Theatre Royal Hyde

Significance

Theatre Royal Hyde is a Grade II listed Edwardian theatre with a handsome decorative terracotta façade and an intimate, richly decorated auditorium.

Why is this theatre at risk?

Theatre Royal Hyde has been on the Theatres at Risk Register since 2006 when we started the list.

The theatre was closed as a cinema in 1992. It was threatened with demolition for a housing development but was saved by spot-listing in 2000. It needs extensive repair and restoration.

The building was purchased by the Hyde Islamic Resource Centre in November 2016, who, despite objections from Theatres Trust and local community group Theatre Royal Onward, gained permission for a change of use. This means the building has lost the sui generis status, which is an important form of protection as once a theatre moves into another use class, there is a possibility (dependent on use class) of further changes of use without permission, which may lead to alterations harmful to future theatre provision. Theatre Royal Onward has since disbanded.

Theatre potential

Theatre Royal Hyde is a functionally sound and intact theatre, which could be viable as a community amateur theatre and cinema facility, providing a much larger auditorium than the adjacent Hyde Festival Theatre.

Since taking ownership the Hyde Islamic Resource Centre has been granted listed building consent to carry out works on the property including:

• repair works to the roof.
• screening off areas of the building to allow partial reuse at stalls level of the auditorium and front of house.
• alterations to the exterior and interior of the theatre to facilitate its use as a cultural centre.

We believe that the nature of these works would not prevent the building from being returned to performance use if the demand for this arose.

Current situation

Theatres Trust continues to keep a watching brief on the Theatre Royal to ensure that any development plans respect its listed status, retain access for the community and do not prohibit future use of the building for live performance.

While maintaining the building in active use will help protect it from the vulnerability of lying vacant and a cultural centre can be a sympathetic reuse of a theatre, we remain concerned about the condition of unoccupied areas of the building. We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that any further proposed works are carried out in a sympathetic and sensitive manner and hope to work more closely with both the owner and Tameside Council to achieve this.           

 

Main photo Theatre Royal Hyde, Ian Grundy; exterior by Theatres Trust.