Original Shaftesbury Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Original Shaftesbury Theatre was a theatre
in central London
between 1888 and 1941. It was built by John Lancaster for his wife, Ellen Wallis, a well-known Shakespearean actress. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps and built by Messrs. Patman and Fotheringham at a cost of £20,000 and opened with a production of As you like it
on 20 October 1888.
The theatre was noted for having a stage of 28' 6" square. The capacity was 1,196. It was located on the south side of Shaftesbury Avenue, just east of Gerrard Place.
was lessee for most of the early years of the 20th century and produced mostly comic operas and Edwardian musical comedies, including Tom Jones
(1907), the record-setting hit The Arcadians
(1909), Oh! Oh! Delphine! (1913), The Pearl Girl and many others. In 1914 Basil Rathbone
appeared at the Shaftesbury as the Dauphin in Shakespeare's Henry V
.
Courtneidge's successors, from 1917 to 1921 were George Grossmith, Jr.
and Edward Laurillard
. The produced a number of shows, including Arlette by Claude M. Ronald and L. Bouvet (1917); Baby Bunting by Fred Thompson and Worton David (1919); The Great Lover, by Leo Ditrichstein, Frederic Hatton, and Fanny Hatton (1920); and Out to Win, by Roland Pertwee and Dion Clayton Calthrop (1921).
In 1941 the theatre was so severely damaged by aerial bombardment
that the lease was vacated, and in 1956 the site was appropriated by the London County Council
for use as a fire station. It is at present used as a car park and for advertising purposes.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
between 1888 and 1941. It was built by John Lancaster for his wife, Ellen Wallis, a well-known Shakespearean actress. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps and built by Messrs. Patman and Fotheringham at a cost of £20,000 and opened with a production of As you like it
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
on 20 October 1888.
The theatre was noted for having a stage of 28' 6" square. The capacity was 1,196. It was located on the south side of Shaftesbury Avenue, just east of Gerrard Place.
History
The theatre's first big hit was The Belle of New York produced by the prominent Broadway producer, George W. Lederer, which opened on 12 April 1898 and ran for an extremely successful 697 performances. In 1908–9 H. B. Irving became the lessee and manager of the theatre and presented a successful season of plays. Robert CourtneidgeRobert Courtneidge
Robert Courtneidge was a British theatrical manager-producer and playwright. He is best remembered as the co-author of the light opera Tom Jones and the producer of The Arcadians...
was lessee for most of the early years of the 20th century and produced mostly comic operas and Edwardian musical comedies, including Tom Jones
Tom Jones (opera)
Tom Jones is a comic opera in three acts by Edward German founded upon Henry Fielding's 1749 novel, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, with a libretto by Robert Courtneidge and Alexander M. Thompson and lyrics by Charles H. Taylor....
(1907), the record-setting hit The Arcadians
The Arcadians (musical)
The Arcadians is an Edwardian musical comedy styled a "Fantastic Musical Play" in three acts by Mark Ambient and Alexander M. Thompson, with lyrics by Arthur Wimperis and music by Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot...
(1909), Oh! Oh! Delphine! (1913), The Pearl Girl and many others. In 1914 Basil Rathbone
Basil Rathbone
Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
appeared at the Shaftesbury as the Dauphin in Shakespeare's Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
.
Courtneidge's successors, from 1917 to 1921 were George Grossmith, Jr.
George Grossmith, Jr.
George Grossmith, Jr. was a British actor, theatre producer and manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies...
and Edward Laurillard
Edward Laurillard
Edward Laurillard was a cinema and theatre producer in London and New York during the first third of the 20th century...
. The produced a number of shows, including Arlette by Claude M. Ronald and L. Bouvet (1917); Baby Bunting by Fred Thompson and Worton David (1919); The Great Lover, by Leo Ditrichstein, Frederic Hatton, and Fanny Hatton (1920); and Out to Win, by Roland Pertwee and Dion Clayton Calthrop (1921).
In 1941 the theatre was so severely damaged by aerial bombardment
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
that the lease was vacated, and in 1956 the site was appropriated by the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
for use as a fire station. It is at present used as a car park and for advertising purposes.