June 2024
A stone’s throw from the aptly named Leeds Grand Theatre stands a hidden gem worthy of its own dose of awe and admiration – and it is also aptly named.
Leeds City Varieties Music Hall holds many titles: oldest operating theatre in Leeds; Grade II listed building and heritage site; Guinness World Record holder for the UK’s longest running music hall; home to the famous 30-year run of the BBC’s The Good Old Days, and my personal favourite: home of Yorkshire’s top tier yearly Rock’n’Roll pantomimes. I was thrilled to be invited to take a tour and head behind the velvet curtain of this fabulous building, and I have much to share with you, so grab a brew and settle in.
Built in 1865 as a “singing room” above the Swann Inn pub, the building (commissioned by Charles Thornton and designed by George Smith), began its journey as a place of lively entertainment and fun. It’s a gorgeous (and apparently rare) representative of Victorian era music halls, and as with the restoration work painstakingly undertaken at its sister venues, multi-million pound TLC at the varieties undertaken between 2009 and 2011 has taken care to preserve the spirit and stylings of the original while keeping the building functional. It’s impressive to note that this theatre has well and truly stood the test of time – only ever closing its doors briefly during restorations and the pandemic.
The City Varieties offers a uniquely powerful sense of the past; there’s an atmosphere and a prestige that lingers in the auditorium which demands pause. Usually, the hubbub of happy audiences give a sense of the life of the place, but without audiences in, that sense of atmosphere and energy belonging solely to the space itself really takes hold. From any vantage point in the auditorium, bars or front of house stairwells, there’s no denying the lingering sense of endearing nostalgia thanks to the painstaking care taken with the aesthetics throughout.
The history of the place is a long and winding one, as is the case with all three Leeds Heritage Theatres, and the intriguing details are many. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip re-opened the venue in 2012 following restorations, but that isn’t the only notable Royal connection. If you take a look above the proscenium arch on your next visit to the theatre, you’ll see a Royal crest which is rumoured to be a hush-token of sorts, gifted by Prince Edward VII (Queen Victoria’s eldest son) in return for keeping schtum about his tendency to hide out in the balcony, adoring one of the most famous and celebrated Victorian performers: Lillie Langtry.
With rumoured Royal trysts occupying one chapter in the venue’s history, it is perhaps not too much of a leap to take note of the venue’s racier years in the fifties, when it became the place to be for nude shows and stripteases. With movement considered just a step too far from acceptability, performers were forbidden to move during the transitions of their nude tableaux’s – cue mischievous-minded audiences and pea-shooters… according to rumour, that is. Take a look at the glass display cabinets next time you’re visiting for some surprise finds from the past.
While backstage details are always wonderful to find, it’s also pretty special to have free rein to check out all the front of house finds that we just don’t notice much when we’re there to see a show. Whether it’s having the time to really appreciate the decor and grand staircase or the pictures on the wall in the truly beautiful bar space, there’s so much I spotted this time around that I have woefully failed to appreciate before.
Spotting the famous names on seats courtesy of the the Name a Seat campaign is good fun and over in the bar, the original Victorian grandfather clock (which may or may not have never ceased its ticking – nobody quite knows) alone is worth a good long look for all its classic nineteenth century ornate detail. And then there are the puzzling finds, like inexplicably small cupboards with no clear purpose… I’ve suggested a “star of the week” installation though, so watch this space…
The theatre is of course kept in great shape, but look closely at the gildings either side of the stage and you’ll see a beautiful glimpse of the past: original 1800’s artwork discovered below restoration work – definitely my favourite find on this tour.
Even if you’re a fan of stalls or circle, I recommend taking a trip to the grand circle at some point – I can’t think of any other theatre which allows audiences to get so close to the beautiful ornate ceilings and really appreciate the beauty of the restoration work and impressive chandelier. And the boxes are absolutely beautiful too, in all their deep velvety glory – and with great sight lines to boot.
Also good fun are the glimpses of the past clashing ironically with the present: behold the old telephones used to notify both internal staff (note the labels) and the train station or other businesses nearby that the punters were heading out… now residing just below a reminder to not use phones!
The Varieties has hosted major names past and present, from Houdini and Charlie Chaplain to Sting and Russell Crowe – also providing a beautifully authentic filming location for the likes of Peaky Blinders, and more generally, welcoming big names on the comedy circuit who all share great affection for this historic venue – as the guest book I had a wee mooch through attested!
Backstage, the all-important dressing rooms provide stark contrast with the side of the theatre greeting us: modern and unadorned and spacious, they certainly provide a fantastic contrast which brings out the magic of that auditorium even more – how lucky we are that casts and companies get all the mod-cons back here but the magic of the rest of the theatre is so beautifully preserved for us.
Perhaps most surprising of all finds backstage is to be found in the dressing room at the very top of the building. With original beams visible, it’s easy to spot the claw marks apparently made by a bear hanging out before taking to the stage in one variety performance!
And the stage? For anyone who in annually impressed by the Panto at the City Varieties, allow me to deepen your respect and awe! Despite low lighting scuppering clear images, please take my word for it: the stage is tiny compared to all others I’ve seen. Not much bigger than a stage space you’d find in a generous village hall in fact – and to stand there, sensing the significant rake of the stage beneath feet and the closeness of the wings and back wall, it’s impossible to imagine how that cast, those sets and those larger than life Dame costumes all navigate such a space so seamlessly. Brava!
My final recommendation is that you take a look at the theatre’s website, where more snippets of history are laid out – one of my favourites will always be the case of one lucky audience member who snagged free tickets for life for the son she gave birth to during a performance of Babes in the Wood… of course if that feels a bit extreme in the pursuit of free theatre tickets by today’s standards, maybe just stick to keeping an eye out for bargains…
So there you have it: top finds of the City Varieties Music Hall. If you’ve never been, it’s surely time you went (check out current listings here) – and if you’re a regular, be sure to check out some of the careful details mentioned here – this theatre is really something special.
With sincere thanks to wonderful Communications Manager Kelly Scotney for granting access.
Always Time For Theatre 
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