Frank Matcham was an extraordinary theatre architect and certainly the most prolific. By the time of his death in 1920 he had designed at least 150 theatres of which only 24 survive. One of the many things you could rely on with Mr Matcham was that he certainly delivered and on time. He was invited here to Buxton to create an Opera House ready to offer ever more entertainment to the many visitors who flocked to the town to take advantage of the healing waters and bracing air. Buxton was without doubt a rather splendid inland resort. The Buxton Gardens company invited him to build a new theatre in 1901,after a meeting of stakeholders at the George Hotel where Mr Arthur Willoughby,the acting manager of the Pavilion Gardens, referred to him as the prince of playhouse architects. Indeed they had the princely sum of £25.000, which would also include the remodelling of the entrance into the gardens,to spend on their enterprise.
Matcham was very skilled in using awkward spaces and this was a factor in the Opera House build, the land available for the build was restricted. In fact it is a constant fascination to me that the Opera House and the conservatory share a wall. In fact if you walk through the conservatory to the fire exit door, just near to the goldfish pool, you are actually at the dress circle level of the theatre! Matcham actually reassembled the east wing of the winter gardens to achieve his build and what a build it was. He firmly believed that the magic of theatre should occur even before the curtain lifts so his theatres are the most marvellous confections with each one unique although there were some similar features. He was it would appear rather fond of domes. The picture below shows his theatre at Richmond!
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Here in Buxton we see the domes again with two dwarf stone towers either side which really add to the grandeur.The beautiful glass in the domes and the iron and glass awning were planned from the start.
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As you enter the foyer the magic starts,the massive scrolls of alabaster,white Carrara marble from Italy, well if it was good enough for Michael Angelo then it simply had to adorn the Buxton theatre and of course inlaid mosaic floors. Originally there was even leather wall paper in some areas and silk draperies at the windows.Throughout there were what he refers to as Turkey carpets. When I mention Turkey carpets throughout the magic did stop a little as you climbed into the Gods with linoleum replacing the carpet. This remember was still very much a time of class distinctions,hece the entrance on Water Street being for the pit and stall customers!
But it’s in the auditorium that Matcham really weaves his spell, Louis XVI would have been green with envy! The oval domed ceiling has panels representing music, painting, poetry, literature, dancing and comedy, the 6 pillars of life and each as magical as the next; the ceiling above the stage representing grace and strength, like a ballerina, oh and the boxes, divided by columns of African onyx and dressed in light blue silk. And an incredible invention the Sunburner ,one of only two in the UK. It works by expelling the warm air and in the early days, smoke, and drawing in fresh air through vents in the lower parts of the house
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Above the proscenium arch is the Buxton coat of arms. The stag or buck is found everywhere in the heraldry of this entire district. The stags represent the Cavendish stag, the stag of Downes, Lords of the Manor of Whaley Bridge, the buck of Buxton, and the stags which once roamed over the whole area.
There are three boxes each side of the stage, two boxes at dress circle level, and one above with an oval curved shell ceiling.
When Matcham was invited up on to the stage on the opening night in1903 .Mr. Willoughby the Gardens Company manager appeared on stage and made rather a faux pas by asking the audience to raise their glasses and drink to the success of the new Opera House. Unfortunately the theatre had not been granted a license and so it remained for a further 25 years.
Currently this wonderful creation of a theatre is closed due to the Covid 19 pandemic and can not bring us the joys of theatre and until we are able to welcome you back again to our town and to our theatre it seems apt to leave you with the very first words ever spoken on the stage of this magnificent Opera house:
A greeting, friends, I bring to one and all
From those who dwell within this land of lonely dales,
This town of grey set high amid the hills…
To you, who, for a little in our midst,
Seek out the crown of health, the upland air,
The bright enchantment of a holiday;
When home shall once more claim you, may the thought
Of us and ours be pleasant memories.
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