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21
Aug
Harrogate Theatre ceiling repairs needed following 'partial collapse'
Harrogate Theatre has applied to North Yorkshire Council for permission to repair its historic ceiling following a "partial collapse".
The application says "water ingress" caused the damage to the ceiling at the grade two listed theatre.
It comes four years after the completion of a £1 million renovation of the theatre's roof, which was funded by Harrogate Borough Council.
During the construction process in 2022, some performances had to be cancelled due to leaks backstage.
This time, however, the work is not expected to lead to any disruption to the theatre's programme.
According to planning documents, water-damaged papier mâché panels and decorative plaster frieze in the theatre's Circle landing will be repaired.
New timber joists will be erected in the ceiling and bay window, and the entirety of the plaster work will be inspected for repair.
An initial survey of the plaster work said that before the ceiling can be repaired, it is "necessary to ensure that the roof and projecting bay masonry is in good condition and not vulnerable to further water ingress issues".
Harrogate Theatre
Opera house to theatre
The Art Nouveau style theatre opened in 1901 as the Grand Opera House, and operated as a venue for touring performers. It was designed by Scarborough-born architect Frank Tugwell at the end of the Victorian period.
The damaged frieze was created by local artist Frances Darlington in 1926, and depicts the history of the theatre itself.
It closed in 1955 after audiences declined and, after failing to reach its £30,000 reserve price at auction, was purchased by the municipal borough council for Harrogate in 1958.
It was at this point that it was rechristened Harrogate Theatre.
The heritage report accompanying the planning application notes a comment made by architecture historian Nikolaus Pevsner, who suggested that the original title of Grand Opera House was an "overblown name for a theatre of modest size".
A closer look at the collapsed ceiling.
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