The Gaiety Theatre can be found on Harris Promenade in Douglas and is part of The Villa Marine and Gaiety Theatre entertainment complex and is owned and operated by the Isle of Man Government Department of Economic Development.
The theatre building was built in 1893 to a design by W J Rennision (
visit link) It was built to serve as a large pavilion, rather than as a theatre, and was constructed on the site of the original Villa Marina building.
Frank Matcham was engaged to redesign the building as a theatre and worked with the builder, Jonas Binns of Halifax in association with a local entrepreneur, developer and builder, Alexander Gill.
The Theatre open in 1900 as 'The Grand Opera House and Theatre'.
In front of the theatre is a restored glazed cast iron canopy which provides shelter for patrons on the pavement by the crush doors. The soffit of this canopy has leaded stained glass lights which form abstract designs. These designs are also present in the other ground floor windows of the theatre lobby.
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visit link)
Source: An Introduction to the Architecture of the Isle of Man by Patricia Tutt (ISBN:978-1-907945-10-6)