The Tivoli Theatre, once the epicentre of the north-east’s bustling variety scene, will soon be back on track, thanks to a major regeneration project – but not just yet.
While the theatre will host its first play in almost 50 years this weekend, and plans to open its doors for a further two productions before the year is out, it’s not ready to fly just yet. First, it needs to walk.
“Managing the theatre is fine, but managing people’s expectations is totally different,” said Brian Hendry, proud owner of the venue since 2009. He and his team have put in a power of work to get it to this exciting stage, and he admits he entered the challenge with his eyes wide open.
“I just love this building. When I came in the first time, I was surprised by how beautiful the auditorium still was. But I could also see the water coming pouring in, and I thought it wouldn’t last the winter,” he said, sitting in the newly revamped gallery space in the Guild Street theatre’s ground floor.
But last the winter it did, thanks to work starting on the site straight away. Top of the bill was making the grade A listed building watertight once more.
“When I bought it, I wanted slates on the roof, not Fiddler on the Roof, even though I looked at it as a theatre project,” he said.
“But the priority was to save the building. If you don’t fix the roof, you are finished.”
The history of the Tivoli stretches as far back as 1872, when it was founded as Her Majesty’s and designed by James Matthews and C.B. Phipps. It was improved and redeveloped, in 1897 and 1909, by renowned theatrical architect Frank Matcham, reopening, in 1910, as the Tivoli.
It continued to cater for theatregoing audiences with variety acts such as Tony Hancock and George Formby treading its boards over the years.
Sadly, it closed as a theatre in 1966 and, up until 1998, it was used for one thing – bingo.
Said Brian: “Now, everybody gives bingo a bad rap, but for me it’s what saved the building. It meant someone was coming in every day, putting on the lights.
“But 1998 to 2009 was the worst period in the history of the building. It fell into total disrepair.”
So, with such a large-scale renovation project, where do you start? As this is largely a self-funded project, it hasn’t been possible to upgrade everything in one fell swoop. Above all, Brian said, the Tivoli has to be commercially viable, and so things have had to be done intelligently, one step at a time.
“We haven’t restored the fresco in the main ceiling and there’s a lot of plaster work in the boxes which hasn’t been touched, but one day that will come.
“The priority has been things like installing the fire-detection system throughout the building and creating easier access for the disabled. They take precedence over the aesthetics of the building,” he said.
To date, nearly £1million has been spent on bringing the venue in line with current health and safety regulations. And what a difference £1million makes. On a tour of the Tivoli, I could see how the venue is making huge progress, from the freshly laid stage to the fully operational fly floor and renovated green room and gallery space. Sure, the dress circle and upper circle are not renovated yet, and some final certification is just in the offing, but it’s all happening.
“When this building is finished, it will probably be a £3million or £4million project,” said Brian.
“So that’s why we need to do it in stages. When we open up a new section, we will be able to bring in new revenue and sponsorship to then move on to the next stage. But I think we’re past the hardest part.
“When the building was in so much disrepair, it almost felt like it couldn’t open again. But now that we have got it to this stage, people suddenly want to be involved.”
At present, Brian and his team are turning down one booking a day. From ballet to drama, local theatre, kids’ productions, stand-up, musicians – you name it, they have been approached to host it. And when everything is done, he hopes the Tivoli will become a variety venue in a contemporary sense – hosting everything from conferences to AGMs and award nights, as well as theatre, music and dance.
The forthcoming trio of test productions, which are being put on this side of 2014, kicks off this weekend with a production of Inferno, a stage adaptation of the memoirs of playwright and alchemist August Strindberg.
This will be followed by a to-be-confirmed ballet performance next month, and then rounded off in December with a three-week run of an original pantomime, produced and performed by Aberdeen’s Attic Theatre group.
The audience capacity for each event will be kept to a minimum – ranging from about 70 to 200 – as, first and foremost, the performances are to test the venue and pave the way for what looks to be a very exciting rebirth for the Tivoli.
But Brian is very clear that he wants the Tivoli to add to the cultural scene of the region, not replace or overshadow any of its existing stalwarts.
“Everybody wants this to be the best theatre in Aberdeen. But we actually already have one of the best theatres in Europe with His Majesty’s. People don’t understand how great a thing that is. I did a tour recently of theatres in America, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and I have yet to see one better than HMT.
“If I make a mid-scale venue of a good standard for 500 people, I would be very happy with that. Above all, I would like this to be the people’s theatre.”
For further information on the Tivoli’s progress log on to www.thetivolitheatre.com Tickets for Inferno, which runs from tomorrow to Sunday at 7.30pm, are available from www.aberdeen performingarts.com or by calling 01224 641122. Attic Theatre’s pantomime, Robin Hood, will run from December 7-21. Tickets are also available from www.aberdeen performingarts.com or by calling 01224 641122.