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	<blockquote>...{{nbsp}}creating a series of trusses which were built up from shorter section[s] and held in place by their own weight, with help from judiciously placed iron bolts and plates{{nbsp}}... [S]o effective [was the roof] that for nearly a century the University Press stored its books{{nbsp}}... and for many years it was the largest unsupported floor in existence{{nbsp}}...<ref name="Tinniswood" /></blockquote>		<blockquote>...{{nbsp}}creating a series of trusses which were built up from shorter section[s] and held in place by their own weight, with help from judiciously placed iron bolts and plates{{nbsp}}... [S]o effective [was the roof] that for nearly a century the University Press stored its books{{nbsp}}... and for many years it was the largest unsupported floor in existence{{nbsp}}...<ref name="Tinniswood" /></blockquote>

	In 1720, surveyors inspecting the roof, following a rumour that it was no longer safe, were both surprised and impressed at what they discovered.<ref>{{cite news\| url=~~http~~://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7501682.stm \| publisher=BBC News \| title=The facts and a good story \| date=12 July 2008 \| access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref> Though sagging slightly from the massive weight of books, the inspectors pronounced that "...{{nbsp}}the whole Fabrick of the said Theatre is, in our Opinion, like[ly] to remain and continue in such Repair and Condition, for one hundred or two hundred Years yet to come."<ref>Wren, Christopher, Jr., ''Parentalia''. p. 337.</ref>		In 1720, surveyors inspecting the roof, following a rumour that it was no longer safe, were both surprised and impressed at what they discovered.<ref>{{cite news\| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7501682.stm \| publisher=BBC News \| title=The facts and a good story \| date=12 July 2008 \| access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref> Though sagging slightly from the massive weight of books, the inspectors pronounced that "...{{nbsp}}the whole Fabrick of the said Theatre is, in our Opinion, like[ly] to remain and continue in such Repair and Condition, for one hundred or two hundred Years yet to come."<ref>Wren, Christopher, Jr., ''Parentalia''. p. 337.</ref>

	[[File:Ceiling fresco centrepiece, Sheldonian Theatre, University of Oxford, by Robert Streater, 1670.jpg\|thumb\|upright\|Ceiling fresco painted by [[Robert Streater]]]]		[[File:Ceiling fresco centrepiece, Sheldonian Theatre, University of Oxford, by Robert Streater, 1670.jpg\|thumb\|upright\|Ceiling fresco painted by [[Robert Streater]]]]
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	The building seats between 800 and 1000 people and is on the grounds of part of the [[Bodleian Library]] adjacent to [[Broad Street, Oxford\|Broad Street]]. To the left at the front is the [[Clarendon Building]] and to the right is the [[Old Ashmolean Building]]. Behind the Sheldonian is the [[Divinity School, Oxford\|Divinity School]].		The building seats between 800 and 1000 people and is on the grounds of part of the [[Bodleian Library]] adjacent to [[Broad Street, Oxford\|Broad Street]]. To the left at the front is the [[Clarendon Building]] and to the right is the [[Old Ashmolean Building]]. Behind the Sheldonian is the [[Divinity School, Oxford\|Divinity School]].

	The theatre is a Grade I [[listed building]] which was first added to the list on ~~the 12th~~ January 1954.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=THE SHELDONIAN THEATRE, Non Civil Parish – 1047350 {{!}} Historic England \|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1047350 \|access-date=2022-05-04 \|website=historicengland.org.uk \|language=en}}</ref>		The theatre is a Grade I [[listed building]] which was first added to the list on 12 January 1954.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=THE SHELDONIAN THEATRE, Non Civil Parish – 1047350 {{!}} Historic England \|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1047350 \|access-date=2022-05-04 \|website=historicengland.org.uk \|language=en}}</ref>

	The theatre features prominently in [[Max Beerbohm]]'s 1911 novel ''[[Zuleika Dobson]]'' and was used as stand in for [[Harvard]] in the 1980 film ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)\|Heaven's Gate]]''.		The theatre features prominently in [[Max Beerbohm]]'s 1911 novel ''[[Zuleika Dobson]]'' and was used as stand in for [[Harvard]] in the 1980 film ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)\|Heaven's Gate]]''.

