Adelina Patti Theatre
Adelina Patti Theatre tours
The Adelina Patti Theatre is attached to Craig Y Nos Castle which is currently operated as a hotel. There are no formal tours of the theatre, however, members of staff at the hotel are more than happy to show guests and visitors the theatre.
Visitors to Craig Y Nos Castle will see the cozy auditorium with its various tributes to major musical talents dotted around the walls. The castle's website includes information on Adelina Patti and the theatre. The original backdrop to Adelina Patti’s last performance on the theatre remains on the back wall.
Duration: Monday to Friday. 10:30am. Approx 1.5 hours. Tour Information.
How to book: Visitors please phone the Craig Y Nos Hotel on +44 (0) 1639 731167 or email in advance of their visit.
Cost: Free to residents. £10.00 for visitors/non-residents. Also offer Light Lunch Tour and Dinner & Tour subject to availability.
How to get there
Craig y Nos Castle is located on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The best way to access the Castle is by car however the nearest train stations are Neath or Swansea with direct trains from London Paddington every hour Monday through Saturday with a journey time 2hrs 40 minutes.
For further information please see the theatre’s website.
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The Adelina Patti Theatre was built as a private theatre by renowned opera singer Adelina Patti as an addition to Craig-y-Nos Castle which she purchased in 1878. The private theatre was designed by Swansea architects Bucknall and Jennings, with input from Sir Henry Irving and opened in 1891 intended the theatre to be a miniature version of La Scala, Milan.
The auditorium was originally decorated in pale blue, cream and gold wall panels. Ten Corinthian columns support the ceiling, and in between these are the names of composers such as Mozart, Verdi and Rossini, all gilded and surmounted by Madam Patti's monogram above the proscenium. The design incorporates a mechanical auditorium floor which can be raised level, for use as a ballroom or sloped towards the stage, when in use as a theatre.
Today the theatre remains a time capsule, and the stage is probably the only surviving example of original 19th century backstage equipment with one surviving drop scene and an understage wench for raising and lowering the stage. The Adelina Patti Theatre is now licensed for weddings and special events but is still occasionally used for public performances.
See The Theatres Trust Theatres Database ID 344 Adelina Patti Theatre
See also Arthur Lloyd Music Hall and History website
