I love getting dressed up and going to the theatre (box of Maltesers in handbag). But even with a great play in full swing, I can’t help getting distracted, imagining what the view’s like from the stage or what it’s like to snoop around after the curtain is down, the actors have taken their bows, the ushers have done their rounds and popcorn machines are off. Luckily for me, my favourite London photographer, Peter Dazeley, likes this kind of tour too, which he takes us on in his new book, London Theatres. Here are a few favourites including some fun facts:
Above: The Alexandra Palace Theatre opened in 1875 and is a feat of Victorian engineering, the stage machinery designed so that performers could appear, fly into the air and disappear through the stage. When it struggled to compete with the might of the West End, it was turned into a cinema, a chapel and a music hall before a spell as a BBC prop store and workshop. It reopened in 2019, after being closed for 80 years.
Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing Cross Road. Wyndham’s opened on 16 November 1899 and was designed by the architect W G R Sprague in the Louis XVI style. Original plans included a winter garden on the roof which the council refused permission for. In 1910, Daphne du Maurier’s father – Gerald – became the actor-manager. It’s had four major refurbishments in its time.
Shakespeare’s Globe, Bankside. The new Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre we see today on London’s Bankside opened in 1997 after 3.5 years to build. It’s a recreation of the original globe in Shoreditch which was said to have been demolished in 1644 to make room for tenement housing estates. It’s not known whether the original globe was round when it was first built.
Theatre Royal Haymarket. This stunning London theatre which opened in 1720 was built by a young carpenter called John Potter, “in a rough London lane rife with villains, pickpockets and crooks, where racketing carts spewed their hay and where tumblers, stilt-walkers and merchants vied for the attention of the crowds”. It changed hands many times, has opened and closed, and been revamped a few times, too. It’s most notable refurbishment was done by Houses of Parliament architect, John Nash – at the request of the Prince Regent – who lived in Brighton Pavilion – decided he thought London looked tired and shabby and wanted its appearance enhanced.
St Martin’s Lane Theatre, Covent Garden. This theatre was built in 1916 and is best known for hosting Agatha Christie’s thriller, The Mousetrap, since 1974, the longest-running straight play in the history of British theatre. On 18 September 2018 the cast celebrated another incredible milestone for the show: 27,500 performances down.
Wilton’s Music Hall, Spitalfields. This hidden gem East End music hall makes the perfect place for date night. It began life as an alehouse dating back to 1743, serving London’s dock workers drinks, but became Wilton’s when John Wilton bought it in 1850 and turned it into a music hall. After escaping demolition during the East End slum clearances scheme it sat empty and derelict until a Spitalfields resident called Frances Mayhew raised funds in the 1990s to restore it.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. This is one of London’s biggest theatres – and it happens to be outdoors. It opened in 1932, and has one of the most beautiful settings in Londno’s most beautiful royal park. The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and the Windmill Theatre are the only two theatres in London to remain open throughout the war.
You can buy Peter Dazeley’s book, London Theatres, here.
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1 Comment
This looks fascinating!
Such beautiful photos too x