The Royal Court Theatre was first opened in 1826 as Cooke’s New Circus, renamed in 1831 as Cooke’s Amphitheatre of Arts. presenting a programme of opera, music, theatre and ballet.
It became the Royal Court Theatre in 1881 and was the number one touring venue in Liverpool for popular theatre until the 1970s when it was taken over by Merseyside County Council.
Vivien Leigh, Fred Astaire, John Gielgud, Lawrence Olivier, Yul Brynner, Margot Fonteyn, Ken Dodd and Ralph Richardson are just some of the names that appeared on stage during this period. Dame Judi Dench made her acting debut at the Royal Court in 1957.