Peacock Theatre
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| Peacock Theatre | |
 |
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| Peacock Theatre, July 2007 | |
|---|---|
| Address |
Portugal Street
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| City | |
| Architect | Bertie Crewe |
| Owned by | London School of Economics |
| Capacity | 999 seats (current) 2,600 (1911) |
| Opened | 13 November 1911 |
| Rebuilt | 1960 |
| Previous names | 1911 London Opera House 1914 National Theatre of England 1916 Stoll Theatre 1916 Stoll Picture Theatre 1960 The Royalty Theatre |
| Production | Sadler's Wells productions in repertory |
| Current use | Also a lecture theatre |
| www.sadlerswells.com | |
| Coordinates: | |
The Peacock Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Portugal Street, near Aldwych. The 999-seat house is owned by, and comprises part of the London School of Economics and Political Science campus, who utilise the theatre for lectures, public talks, conferences, political speeches and open days. The university has a long lease with Sadler's Wells with whom it has negotiated a deal to bring in commericial companies under the banner 'Sadler's Wells in the West End'. The venue often plays host to dance performances, conferences, ballet, pop concerts and award ceremonies. The stage is approximately 36 feet (11 m) by 33 feet (10 m).
Gibbon's Tennis Court became used as a theatre on this site in the 17th century. In 1911, the London Opera House opened on this site, becoming the National Theatre of England, three years later. Neither theatre was successful and the venture was sold, becoming the Stoll Theatre, in 1916.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Former theatres
A theatre has stood on the site since the 17th century. Known as Gibbon's Tennis Court, or the Vere Street Theatre. Mrs Hughes became the first (identified) woman to tread the boards of a London theatre, on 8 December 1660, in a performance of Othello.[1] The company left the theatre in 1663 and there is no record of further plays at the theatre. The building was finally destroyed by fire in 1809.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the creation of Aldwych and Kingsway, linking High Holborn and Aldwych, destroyed a number of established London playhouses and the site between Portugal Street and Sardinia Street became available. Oscar Hammerstein II commissioned Bertie Crewe, to build a new theatre in the Beaux-Arts style. The theatre opened on November 13, 1911 as the London Opera House. It had an approximately 45 feet (13.7 m) by 78 feet (23.8 m) stage, and a capacity of 2,660. As an opera house, it found it difficult to attract audiences from the Royal Opera House, and from 1914–15 the house became the National Theatre of England.
The theatre was purchased by Oswald Stoll in 1916 and renamed the Stoll Theatre and, for a time, as the Stoll Picture Theatre, housing cine variety until the 1950s. Rose Marie played at the Stoll Theatre in 1942, followed by Kismet and Stars on Ice in 1947. The London transfer of a version of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess that restored it to an operatic form, took place here on October 9, 1952.[2] Joan of Arc at the Stake was produced in 1954, starring Ingrid Bergman. The theatre closed on 4 August 1957, and was demolished for the construction of an office block.[1]
[edit] Current building
The present, smaller theatre was built and christened The Royalty Theatre in 1960, located on the basement level of an office building. It was the first West End theatre to be built since the Saville Theatre in 1931. The MGM film Ben Hur[3] played at the theatre in 1961. Mutiny on the Bounty[4] played next, and the theatre was then equipped for screening Cinerama films becoming London's third Cinerama theatre (the others being the Casino Cinerama and the Coliseum Cinerama). The theatre only premièred one Cinerama film, The Golden Head,[5] however. In 1966, the house returned to live theatre use. The Royalty Theatre's only successes were a run of the hit Calcutta and a hit production of Bubbling Brown Sugar in the late 1970s. Spectacular 'follies' style shows and 'drag' shows didn't find an audience, and the theatre became used as a TV studio for This is Your Life, but was later bought by the London School of Economics and renamed the Peacock Theatre.[1]
When Sadler's Wells determined to build its new theatre in 1996, the company moved to the Peacock Theatre. After the new Sadler's Wells Theatre opened in 1998, the Peacock became a dance venue for the company. The Rat Pack played at the theatre in 2002, and Doldrum Bay premièred here in 2003. The house is now shared between the London School of Economics (during the day) and Sadler's Wells evening dance productions. The theatre is reputed to be haunted by an unknown actress of the former theatre.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Peacock theatre history accessed 23 Aug 2007
- ^ Martin, George, The Opera Companion to Twentieth Century Opera pp. 389–396 (New York: Dodd, Meade & Company, 1979)
- ^ Ben-Hur (1959) at the Internet Movie Database accessed 2 Feb 2008
- ^ Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) at the Internet Movie Database accessed 2 Feb 2008
- ^ The Golden Head (1964) at the Internet Movie Database accessed 2 Feb 2008
- ^ Hauntings accessed 28 Mar 2007
[edit] See also
- List of London theatres
- List of West End musicals
- List of notable musical theatre productions
- Musical theatre
[edit] External links
- History and images of the theatre at the Arthur Lloyd site
- Recent history of the theatre
- Info about Sadler's Wells
- Information about the theatre
