Theatre Royal Newcastle

About Theatre Royal Newcastle

The Theatre Royal is the anchor of Grey Street and one of the finest surviving theatre buildings in the country. Newcastle's first Theatre Royal opened on Mosley Street in 1788 but was demolished in 1834 to make way for Richard Grainger's redevelopment of the town centre. The replacement, designed by the local architects John and Benjamin Green, opened on 20 February 1837 with The Merchant of Venice, its Corinthian portico closing the view up the curve of Grey Street. A fire following a performance of Macbeth in 1899 gutted the interior, and Frank Matcham rebuilt it in lavish Edwardian style, reopening on 31 December 1901. The building has been Grade I listed since 1954.

A £4.75 million restoration in 2011 returned Matcham's auditorium to its original colour scheme while improving access, sightlines and comfort, and the theatre reopened that September with Alan Bennett's The Madness of George III. The auditorium now seats 1,249 across stalls, grand circle, upper circle and gallery. It stages roughly thirty to thirty-five visiting productions a year, spanning plays, musicals, opera, dance and a long-running annual pantomime, and has a particularly strong and long-standing relationship with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The box office, foyer bars and the Green Room kiosk on Market Street serve audiences drawn from across the North East.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature Theatre Royal Newcastle.

New Year's Eve in Newcastle 2026: Howaymanay, Parties and New Year's Day

A guide to New Year's Eve 2026 in Newcastle: Howaymanay and the free 6pm fireworks on the Quayside, the HogmanHOWAY 5K, bar and club parties, family options and New Year's Day.

Christmas on Grey Street Pop-Up Bar Opens on Lights Switch-On Night

A festive pop-up cocktail bar called Christmas on Grey Street opens in the former Leila Lily's on Thursday 12 November, with a Christmas movie room and a charity hot chocolate, until Christmas Eve.

Christmas in Newcastle 2026

A guide to Christmas in Newcastle city centre for 2026: the lights switch-on, the Christmas Market, Fenwick's window, pantos, Santa, ice skating, carols, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve on the Quayside and how to get in.

The Ivy and The Ivy Asia Coming to 102 Grey Street

The Ivy Collection is opening two restaurants side by side in a Grade II listed former bank at 102 Grey Street, creating around 200 jobs. Both are due to open this winter.

Christmas Lights Switch-On in Newcastle 2026

Newcastle switches on its Christmas lights on Thursday 12 November 2026 at Grey's Monument. It is free with no tickets, a week before the Christmas Market opens. Here is where to stand, how to get there and what is still to be announced.

Date Night in Newcastle City Centre

How to plan a romantic night out in Newcastle city centre, from special-occasion dinners and cocktail bars to theatre, independent cinema and a walk along the floodlit Quayside.

A Weekend in Newcastle City Centre: A 48-Hour Itinerary

How to spend a relaxed weekend in the middle of Newcastle, from Friday-night drinks on Grey Street to the Quayside bridges, city museums and a slow Sunday by the river.

Best Walks in and around Newcastle City Centre

From the Quayside and the Ouseburn to the Town Moor and the medieval walls, the best walks are all within reach of the middle of Newcastle without a car.

Rainy Day: Indoor Things to Do in Newcastle City Centre

A round-up of the best indoor attractions in Newcastle city centre for a wet day, from four free museums and galleries to bowling, crazy golf and the shops. Plenty to do without a coat.

Lost Buildings of Newcastle: What Stood Where

A Georgian shopping arcade under a roundabout, two-thirds of a Dobson square under a shopping centre, a panopticon prison under an office block. Twelve buildings Newcastle no longer has, and the exact spot to stand to see where each one was.

Things to Do in Newcastle City Centre

A complete guide to the city centre: how it fits together, what to do with two hours or a full day, and where to go for museums, the Quayside, food, shopping, children, sport and the seasonal calendar.

A Grainger Town Heritage Walk: Newcastle's Georgian Heart

Newcastle's classical core was laid out in the 1830s and 1840s by Richard Grainger, John Dobson and John Clayton. This walking route links Grey Street, the Grainger Market and the Theatre Royal with the medieval castle that gave the city its name.

Christmas Markets in Newcastle City Centre

The 2026 market runs from 19 November to 23 December across Grey Street, Grainger Street and the Monument, with a Christmas Village on Old Eldon Square and the lights going on a week before it opens.

Past Events

Recent events connected to Theatre Royal Newcastle.