Theatre Royal and Thespian House Pontmorlais CF47 0LJ

Heritage Plaques

- Structures

Theatre Royal

and

Thespian House
Pontmorlais

CF47 0LJ

This theatre was opened in1891 and was the home of Melodrama and Music Hall. It later became a cinema and, more recently a bingo hall.

The plaque read:

Theatre Royal and Thespian House 1891 Erected by the Merthyr Theatre Company Ltd. on the site of an old wooden theatre. The Theatre Royal became a cinema towards the end of the 1920s when it was rebuilt by Associated British Cinemas. The site is also connected with the author Jack Jones.

Grade II Listed

History
1891. By T C Wakeling, architect of Merthyr.

Description
Exterior
2-storey and attic, 5-bay classical front with modified parapets over centre (pediment removed), lean-to flanking parapets. Centre 3-bay cornice over small vents, THEATRE ROYAL panel below. First-floor sash windows, outer round-headed, inner with lion-mask brackets to cornices; central oculus over broken segmental pediment with urn finial and scrolled brackets. Ground-floor arched openings linked by impost and hood-mouldings, recessed doors up steps. Modern canopied entrance (replacing arched openings) to left. Bulky rear elevation with corrugated-iron fly-tower above wide slate roof.

Attached downhill to right is Thespian House, a 2-storey rendered block set back with a splayed bay further right. Continuous plain parapet (formerly crenellated), architraves with keyblocks to (boarded) windows, stringcourse over ground-floor links to theatre. Arched ground-floor openings also linked with segmental carriage arch on left, double boarded doors.

Interior
Fine auditorium completely rebuilt in later 1920s with a large balcony inserted. Splendid sunburst ceiling rose (1890s?) over stalls; Art Deco borders, rosettes etc. Art Deco proscenium with ramped and stepped surround, Royal Arms to centre, splayed crestings. Side walls with linked low-relief panels with stepped detailing, acanthus and anthemion cornices over. Organ pipes to niches flanking stage. Recessed coffering over gallery with convex cantilevered front, Art Deco embellishments. Polygonal, pendant light-fittings.