Theatre Royal, Castle Street, Dundee

Heritage listing

Category B Date Added 04/02/1965 Local Authority Dundee Planning Authority Dundee Burgh Dundee NGR NO 40403 30241 Coordinates 340403, 730241 — Samuel Bell, 1808-9. 3-storey, 7-bay, classical facade to former Theatre Royal. Cream ashlar sandstone, slate roof. Corniced ground floor, band course to 2nd floor and at corniced wallhead, pediment to 3 centre bays with bust of Shakespeare in oculus at tympanum and large urn finial; architraved windows, corniced lintels (pediment to centre window) with balustraded aprons and linking cill course to 1st floor, 4-pane timber sash and case frames. Corniced stacks with uniform cream cans. Urn to right skewputt. FRONT ELEVATION: modern out-of-character shopfronts to ground floor, 3 centre bays slightly advanced and pedimented with 3 windows to 1st and 2nd floor, 2 bays to left and right with 2 windows to 1st and 2nd floors. INTERIOR: totally remodelled, but early stone staircase remains with decorative cast-iron balusters and ceramic tile dado. Fragments of rock outcrop in basement associated with the outcrop upon which the medieval castle of Dundee was built. — The building is currently (1994) offices for City of Dundee District Council. The fronticepiece in Boyd is a drawing of the Theatre Royal in 1816, showing a pilastered ground floor with keystoned round-headed doors and windows; the modern shopfronts are scheduled for replacement in 1994 in a scheme by City of Dundee District architects. According to the Dundee Directory (1889-91), the building ceased functioning as a theatre at about this time, when it became the Glasgow Clothing Store.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.