Birthday fun at Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal Nottingham

Photo by Martine Hamilton Knight — The Theatre Royal Nottingham Photo by Martine Hamilton Knight

The venue will be open to the public from 4pm-8pm on Friday and 10am –5pm on Saturday.

These two Victorian-themed open days will include free backstage tours, including areas never seen before, face painters, arts and crafts, street theatre entertainment and a chance to discover more about the Theatre Royal’s fascinating past.

Free backstage tours will be available, led by Theatre Royal staff and members of the community theatre company dressed in Victorian costume.

These are suitable for all age groups and will run regularly throughout the day. There is no need to book in advance.

An accessible backstage tour, designed for wheelchair users and families with pushchairs, will be available on both days: at 5pm and 6pm on Friday and 11am and 3pm on Saturday.

A British Sign Language interpreted backstage tour will be available at 1pm on Saturday. These tours are free, but advance booking is recommended as places are limited. Please email [email protected] or call 0115 9895609.

In celebration of the Theatre Royal’s special anniversary, tour participants will be offered the opportunity to visit a part of the Theatre Royal which has never been open to the public before: the fly floor.

Small tour groups will get a chance to stand on the fly floor, two storeys above the stage, and find out how set and scenery is ‘flown’ during a show.

On Saturday, there will be a children’s arts and crafts area in the stalls with free Theatre Royal colouring sheets, pens, pencils and plenty of sparkle. Free face painting will be available throughout the day on Saturday.

A variety of walkabout acts, all with a Victorian theme, will be performing and on Friday, a brass quartet will entertain in the foyers and outside, heralding the Theatre Royal’s 150th birthday.

On both Open Days the Theatre Royal’s community choir, The People’s Choir, will perform in the foyers.

A range of limited edition 150th anniversary merchandise will be available to purchase, as willcopies of the Theatre Royal’s recently published commemorative book.