Prince's Theatre, Bristol

[5] The Era reported of the theatre: 'The front elevation is handsome and imposing, and has been economised in a way which, without interfering with the general harmony and beauty of the design, will bring a considerable contribution to the income of the concern.... Owing to the peculiar conformation of the site, there will be no part of the building which is not above ground; whilst the entrance to the boxes throughout its entire course from street to seating will be uninterrupted by steps of any kin., The opening of the basement at all points upon the free air will be important, not merely on the score of economy of light, but because also it must contribute most materially to the all-important consideration - ventilation.

Another marked feature of the plans is the great anxiety evinced to reduce the risks of fire to a minimum, and to provide ready egress from the interior in case of (whether needful or needless) alarm amongst the audience.

[4] The Era in its edition of 2 January 1870 recorded: 'One of the most tragic and terrible catastrophes it has ever fallen to our lot to chronicle, and by which eighteen poor creatures were, at a few moments' warning, hurried into eternity, took place on Monday night at the New Theatre in Park-row.

Mr Chute having issued an attractive programme, thousands flocked, as usual, to witness the performance... nearly 2,000 persons were endeavouring to gain admission either to the pit or gallery, the crowd extending some distance into the roadway.

A boy named Charles Talbot, living at South Green street, Hotwell-road, was the first rescued, and he was found to be very seriously injured.

Police-constable 95 took him to the shop of Mr Saunders, chemist, at the top of Park-street, who considered him in a dangerous condition, and at once advised his immediate removal to the infirmary.

In the meantime other bodies were picked up, and sixty or seventy policemen were soon in attendance, and they at once drew a cordon round the entrance to the passage, thus preventing any one from getting admission.

Matcham made additional alterations to the theatre in 1902 which included reducing the seating capacity to 1,769 (stalls 57, dress circle 103, balcony 122, fauteils 137, upper circle and amphitheatre 300, pit 518, gallery 500, private boxes 32)[10] and placed four classical statues representing Tragedy, Comedy, Music and Dance on top of the building.

[4] During the later Victorian era the Prince's Theatre produced a highly regarded annual pantomime starting with Aladdin in 1867 and continuing almost every Christmas season until 1940[4] with some of the leading performers of the period.

John Henry Chute kept overall control of the pantomimes held at the Prince's, beginning the planning in August of each year, with work commencing on the sets and costumes shortly after.

Among the dames the comedians Wilkie Bard and Horace Mills were popular with audiences, many of whom travelled from further afield on special trains arranged by Chute.

[10] Pantomimes at the Prince's Theatre, Bristol - 1867 to 1939:[4][11] Touring actors who appeared at the Prince's included: J. L. Toole and Lillie Langtry, Ada Ferrar, Charles Wyndham and George Alexander,[13] Sarah Bernhardt, Julia Neilson Terry, Pavlova, Ellaline Terriss and Gabrielle Ray, while Clara Butt sang from the stage in 1897.

[14][15] Other actors and touring productions at the theatre included: Dorothy (1890); Haddon Hall (1892); A Woman of No Importance (1893); The Lady Slavey (1893-1894);[16] Amy Augarde and Edmund Payne in Faust up to Date (1890); The Belle of New York (1898) and The Belle of Mayfair (1906); Adrienne Augarde and Amy Augarde in Floradora (1900); Frank Benson and his company; Leedham Bantock, Horace Mills and Richard Temple in George Edwardes' production of San Toy (1900); Henry Irving in The Bells (1891), Louis XI (1893), with Ellen Terry in The Merchant of Venice (1902),[3] Faust (1894) and the premiere of Waterloo (1894) by Arthur Conan Doyle;[17] the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and the Carl Rosa Opera Company; The Earl and the Girl (1904); John Martin-Harvey in A Cigarette Maker’s Romance, The Only Way, The Breed of the Treshams, Hamlet (1903-1904), and Eugene Aram (1905-1906); Zena Dare in the title role in Peter Pan (1906);[18] Herbert Beerbohm Tree in Trilby (1907); Marie Studholme in Miss Hook of Holland (1909); A Greek Slave (1910); Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss in the musical Broadway Jones (1913); Yvonne Arnaud in Plan For A Hostess (1939); Fay Compton, Victoria Hopper and Noel Howlett in The Drawing Room (1939); Diana Wynyard, Anton Walbrook and Rex Harrison in Design for Living (1939); John Geilgud, Edith Evans, Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, Peggy Ashcroft, Jack Hawkins and Margaret Rutherford in The Importance of Being Earnest (1939); Phyllis Dare and Zena Dare in Ivor Novello's Full House (1940); Johnston Forbes-Robertson and company; and Robert Donat, Roger Livesey and Erik Chitty in The Devil's Disciple (1940).

[6][19] On 18 February 1888 during the last performance of the pantomime Babes In The Wood the show was interrupted by the behaviour of a group of students and others who threw squibs on to the stage, dried peas at the actresses and who argued loudly with the manager.

Abigail's son, Desmond Macready Chute, had become a Roman Catholic priest by this time and was living in Rapallo in Italy and so had no interest in taking over the management of the theatre, which passed to Tommy Hicksons.

For a period from 1935 he was forced to rebrand the Prince's as a variety house and music hall, but the subsequent loss of income resulted in the theatre not getting its badly needed refurbishment and redecoration.