Venue History Tour - Grand Opera House

The Grand Opera House is opening its doors for a venue history tour throughout September, with sessions running daily from the 1st to the 30th. On Saturday 12 September, there are two tours to choose from, one at 10:30 and another at 12:30. It's a behind-the-scenes walk rather than a performance, so you'll be on your feet and moving through the building rather than sitting in the stalls.

Most of us know the Opera House as a place to watch a show, but it didn't start out that way. It opened on Cumberland Street in 1902 with Little Red Riding Hood, starring Florrie Ford, and has been North Yorkshire's home for world-class live entertainment ever since. The building wasn't originally intended to be a theatre, and over the years it changed hands several times, passing through the ownership of FJ Butterworth, the Shepherd of Shambles, and later the India Pru Co. Ltd, who spent £4,000,000 restoring it in 1987.

The tour takes you through the auditorium, into the backstage areas, and into the archive, before you head onto the stage itself. It's the same stage that has carried Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Adele, Laurence Olivier, Charlie Chaplin, Richard E. Grant, Morecambe & Wise, Laurel & Hardy, and Jodie Comer. There's no interval, and each ticket includes a hot or soft drink. If you're coming with a larger group, bookings for ten or more are available.

On the practical side, the venue is cashless, so leave the coins at home. The box office opens 90 minutes before the tour starts, and it's worth keeping in mind that the route involves a number of stairs. Tickets start from £13.