The completed theatre opened on 3 November 1902 with a Victorian French melodrama, Little Jim, with Shakespeare and other classic plays to follow.

[3] In the early 1970s, the popularity of live performances were on the decline and the decision was made to stop them altogether at the theatre.

[4] In the early 1990s, the London-based owners discovered problems with fraud at the theatre and decided to close it down in August 1993[5] as they considered it a liability.

The theatre was full for the last few days of business, with people still offering support to Hyde's last local cinema.

[2] During its peak, the Theatre Royal offered performances by many famous acts of the day including Laurel and Hardy, Enrico Caruso, Billy Connolly and Frank Randle.