theatre royal

All the leading singers and actors of the period including Jenny Lind, the Swedish nightingale, Catherine Hayes, the Limerick born Prima Donna from La Scala, Milan and Angelica Catalin, one of the most highly paid Divas of her day.

The Theatre Royal aims to present the best of Irish and international theatre, visual arts, music and dance through a programme of commissioned and invited performance, to an audience willing to experience the new along with the familiar

In 1876 a lease of the West Wing of the City Hall, which contained the Georgian Playhouse was granted to a group of citizens for the purpose of converting it into a modern theatre. It was named the Theatre Royal.
The theatre has been in operation ever since, under a variety of managements and leaseholders and on occasion by the Waterford Corporation or its agents.
It has continued to maintain the tradition of being the City's main centre of culture and entertainment, from the last quarter of the 19th Century and throughout the whole of this century, as the home of grand opera, light opera drama, variety and pantomime and it is fitting that we should herald in the new millennium with a fully restored Victorian theatre.
It is worth noting that for all of the City Hall's 210 years of existence there has been a facility for the arts provided on the exact same site. We are striving to maintain that tradition.

It was founded in 1956, The Society is a co-operative friendly society of ordinary shareholders. It is registered in accordance with the Industrial and Provident Societies Act and is managed on behalf of shareholders by an elected group of officers and committee who operate on a voluntary basis.