A major fire in 1862 destroyed the interior of the building and was quickly followed by a rebuilding programme by Charles J. Phipps, which included the construction of the current entrance.

During World War II Donald Wolfit, Irene Vanbrugh, John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike appeared, with shows including Noël Coward's Private Lives and Blithe Spirit, a performance by Ballet Rambert and light entertainment such as Charley's Aunt, but audiences declined.

In 1979 the theatre was bought by a trust and, following public donations, it underwent refurbishment, with the rebuilding of the stage and the installation of a new taller fly tower for scenery and lighting.

In addition to Shakespeare and other serious drama, the productions included opera and comedy with Joseph Grimaldi playing the clown in a pantomime of Mother Goose in November 1815.

[17] On 18 April 1862 a major fire destroyed the interior of the building including the stage, scenery, wardrobe and library, leaving just the exterior walls still standing.

[19][20] The present main entrance to the Theatre Royal, in Sawclose, was built in 1720 by Thomas Greenway, and was previously at Beau Nash's house.

[21][22][23] Pevsner criticizes the mouldings of window-frames, frieze and volutes of the door-hood brackets as "characteristically overdone", and mentions Wood citing its "profuse ornament" which was typical of a mason rather than an architect.

In 1905, on the anniversary of the opening of the Theatre Royal, numerous William Shakespeare's plays were performed by the company of actors led by Frank Benson.

Performances were maintained during World War I, and in 1916 Sarah Bernhardt portrayed a wounded male French soldier in Du Théâtre au Champ d'Honneur.

During World War II the theatre fared better, with appearances by prominent actors including Donald Wolfit, Irene Vanbrugh, John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike.

Clarke was responsible for a redecoration of the building, but as profits were still small, in 1976 he sold it to Louis I. Michaels, who ran the Haymarket Theatre in London.

[22] However, as insufficient funds had been raised by 1982 to complete the work, loans were negotiated with the Bristol & West and Lombard North Central with guarantees from local councils.

[35] The £3million refurbishment, the most extensive programme of work since the theatre had been saved from virtual collapse by Fry almost 30 years before, included an expanded foyer, improved lift and disabled access to the stalls and royal circle levels,[36] complete refurbishment of the bars and the creation of The Jeremy Fry Bar, in the former cellars of The Garrick's Head pub, and redecoration of the auditorium.

The official re-opening took place on Wednesday, 8 September 2010, just ten and a half months after the original campaign was launched, with the building work being completed on schedule.

The ceremonial re-opening was performed on-stage by actors Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles,[40] who were starring in the Theatre Royal's own production of The Rivals, Richard Brinsley Sheridan's classic Restoration comedy, set in and around 18th-century Bath.

[42][43] The theatre, along with the neighbouring Garrick's Head public house, is a Grade II* listed building[44] and is considered a prime example of Georgian architecture.

The Beauford Square side of the building, originally designed by George Dance the Younger, is of five bays with pilasters carrying a frieze of comic and tragic muses.

The Ustinov Studio re-opened in February 2008, with their own production of Breakfast With Mugabe, starring Joseph Marcell, Miles Anderson and Nicholas Bailey.

These included the tragedy Punishment without Revenge, and the romantic comedies Don Gil of the Green Breeches and A Lady of Little Sense, which ran in repertory with a cast of ten actors in all three plays between September and December 2013.

Her inaugural season in 2022 included highly successful productions of Shakespeare's The Tempest; Benjamin Britten's Phaedra; Purcell's Dido and Aeneas; Kim Brandstrup's new dance piece Minotaur and Dickie Beau's inventive Showmanism.

Kim Brandstup's Minotaur returns in a DANCE double bill with a brand new work featuring ballet stars Matthew Ball, Alina Cojocaru, Kristen McNally and Tommy Franzen.

Finally, a new RECITAL strand is introduced which brings some of the most important names in classical music including internationally renowned tenor Ian Bostridge, leading mezzo-soprano Christine Rice, acclaimed lyric soprano Sophie Bevan and master pianist Julius Drake.

Alongside the weekly touring productions which make up most of its programme, the Theatre Royal hosts a Summer Season, curated by Jonathan Church.