Patti Theatre
The Patti Theatre is a private theatre inside Craig-y-Nos Castle in Powys, near Swansea, Wales. The theatre was built by the opera singer Adelina Patti, who made Craig-y-Nos her home from 1878 until her death in 1919. It first opened in August 1891. Since opening it has often been home to amateur dramatic performances, including in Patti's own lifetime. In 1985, for example, we are told that the Patti theatre has been home to the Neath Opera Group for over twenty years.[1]
The theatre houses original scenery and an original front cloth. It also retains its mechanical features, including the ability to slope the auditorium, and to raise it to stage level, so that the room can also be used as a ballroom.
In the 1990s opera diva Dame Gwyneth Jones bought Craig-y-Nos Castle with the intention of making it the Glyndebourne of South Wales - a home for the teaching and performing of opera. A similar push had also been made in 1961, with Wyn Morris, of the Welsh National Opera Company, seeking to organise an annual opera festival at Craig-y-Nos. In 2023, Craig-y-Nos is a hotel and the Patti Theatre is used for events and wedding ceremonies.
References
- ↑ The Guardian, May 1985.