About The Royal Project
An exciting community based project to bring Eastbourne's Royal Hippodrome back into vibrant year-round use as a Community Theatre, open all day, and presenting a dazzling range of attractions and activities with opera, film, drama, music and dance in the main auditorium, film-making, debating, IT, broadcasting and recording in the surrounding studios.
The restoration of a national treasure
C.J. Phipps, the renowned Victorian Theatre architect, not only designed and built Eastbourne this handsome theatre but persuaded the Prince of Wales to allow him to name it 'The Theatre Royal and Opera House'. He was also joint proprietor of the theatre, which makes it of great significance to international theatre historians. Of all the 70 Phipps Theatres in the U.K it is the only one yet to be restored. "The Royal is", as the Director of the Theatres Trust has said, "far and away the best auditorium Eastbourne has and Eastbourne should make better use of it."
A focal point for essential regeneration
But the Royal Project is about much more than restoring a theatre auditorium so that is can present the best in the performing arts. It is about bringing a whole area back to life. The precincts of the theatre will encompass studios, exhibition areas, bars and cafes, making The Hippodrome a magnet for the area drawing hundreds of people each day to its work and acting as the focal point of the whole central Seaside area.
Benefit through the community
The management of The Royal Hippodrome is in the process of being passed to the Trust, The Royal Project will bring enormous economic as well as cultural benefit. It will be a significant employer in its own right, will attract direct spending on its programmes and will, as a distinctive year round, day long attraction, attract considerable indirect spending in the town's hotels, shops and restaurants. And significantly, it will not be a burden on tax-payers, being funded from a combination of grants and self-generated income.
History of the Hippodrome Theatre
The Hippodrome Theatre, Seaside Road, opened in 1883 as the New Theatre Royal and Opera House, having been granted a Royal Patent by the Prince of Wales.
The towns major landowner, the then Duke of Devonshire, in creating his vision of a select 'Victorian New Town' was opposed to the building of a theatre, but a group of businessmen calling themselves the Season Extension Committee, had other ideas. They wanted to widen the tourism aspect of the town as an all year round venue. They asked Mr. C.J. Phipps, a London architect of renown, to draw plans and help raise finance for the scheme. The interior of the new theatre was partly modelled on his now famous Savoy Theatre in London. Before the end of the century most of the famous theatrical personalities of the time had appeared at the theatre including Ellen Terry and Richard d'Oyly Carte's Savoy Opera Company.
At that time Seaside Road ran from the Memorial Square Roundabout and was a fashionable street with elegant town houses and a handsome shopping arcade, 'The Colonnade' still existing though somewhat altered, across from the theatre. Some of the houses still remain though mainly in the half renamed Trinity Trees. You can still see one original house, set back between Lynn's Travel and the theatre. One large villa, Aberdeen House, stood at the Eastern end and was purchased by Phipps with planning permission obtained to demolish it and build a theatre.
In 1904 the theatre was renamed the Eastbourne Hippodrome and began a period of twice nightly variety shows. Among those performing before WW1 were Ada Reeve, Harry Houdini (who made a well publicised escape from Eastbourne police cells), Harry Tate, Marie Lloyd, Hetty King, Robb Wilton and Fred Karno's Famous Troupe. Between the wars the theatre adapted to a number of differing entertainments including plays and films and stars such as Vic Oliver, Cyril Fletcher, and Elsie and Doris Waters, then billed as 'Stars of Radio' appeared.
In the late 50s early 60s the theatre was bought by Eastbourne Borough Council and still the variety stars kept coming, including Tommy Trinder, Vera Lynn, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Ken Dodd and Roy Hudd. Bruce Forsythe was appearing at the Royal Hippodrome when he was called up to compere Sunday Night at the London Palladium.
Anyone interested in the history and development of the theatre and indeed the town, should read 'Mr. Phipps' Theatre' by Mark Jones and John Pick. John Pick is the projects 'expert' and has a lifetimes experience in the arts.
