The Tivoli Theatre Management Company has been rewarded a £508,700 grant award covering building repairs and reinstatement of architectural details to the exterior of the dilapidated Tivoli Theatre.
The Tivoli is a Priority Project of the Green THI with funding made available to undertake comprehensive repairs to the external fabric including the roof, rainwater goods, masonry, windows and doors. The funding will also be used to reinstate much of the architectural detail on the Guild Street elevation of the Grade A listed building that has been lost over the years.
Green THI board chairman Councillor John Stewart said: "This is a really exciting step forward for the Green Townscape Heritage Initiative and for Aberdeen. For many years now people have been calling for the Tivoli Theatre to be brought back to life and this announcement marks a huge step forward in achieving that.
"Brian Hendry has some very interesting and exciting plans for this wonderful old building and I look forward to seeing them take shape and the Tivoli returned to her former glory."
The Tivoli opened in December 1872 (34 years before His Majesty's Theatre opened) and finally closed its doors in 1997, by which time it was used only as a bingo hall. Since then the building has fallen into serious disrepair and been placed on the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland.
The property was bought by local businessman Brian Hendry, chairman of the Tivoli Theatre Management Company, in July 2009, who pledged to repair the building and bring it back into use.
The Green THI is a five-year conservation-led programme aimed at restoring Aberdeen's historic Green to its former glory. It was set up to tackle the problems of rundown historic buildings and streetscape where longstanding economic and structural decline have undermined the character of the architecturally rich area.
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Mr Hendry proposes to restore the interior and bring it up to 21st century standards providing a mid-scale 450 seat auditorium, complemented by new rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms, dance studios/gymnasium, theatrical museum and café/bar, with additional retail, leisure and business spaces.
Mr Hendry said: "I'm delighted that we can now start work. The priority will be to get the scaffolding up and start to clean the gutters and roof to protect the Tivoli for the winter.
"Hopefully people in Aberdeen will start to see changes over the coming weeks and months as we start bringing this great building back to its former glory."
The Tivoli is an outstanding and rare, near intact example of a Victorian theatre. It has a distinctive and striking entrance façade and an excellent interior decorative scheme. The building is the product of two renowned theatre architects, CJ Phipps and Frank Matcham.
The interior has been described as one of the best remaining examples of Matcham's work in the United Kingdom. The entrance elevation uses red and grey granite to create a polychromatic, round arched pattern which makes an unusual and significant contribution to the streetscape.
Originally known as Her Majesty's Opera House, the theatre was built by CJ Phipps and James Mathews and contains the first large-scale use of concrete in a theatre building in Scotland.
In 1897 Frank Matcham was asked to redecorate some of the building and improve the fire exits. The Tivoli closed in 1906 after the opening of His Majesty's Theatre nearby. However, in preparation for re-opening in 1909, Matcham carried out a further scheme of improvements and reconstruction which included extending the balcony forward to leave single boxes by the side of the stage. These works costs £10,000. The theatre re-opened in 1910, when its name was changed to The Tivoli.
As a largely unaltered building, The Tivoli is therefore an important remaining record of Matcham's work.
The Tivoli was primarily a variety venue and hosted many famous Scottish performers, including Harry Lauder, traditional fiddlers, Andy Stewart and The White Heather Group. A popular theatre, the queues for performances often stretched down Guild Street in both directions.
Green THI project manager Graham Young said: "This grand old theatrical lady has enjoyed a rich and colourful history. Although she has fallen on hard times in recent years she can now look forward to a new lease of life.
"Work is about to begin on restoring The Tivoli and I'm sure the people of Aberdeen and far beyond will watch with great interest and excitement as work progresses and the re-opening of the theatre draws nearer. This will be a pivotal link in helping to stimulate and regenerate the Green THI area."
Grant schemes are available to nearly all property owners in the Green THI area who wish to undertake high quality repair and restoration of buildings with architectural or group merit.
The initiative will enable The Green to play a key role in city centre redevelopment and provide the important first impression of the city and Aberdeenshire to visitors arriving by bus, boat or rail. The revitalised Green will have an important role in linking Union Street with the bus and railway stations and commercial developments south of Union Street.
There is obvious potential for the development of a distinct city neighbourhood in The Green, characterised by cafes, restaurants, specialist shops, galleries and a revitalised Tivoli Theatre. The Merchant Quarter Association is working to create such an area, which provides a new vibrant, cultural, "grown-up" area for Aberdeen, centred around brasserie-style food and drink, lifestyle businesses and independent shopping, supplemented by a range of festivals; the creation of an artistic gateway with themed lighting, art, sculptures and street furniture.
(GK/KMcA)
