Royal & Derngate is a theatre complex in the Cultural Quarter of Northampton, England, consisting of the Royal Theatre, Derngate Theatre and the Northampton Filmhouse. The Royal was built by theatre architect Charles J. Phipps and opened in 1884. Ninety-nine years later in 1983, Derngate, designed by RHWL, was built to the rear of the Royal. Whilst the two theatres were physically linked, they did not combine organisations until a formal merger in 1999; they are run by the Northampton Theatres Trust. The Royal Theatre, established as a producing house, has a capacity of 450 seats and since 1976 has been designated a Grade II listed building; Derngate Theatre seats a maximum of 1,200 and is a multi-purpose space in which the auditorium can be configured for a variety of events including theatre, opera, live music, dance, fashion and sports. The Northampton Filmhouse, an independent cinema built to the side of the complex, opened in 2013.
Main entrance
Northampton Filmhouse is attached to Royal & Derngate
Entrance to the Royal on Guildhall Road in May 2013
A view of the Royal & Derngate complex from Swan Street in 2013. In 2015 an hotel was constructed in the car park in front of the building and now obscures this view.
Cultural Quarter, Northampton
The Cultural Quarter of the town Northampton, England, is a local council initiative to promote the area of the town centre which contains the theatre and museum. Part of it was referred to as Derngate, the name of a gate in the old town walls.
Northampton's Cultural Quarter, from the front of the Guildhall looking south down Guildhall Road
A sign marking the boundaries of the Cultural Quarter
78 Derngate
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery