Building record MAB23971 - TIVOLI THEATRE, 34-48 GUILD STREET, ABERDEEN
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Summary
Theatre, opened as 'Her Majesty's Opera House' in 1872, and, after being closed for three and a half years, reopened in 1910 as the Tivoli Theatre.
Protected Status/Designation
- Listed Building (A) 20333
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NJ 9419 0602 (32m by 37m) Centred at - Polygon: Known Site Extent |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NJ90NW |
| Authority | Aberdeenshire City |
| Civil Parish | Aberdeen |
Type and Period (2)
Full Description
Theatre, opened as 'Her Majesty's Opera House' in 1872, and, after being closed for three and a half years, reopened in 1910 as the Tivoli Theatre. Designed by CJ Phipps and James Matthews, it is built in Italian Renaissance style, of Peterhead granite with bands of red and white Turriff freestone, 3-storey and of 7 bays, with an early use of concrete for the side and rear walls. There is a striking Venetian Gothic polychromatic round arched entrance front to the South, with six pillars of polished red granite at the base, with the pediments of the Gothic windows above inlaid with ornamental firebricks. The interior was refitted by Frank Matcham in 1910. The interior has a largely unaltered Edwardian Baroque decorative scheme with original stage machinery. There is a small front of house area with timber and glass box office windows. The curved auditorium has a steeply raked circle and upper circle supported by cast iron columns. The proscenium is rectangular with flanking slender columns with scroll brackets. There are boxes either side of the stage with recessed shell alcoves above. The theatre became a bingo hall in 1966. A bronze memorial plaque commemorating members of the Tivoli Theatre Orchestra who fell in the First World War is now in the City Museum archive. The theatre was refurbished in 1938, became a bingo hall in 1996 and closed in 1997. Now restored, it reopened as a theatre in October 2013. A brass plaque Roll of Honour commemorating members of the Tivoli Theatre Orchestra killed during the First World War is now in the Gordon Highlander's Museum, Aberdeen.
Period Notes
Listed 12/01/1967.
Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 11/10/1986 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.
Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 22/03/85 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.
ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL, 2012, ABERDEEN: GREEN HERITAGE TRAIL, Trail leaflet (Bibliographic reference). SAB8365.
Other Statuses/References
- Authority: ACY;
- HES Listed Building Number: 20333;
- NMR Card Number: NJ90NW401;
- NRHE Numlink: 146357;
- Old Historic Environment Record Ref: NJ90NW0146;
External Links (2)
- https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB20333 (Historic Environment Scotland Portal Link)
- https://www.trove.scot/place/146357 (trove.scot link)
Sources/Archives (3)
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Record last edited
Sep 15 2025 12:09PM
