New Theatre Royal New Theatre Royal The New Theatre Royal is a Victorian Grade II* listed theatre in the heart of Portsmouth, England, with a capacity of 667. The theatre building was constructed in 1854 as Landport Hall. It was converted to a theatre two years later. It was rebuilt in 1884 by Charles J. Phipps and again in 1900 by Frank Matcham. The Theatre reopened in October 2015 after a £4.7M refurbishment project. The present site was built to replace a theatre located in the High Street (now designated "old Portsmouth". The theatre features in Charles Dickens' novel "Nicholas Nickleby". A popular
HMS Childers (1812) HMS Childers (1812) HMS "Childers" was a Royal Navy 18-gun , built by Nicholas Diddams at Portsmouth Dockyard and launched in 1812. She was broken up in 1822. "Childers" was commissioned in July 1812 under Commander Buckland Bluett. When news of the outbreak of the War of 1812 reached Britain, the Royal Navy seized all American vessels then in British ports. "Childers" was among the 42 Royal Navy vessels then lying at Spithead or Portsmouth and so entitled to share in the grant for the American ships "Belleville", "Janus", "Aeos", "Ganges" and "Leonidas" seized there on 31 July 1812. Commander