Francis (Frank) Matcham was one of the most prolific theatre architects of all time. Born in Devon in 1854, he was apprenticed to a local architect and to a quantity surveyor in London. In the 1870s he joined the firm of Jethro Thomas Robinson, theatre architectural adviser to the Lord Chamberlain, and subsequently married his employer's daughter. In 1878 he took over the practice on Robinson's death.
From 1879 to 1912 Matcham built or rebuilt over 150 theatres across Britain, and introduced innovations such as cantilevered galleries. His emphasis was on practicalities (maximising audiences and ensuring good sightlines) but he also created rich interiors in a variety of styles. Examples of his theatre work include the Grand Opera House in Belfast, the Grand Theatre in Blackpool, the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, Richmond Theatre in Surrey, the Gaiety Theatre in Douglas (Isle of Man), the Hackney Empire, the Shepherd's Bush Empire, the London Palladium and, perhaps most famously, the London Coliseum. He also designed pubs, cinemas, hotels, the County Arcade in Leeds, and the Tower Ballroom and Circus in Blackpool. Matcham died in 1920.
From the guide to the Frank Matcham, and Company, theatre architects: records, 1881-1972, (V&A Museum: Department of Theatre and Performance)
