Liverpool

Liverpool, which in the 1740s had theatrical entertainments given by visiting Irish players who appeared in a converted room known as the Old Ropery Theatre, had its first permanent theatre building, in Drury Lane, in 1750. Used by actors from London during the summer months, it had originally no boxes. These were added in 1759, and in 1767 a green room and dressing-rooms were also provided. It became a Theatre Royal in 1771, the name being transferred to a new theatre erected a year later. The interior was rebuilt in 1803 to provide a horseshoe-shaped auditorium which was later adapted as a circus, and eventually the building became a storage depot. In its heyday Liverpool, which was independent of any circuit, had a theatre season which lasted practically all the year round. The Star Theatre, which opened in 1866, became the home of lurid melodrama until 1911, when it was taken over as a repertory theatre, known since 1916 as the Liverpool Playhouse. In 1866 also the present Empire Theatre, taken over by the Merseyside County Council in 1979 and extensively renovated, opened as the New Prince of Wales, changing its name to the Alexandra a year later. Seating 2,312, it is the largest two-tier theatre in the country, providing entertainment ranging from touring drama, opera, and ballet to variety and pop music. The enterprising Everyman Theatre has achieved a high reputation, and appeals particularly to young people.