and the finishing
touches are being made to the construction of the new Box Office in the foyer
well. In Pasqualinos, the ceiling artwork is also up - a blend of the modern and
traditional, using contemporary artists to translate the traditional and renaissance
themes associated with the venue.

The first 'test' chandelier has now gone up - beautifully hand-created replica
Victoriana, it reflects the Matcham brasswear elsewhere in the auditorium. Once
we are confident it's in place and 'works' the other chandeliers will follow in quick
succession. The Sunburner will go up any day now - watch this space for more
news.
WEEK 25 – 26 (up to 12 Sep)

Work is now complete! All the chandeliers and the sunburner have been hoisted
up to the ceiling and electricals tested. All the seats have been fitted now, and
cleaned and polished.

The polywrap protection sheets have now been completely removed, revealing
the lush claret velvet beneath. The moveable seats have been placed in the
boxes and the cleaners have given the whole Theatre a final blitz to ensure it is
sparkling clean!

Work is still being finished on Pasqualinos and 9 Bar Coffee, and the new Box
Office in the foyer is taking shape. The restaurant will be ready for opening night
but as the Box Office will take a little longer, the opening of 9 Bar, where the
temporary Box Office is, will be slightly delayed – perhaps just for a few weeks.

The Theatre’s Marketing and Front of House teams have been very busy getting
the gilt frames and other furnishings back in, and the De Giorgis and their team
have been stocking up the new bars.

The auditorium glimmers with lustrous gold leaf, the lamps are glowing softly
under their marbled glass shades, the chandeliers and sunburner are sparkling
and the rich fabrics drape luxuriantly from the balconies and boxes.
It is a sight to behold, and Frank Matcham himself would be proud.