Jersey Opera House, Art Nouveau opera house and theatre in Saint Helier, Jersey
The Jersey Opera House is a working theatre and opera house in Saint Helier, built in 1922 by Jesty & Baker as a reconstruction of Adolphus Curry's 1900 building. Its façade has been called "imposing and slightly Frenchified". The auditorium holds about 625 people and is lit by a chandelier of 10,200 pieces.
The Theatre Royal on this site burned down on 29 March 1899. The Channel Islands Entertainment Co. Ltd. built a new Opera House on the ruins, opened by Lillie Langtry on 9 July 1900 with a performance of The Degenerates. A fire on 12 May 1921 partly destroyed that building, which was reconstructed in 1922 by Jesty & Baker.
The theatre's name recalls its 1900 opening as an opera house, and its two stage boxes were named for the Governor and the Bailiff. During the German Occupation, amateur companies such as the Green Room Club staged monthly productions here, and the song "Faithful and Free" from The Paladins became an expression of patriotic longing.
The building is located near Gloucester Street and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors should check what performances are scheduled, as shows typically run during daytime and evening hours.
The auditorium chandelier is made of 10,200 separate pieces and is cleaned roughly every five years. The stage of the 1900 house was 40 feet deep and 30 feet broad, with 54 feet of overhead space, tall enough to take scenery sent from Drury Lane in London.
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