Theatre Royal Nottingham marks 160 years with a giant panto ahead

With its Corinthian columns looking out over Theatre Square, the Theatre Royal is one of Nottingham's best-loved landmarks. It opened on 25 September 1865 with Sheridan's The School for Scandal, and has now passed 160 years of entertaining the city.

The theatre was designed by Charles J. Phipps and paid for by the Nottingham Theatre Company, owned by lace manufacturers John and William Lambert. In 1897 the great theatre architect Frank Matcham reworked the auditorium using cantilevered steel, removing the supporting pillars. Nottingham City Council bought the theatre in 1969, and after extensive remodelling Princess Anne reopened it on 6 June 1978.

Its stage has seen some remarkable firsts. The Scarlet Pimpernel was first staged here in 1903, and on 6 October 1952 the Theatre Royal hosted the world premiere of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, now the longest-running theatrical production in the world.

Much of that history is now available to everyone. In 2018 the theatre launched an online heritage archive, created with the University of Nottingham and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has grown to more than 1,000 items. Posters and programmes feature Albert Finney, Sybil Thorndike, Tony Hancock, Vivien Leigh, Laurel and Hardy and even a young Sean Connery, alongside a first-hand account of Jimi Hendrix's 1967 concert. Volunteers meet weekly to catalogue new donations.

Next door, the Royal Concert Hall is part of the same complex. It opened on 27 November 1982 with Elton John as its first performer, and it seats 2,499 across three levels on the site of Frank Matcham's Empire Palace of Varieties.

This winter the Theatre Royal's famous pantomime returns with Jack and the Beanstalk, produced with Crossroads Pantomimes and running from Saturday 28 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Broadcaster and barrister Rob Rinder stars as The Spirit of the Beans, alongside Samantha Womack as Mrs Blunderbore, Nottingham favourite Neil Hurst as Simon Trot, Mary Mac as Dame Trot, Mia Kobayashi as Princess Jill and Matthew Croke as Jack.

With the Royal Centre tram stop on the doorstep, it is easy to make a night of it. Tickets for both venues are available from the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall website.