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{{Short description|Theatre in Oxford, England}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Sheldonian Theatre
| image = Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford University.jpg
| image_size = 275
| caption = South façade of the Sheldonian Theatre
| locmapin = Oxford (central)
| map_caption = Location of the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford
| coordinates = {{coord|51.7543|-1.2550|region:GB-OXF_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Broad Street, Oxford|Broad Street]], [[Oxford]]<br />OX1 3AZ<br />[[United Kingdom]]
| built = 1664–{{Start date and age|1669}}
| architecture = [[English Baroque architecture|English Baroque]]
| designation2 = UK Grade I
| designation2_offname = The Sheldonian Theatre
| designation2_date = 12 January 1954
| designation2_number = {{NHLE |num=1047350 |short=yes}}
| architect = [[Christopher Wren]]
| owner = [[University of Oxford]]
}}

The '''Sheldonian Theatre''', in the centre of [[Oxford]], England, was built from 1664 to 1669 after a design by [[Christopher Wren]] for the [[University of Oxford]]. The building is named after [[Gilbert Sheldon]], [[List of Wardens of All Souls College, Oxford|Warden]] of [[All Souls College, Oxford|All Souls College]] and later [[List of chancellors of the University of Oxford|chancellor]] of the university. Sheldon was the project's main financial backer. The theatre is used for music concerts, lectures and university ceremonies, but not for drama until 2015 when the [[Christ Church, Oxford|Christ Church]] Dramatic Society staged a production of ''[[The Crucible]]'' by [[Arthur Miller]].

==History==
[[File:Sheldonian Theatre Interior, Oxford, UK - Diliff.jpg|thumb|left|Interior of the theatre ]]
What came to be known as the Sheldonian Theatre was Wren's second work and was commissioned by Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury. With the triumph of the [[English Restoration|Restoration]] and with it the [[Church of England]], [[John Fell (bishop)|Dean Fell]], [[vice-chancellor]] of the university, sought to revive a project proposed in the 1630s by the late [[William Laud]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]: a separate building whose sole use would be graduation and degree ceremonies.

In the past these increasingly rowdy occasions had taken place in the [[University Church of St Mary the Virgin]], in the High Street. "The notion that 'sacrifice is made equally to God and [[Apollo]]', in the same place where homage was due to God and God alone, was as repugnant to Fell and his colleagues as it had been to Laud";<ref name="Tinniswood">[[Adrian Tinniswood|Tinniswood, Adrian]], ''His Invention So Fertile: A Life of Christopher Wren'' (Oxford University Press, 2001), p. 102</ref> with this in mind they approached the Archbishop of Canterbury Gilbert Sheldon, for his blessing, his assistance, and a donation.

Sheldon was forthcoming with all three. He initially gave an impressive £1,000 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|1000|1663}}}} today) and pledged to gather the needed money from like-minded sponsors. He had little luck, however, and ultimately financed nearly the entire £14,470 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|14470|1663}}}} today) himself, in an age where a mid-level craftsman's wage was typically between £2 and £4 per year.

Wren's initial designs for the Sheldonian probably included a [[proscenium]] stage that did not survive his revisions. The building that was constructed was a sharp, unmistakable break from the Gothic past. According to Wren's son, Wren designed the Sheldonian based on [[Serlio]]'s sixteenth-century engraving of the D-shaped [[Theatre of Marcellus]] erected in Rome in the first century BC.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Geraghty|first=Anthony|title=Wren's Preliminary Design for the Sheldonian Theatre|journal=Architectural History|year=2002|volume=45|pages=275–288| doi=10.2307/1568785 | jstor=1568785 }}</ref>

Like any Mediterranean theatre of that time, the Theatre of Marcellus had no roof: the audience relied on a temporary awning for inclement weather. But 17th century Oxford was not ancient Rome, and the Theatre needed a permanent roof. The span of the D-shaped roof was over {{convert|70|ft|m}}. However, no timbers existed that were long enough to cross that distance, and Wren dismissed the obvious solution of a Gothic roof. Instead, he decided to use the "[https://www.soue.org.uk/souenews/issue4/wallis.html geometrical flat floor]" grid developed twenty years before by Oxford professor [[John Wallis]].

It involved

<blockquote>...{{nbsp}}creating a series of trusses which were built up from shorter section[s] and held in place by their own weight, with help from judiciously placed iron bolts and plates{{nbsp}}... [S]o effective [was the roof] that for nearly a century the University Press stored its books{{nbsp}}... and for many years it was the largest unsupported floor in existence{{nbsp}}...<ref name="Tinniswood" /></blockquote>

In 1720, surveyors inspecting the roof, following a rumour that it was no longer safe, were both surprised and impressed at what they discovered.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7501682.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=The facts and a good story | date=12 July 2008 | access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref> Though sagging slightly from the massive weight of books, the inspectors pronounced that "...{{nbsp}}the whole Fabrick of the said Theatre is, in our Opinion, like[ly] to remain and continue in such Repair and Condition, for one hundred or two hundred Years yet to come."<ref>Wren, Christopher, Jr., ''Parentalia''. p. 337.</ref>

