 In 1885 William Lewis took over as the lessee and was followed, in 1892, by his son Egbert Lewis.They redecorated the theatre in 1892 and attracted larger regular audiences to performances of melodrama and comedy while starting to put on Gilbert and Sullivan operas and other attractions.In 1902 the theatre closed for nine months to enable extensive building work to be carried out in accordance with the terms of the Royal Charter.