The Lyric began life as an intimate Opera house in 1895. But in 1966 it was forced to close it's doors and was scheduled for demolition to make way for a housing and shopping complex. But this caused a public outcry, and so the theatre was taken piece by piece to the new site, where it stands today. A multi- million pound project to expand the theatre, is scheduled for completion in 2011.

Today, the Lyric presents 1000 performances a year, which brings 150,000 people to the theatre. Productions coming up at the theatre include: 'Moby Dick', ' A Thousand Stars Explode In The Sky' and ' Tightrope'