A large collection of historic theatre machinery has been delivered to the Tyne Theatre & Opera House on Thornton Street.
During the venue’s conversion to a cinema in 1919, the theatre’s own overhead stage machinery was removed. Now, thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the theatre has been able to purchase the wooden machinery, dating from 1863, and which has been in storage for more than 30 years.
It will now be restored by master carpenter Colin Hopkins and his team before being reinstated above the theatre’s fly floor. With this in place, the scenic flats will once again be able to be worked by a team of volunteers, allowing authentic historic performances to take place at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House and establishing the venue as a centre of excellence for traditional stagecraft and performance.
Project director David Wilmore said, “we are delighted to begin the restoration of this unique equipment, which we intend to complete before we hold an international conference in September 2023. This will be attended by an audience of theatre practitioners, performers and historians who will see the machinery in operation.”