[[File:Ceiling fresco centrepiece, Sheldonian Theatre, University of Oxford, by Robert Streater, 1670.jpg|thumb|upright|Ceiling fresco painted by [[Robert Streater]]]]

In November 2008 a four-year project to restore the ceiling fresco was completed. The thirty-two oil on canvas panels originally painted by [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]]’s court painter, [[Robert Streater]], were removed and conserved. As part of the conservation process, the panels had their linings replaced, holes in the canvas mended, and over-painting removed. The allegorical story depicted in the paintings shows Truth descending upon the Arts and Sciences and expelling ignorance from the university.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2008/081107.html |title=Sheldonian Theatre ceiling completed |access-date=15 November 2008 |publisher=University of Oxford website |date=7 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212024240/http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2008/081107.html |archive-date=12 December 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In May 2024, during the [[Gaza war protests in the United Kingdom]], the Sheldonian Theatre played centre stage for Oxford University students, who listed their Gaza demands there, in reaction to civilian deaths.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-05-09 |title=Gaza protests: Oxford University students deliver Gaza demands |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-68980113 |access-date=2024-11-15 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Protesters later blocked the path of graduation ceremonies taking place at the theatre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brooker |first=Alice |date=2024-05-18 |title=Gaza Die-In is a "Direct Response to University's Inaction" |url=https://theoxfordblue.co.uk/gaza-die-in/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=The Oxford Blue |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Building==
The building has a prominent eight-sided [[cupola]] in the centre of the roof, which is accessible via a staircase leading to the dome over the main ceiling. The cupola has large windows on all sides, providing views across central Oxford, and is open to visitors.

The theatre is used for music recitals, lectures (such as the annual [[Romanes Lecture]]), conferences, and for various ceremonies held by the University (such as graduation and [[matriculation]]). [[Handel]] conducted the first performance of his third [[oratorio]] ''[[Athalia (oratorio)|Athalia]]'' here in 1733.<ref>{{cite book|last=Smither|first=Howard E.|author-link=Howard E. Smither|title=A History of the Oratorio, Vol. 2: The Oratorio in the Baroque Era|year=1977|publisher=University of North Carolina Press| isbn=9780807812945 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8UvJ1KIAST0C&pg=RA1-PA105}}</ref> Today, the theatre is home to regular performances by local groups, including the [[Oxford Philomusica]] and [[Stornoway (band)|Stornoway]]. The latter was the first pop band to play in the space, joined by the student-led Oxford Millennium Orchestra for its first single launch in 2009, then again to celebrate the launch of its third LP, in 2014.

The building seats between 800 and 1000 people and is on the grounds of part of the [[Bodleian Library]] adjacent to [[Broad Street, Oxford|Broad Street]]. To the left at the front is the [[Clarendon Building]] and to the right is the [[Old Ashmolean Building]]. Behind the Sheldonian is the [[Divinity School, Oxford|Divinity School]].

The theatre is a Grade I [[listed building]] which was first added to the list on the 12th January 1954.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE SHELDONIAN THEATRE, Non Civil Parish – 1047350 {{!}} Historic England |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1047350 |access-date=2022-05-04 |website=historicengland.org.uk |language=en}}</ref>

The theatre features prominently in [[Max Beerbohm]]'s 1911 novel ''[[Zuleika Dobson]]'' and was used as stand in for [[Harvard]] in the 1980 film ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]''.

<gallery widths="200" heights="155">
File:Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford.jpg|South façade
File:Oxford Matriculation 2003.jpg|Interior prior to a matriculation ceremony, 2003
File:Sheldonian Theatre Oxford 2023 03.jpg|North façade from [[Broad Street, Oxford|Broad Street]]
File:Sheldonian Theatre June 2023.jpg|View from the east, behind the Clarendon Building
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Holywell Music Room]]
* [[Oxford Bach Choir]]
* [[Oxford University Big Band]]
* [[Oxford Philomusica]]
* [[Stornoway (band)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.sheldonian.ox.ac.uk/}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1669 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1668]]
[[Category:Christopher Wren buildings]]
[[Category:Concert halls in England]]
[[Category:Culture in Oxford]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Oxford]]
[[Category:Grade I listed theatres]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures of the University of Oxford]]
[[Category:Music in Oxford]]
[[Category:Music venues in Oxfordshire]]
[[Category:Theatres in Oxford]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Oxford]]

Sheldonian Theatre - Revision history

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