From strolling players to silver screens: a nostalgic journey through Bradford’s theatrical past

The town had never had any connection with the Old York Circuit, so its inhabitants, who appreciated stage performances, had to be satisfied with what came to the winter fair and remained for a week or two after Christmas. There were also periodical visits of strolling companies such as Temples of the Drama, Parish’s, Yeomans, Chatterton’s and others. For many years, they pitched their tents wherever might be available. This included a large piece of land in Market Street, open ground adjoining the old Christ Church, and the top of Darley Street was a favourite area.

Scruton admitted that drama had a very lowly beginning in Bradford, as the first theatre of a permanent character was an old barn in Southgate (later Sackville Street), West Gate. Its proprietor and manager was L.S. Thompson. Later, he established a theatre in Market Street capable of holding 700 and 800 people. Thompson left after around three years.

Scruton mentioned there was a theatre in Peel Square able to hold around 1,200 patrons, as well as Smedley and Skerrit’s patent theatre, the old Theatre Royal Duke Street – or the old ‘wooden box’ as it was known. The first performance under the lesseeship of Mosley and Rice took place at the latter venue on August 12, 1844 and featured The Hunchback.

Gradually, more theatres were opened in Bradford. Originally titled Alexandra Theatre, the building in Manningham Lane was designed by local architects Andrews & Son & Pepper. It was built at a cost of around £6,000 and opened on December 26, 1864 under the joint proprietorship of J.B. Buckstone and Wilde. Seating was for approximately 1,800 people (200, Dress Boxes; 250, Upper Boxes; 600 in the Pit, and 750 in the Gallery). Performances commenced on Boxing Night with All that Glitters is Not Gold. The prices of admission were: To the dress boxes, 3s; upper 3s; 1s 6d, pit; gallery, 6d; and private boxes, £1 11s 6d.

Later renamed the Theatre Royal, the building was showing films by the 1890s as part of its entertainment programme. It became a dedicated cinema on Monday 5 December 1921. The last films were shown on Saturday November 16, 1974. After being in use as a furniture store, the building was demolished c.1990.

Theatrical newspaper, The Era of March 19, 1876 mentions that over the previous 30 years a keen theatre interest had grown in Bradford. It then went on to announce a new venue was to be established by a Mr Morgan. The site of the new theatre was a novel one as it was to be erected over a Music Hall. The newspaper added: ‘The Star Music Hall in the Manchester-Road may be said to be the foundation of the theatre, but a thorough separation is made between the two places of entertainment. Between the ceiling of the Music Hall and the floor of the theatre there is such a solid and compact barrier of iron, sawdust, and concrete, that it is impossible for the sound of what is going on in one place to penetrate to the other.’ The entire theatre was estimated to hold 2,880 persons and the auditorium was horseshoe shape, and it was said from every part of the house a good view of the stage could be obtained. The new building was called the Prince’s Theatre and opened on Easter Monday April 17, 1876, with Carl Rosa’s Opera Company.

On Tuesday July 16, 1878 much of the Prince’s Theatre was destroyed by fire but it re-opened on Christmas Eve Wednesday 24 December 1879 with a pantomime, Ye Fair One with the Golden Locks. Finally, closure came on Saturday May 27, 1961 and the building was demolished in 1964.

On Saturday, January 28, 1899, it was announced that the New Empire Theatre in Great Horton Road – the latest addition to the places of entertainment in Bradford – would be opened for the first time on the following Monday. The music hall, stood at the back of the Alexandra Hotel, but the hotel was adapted and arranged so that its front formed the main entrance to the hall. The work was carried out from the plans of W.G. Sprague, of London, who had designed a number of the leading theatres and music halls in the country. The general style of decoration used throughout was Arabesque, and the colours employed were a delicate light blue, red and gold. The design was said to be more familiar to London than to provincial theatre-goers. There were no pillars, and the circle and balcony came forward so as to completely cover the pit and part of the stalls. The total seating accommodation was for 2,000 persons. The stage was 60ft wide and 40ft deep with a proscenium of 30ft. It was laid with all kinds of trap work for pantomime and other performances if required. Fourteen dressing rooms were attached. By 1918 the Empire was a full-time cinema, called the Empire. It survived until January 25, 1952 when a fire caused extensive damage, and it never reopened.

An earlier Alhambra had opened in Canal Road in 1873 and, under William Morgan, became the Alhambra Music Hall. But the venture was short-lived as closure came two years later. The new Alhambra was designed by Leeds architects Chadwick & Watson. The general contractor was J.T. Wright. The theatre was opened, at a cost of £20,000, at 2pm on Wednesday March 18, 1914 by Annie Laidler. She was the wife of Prince’s Theatre proprietor Francis Laidler, who was the man behind the Alhambra project. The Leeds Mercury of March 19, 1914 said: ‘The new building is a graceful white terra-cotta erection in the English Renaissance style, and is certainly one of the most attractive modern structures in the city.’ Amongst those present at the opening ceremony was the Lady Mayoress (Mrs J. Arnold).

In Peter Holdsworth's book Domes of Delight (1989) it is stated: ‘The word Alhambra is derived from the Arabic Kal’ – at al hambra, which means the red castle although Laidler's new theatre may have owed something in inspiration to the great citadel and palace built by the Moorish kings of the 13th Century, a greater influence in practical terms was the Alhambra Theatre and Music Hall in London's Leicester Square...’

The Alhambra Theatre opened to the general public at 6.30 pm on Monday 23, March 1914 with the revue A Year in an Hour. The auditorium comprised orchestra stalls and pit stalls on the ground floor, dress circle and eight boxes on the first tier and a large balcony on the second tier, providing a total seating of approximately 1,800, later reduced to 1,650.

When Francis Laidlaw died in 1955 his widow, Gwladys Stanley took control but the Alhambra eventually passed to Rowland Hill. In 1964 Bradford City Council bought the building for £78,900. Ten years later, it was designated a Grade II listed building. After extensive refurbishment in 1986, it re-opened on May 27 of that year.

Yorkshire’s very own Panto King, Billy Pearce has been closely associated with the Alhambra. Initially, he won a panto opportunity at the venue, appearing with Paul Nicholas. After that first year, he landed a leading role and since then he’s regularly appeared at the Alhambra. He said: ‘Bradford gave me a chance and they’ve stuck with me and me with them.’