Whatever happened to the Lyceum Theatre?

If you've been in the city for a few years, you may remember the Travelodge used to be a popular ABC cinema.

But if you have been around since before the 1960s, you'll remember that this was the site of one of Newport's grandest buildings, where thousands were spell-bound by cinema, theatre and the stars of the day - the Lyceum Theatre.

But before the Lyceum was built, the site had attracted thousands of Newport people to be entertained in the seats of the Victoria Hall, which was built here in 1867. This impressive building also held the County Court, Turkish baths, swimming baths, gymnasium and a reading room.

Some Newport landmarks seen here have since gone, like the canal and the Lyceum Theatre

The Lyceum Theatre pictured around 1930

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Designed by architects Habershan and Pite of London, it was built by Henry Pearce Bolt of Newport. Its £12,000 price tag paid for such luxuries as using carved stone for mouldings instead of plasterwork. The most famous of these was the great statue of Queen Victoria.

But one May night in 1896, fire tore through the magnificent theatre.

The blaze broke out after the last performance of the evening had finished. The fire brigade's hoses could not shoot water up to battle the inferno. The flames licked as high as the statue of Queen Victoria, which onlookers said seemed oblivious to the fire. The timbers of the roof collapsed and it seemed the theatre would be lost.

But 10 hours later when the fire was out, it was clear enough of the building had been saved.

The ruins of the old building were bought by Clarence Sounes, an impressario who also owned the Grand Theatre in Cardiff and the Queen's Theatre in Birmingham.

Nearly two years after the Lyceum was demolished, its base still stood and no use had been found for the site

The ABC Cinema, Bridge Street, Newport

Sounes wanted the new theatre to be “among the best in the kingdom”, and he commissioned WR Sprague, the well-known theatrical architect, to prepare plans for a new building.

Sprague specialised in designing music halls and theatres. The years between 1895 and 1905 saw him create many handsome playhouses which still work today mainly in London's West End.

Sprague wanted the existing Grecian style of the Victoria Theatre be preserved. The new would be created within the walls of the old. This made his design for the enlarged Lyceum Theatre unique among his work.

Newport builder John Linton was tasked with the reconstruction. Newport Borough Council insisted new internal walls should be built to prevent any of the old ones giving away. Although Sprague's buildings were noted for their classical finesse, much of his thought went in to making the building safe, especially after its predecessor was gutted by fire.

The Lyceum Theatre in Newport

The weathered statue of Queen Victoria on top of the Lyceum which survived the fire of 1896

A production staged at the Lyceum in Newport

To guard against the risk of flame, the whole of the auditorium was built of iron and concrete, with woodwork only used for doors, fittings and seating. The wooden floors were laid on concrete.

A fireproof curtain made of asbestos and iron which could be lowered in four seconds was fitted. Careful consideration was given to how the audience could escape in the event of a fire. There were six exit doors from the stalls and pit alone, and with fire exits from the dress-circle, balcony and gallery, it was estimated that the building could be emptied in three or four minutes. Fire hydrants were fitted throughout.

The £20,000 it cost to build paid not only for the structural changes, but its sumptuous decoration. The fittings were of a Renaissance style in cream and gold. The dome, 65 feet above the orchestra pit, was adorned with cupids representing the arts. Balconies were decorated with figures and drapes were in a striking peacock blue. Saloons and lounges were richly decorated with ornamental and decorated ceilings; the walls hung with silk tapestries and mirrors. It was the equal of any of Sprague's West End creations.

Over the years the site hosted many famous names and fantastic spectacles including Charles Dickens reading from a Christmas Carol and Houdini who spent a week performing at the Lyceum in 1905.

The Lyceum’s live shows continued with ice rinks and even a boxing kangaroo.

The Argus shows cast members of Little Miss Muffet, the final production to be staged at the Lyceum in February 1961

Travelodge in Bridge Street, Newport

However it was a venue for pantomime that it is best remembered. And it was a pantomime on which the curtain fell for the final time at the Lyceum.

As audiences dwindled and pressure grew to redevelop Newport town centre, the theatre was closed and the decision taken to demolish it in 1961. Planning permission was given for a seven-storey office block with shops at street level.

The Argus of February 20 that year told how there was a "packed audience" for the performance of Little Miss Muffet, but that the "last sad moments of the Lyceum brought tears in the eyes of many".