Saville Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Saville Theatre is a former West End theatre
at 135 Shaftesbury Avenue
in the City of Westminster
. The theatre opened in 1931, and became a music venue during the 1960s, finally being converted to a cinema in 1970.
, in consultation with Bertie Crewe
, and opened on 8 October 1931, with a play with music by H.F. Maltby
, For The Love Of Mike.
The theatre benefited from a capacity of 1,426 on three levels and a stage that was 31.5 feet (9.6 m) wide, with a depth of 30.5 feet (9.3 m). The interior was opulent, The Stage
reviewed the new theatre on its opening
The theatre was damaged by bombing
in 1941, but reopened quickly allowing Up and Running by Firth Shephard to complete a run of 603 performances. In 1955, the interior was completely refurbished by Laurence Irving, and John Collins created a new mural for the stalls bar. In 1963, a musical adaption of the Pickwick Papers
premièred on July 4, 1963, featuring Harry Secombe
in his first role in a musical. It was a success, remaining in the West End for two years and going on to tour the US, with a run on Broadway.
Brian Epstein
, manager of The Beatles
and himself a former drama student, leased the theatre in 1965, presenting both plays (including works by Arnold Wesker
) and rock and roll
shows. The venue became notorious for its Sunday night concerts, during one by Chuck Berry
members of the audience stormed the stage and the police were called to clear the theatre.
The venue also saw the last UK appearance of The Jimi Hendrix Experience
(in June 1967) before their groundbreaking Monterey Pop Festival
performance. The Move
and Procol Harum
also appeared on the bill. Yoko Ono
performed there in 1967 Friday December 8th, world premier: THE FOG MACHINE, MUSIC of the MIND, there was a projection of her film Bottoms (Film No. 4) shown in the Mens Room during the Concert and all those who attend were asked to please bring a mirror, and using smoke machines to fill the auditorium. An eclectic mix of bands such as Nirvana
, Cream
, Fairport Convention
, the Incredible String Band
and The Bee Gees, also appeared there.. Cream were supported one night by The Jeff Beck Group (Jeff had replaced Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds) featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Ron Wood on bass. John Mayall's Bluesbreakers were also on the bill featuring Mick Taylor. Mick Taylor had replaced Peter Green in the Bluesbreakers (who had replaced Eric Clapton). Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones and was then replaced by Ron Wood. A typical Sunday night at The Saville.
The Beatles themselves borrowed the Saville to make their "Hello, Goodbye" promo (an early music video
) in 1967. While the promo did air in the United States, it wasn't allowed on British television because of a restriction on mimed performances.
When Epstein died August 27th., 1967, the later of two Jimi Hendrix
shows was cancelled, as a mark of respect, causing some confusion amongst arriving and exiting Hendrix fans outside in the street.
The theatre was sold in 1969, and returned to presenting theatrical productions and under the new management it presented the London première of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
, a production that brought Leonard Rossiter
to public attention. The last play to be performed at the theatre was Enemy by Robert Maugham, opening for a short run in December 1969.
(owned by EMI) in 1970 and converted to a two screen cinema. The conversion was undertaken by William Ryder and Associates. It opened on 22 December 1970 with ABC1 seating 616, and ABC2 581. The stage area became administration offices and little of the original theatre internal structure remains. In 2001, the building was taken over by the Odeon cinema group and is now the four screen Odeon Covent Garden cinema.
The exterior of the theatre retains many of the 1930s details, although the wrought iron window on the frontage has been replaced by glass blocks. A sculptured frieze by British sculptor Gilbert Bayes
around the building for nearly 130 feet (40 m), remains and represents 'Drama Through The Ages'.
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
at 135 Shaftesbury Avenue
Shaftesbury Avenue
Shaftesbury Avenue is a major street in central London, England, named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, that runs in a north-easterly direction from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus....
in the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
. The theatre opened in 1931, and became a music venue during the 1960s, finally being converted to a cinema in 1970.
Theatre years
The theatre was designed by the architect Sir Thomas BennettThomas Bennett (architect)
Sir Thomas Penberthy Bennett KBE FRIBA was a renowned British architect, responsible for much of the development of the new towns of Crawley and Stevenage....
, in consultation with Bertie Crewe
Bertie Crewe
Bertie Crewe was one of the leading English theatre architects in the boom of 1885 to 1915-Biography:Born in Essex and partly trained by Frank Matcham, Crewe and his contemporaries W.G.R...
, and opened on 8 October 1931, with a play with music by H.F. Maltby
H.F. Maltby
Henry Francis Maltby was a prolific writer for the London stage and British cinema from after the First World War, until the 1950s. He also appeared in many films.-Life and career:...
, For The Love Of Mike.
The theatre benefited from a capacity of 1,426 on three levels and a stage that was 31.5 feet (9.6 m) wide, with a depth of 30.5 feet (9.3 m). The interior was opulent, The Stage
The Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
reviewed the new theatre on its opening
The stalls bar and saloon lounge adjoining, will please the public, special care has been exercised in their equipment and decoration. The bar, which has mural paintings by Mr A. R. Thompson, is 18 ft by 54 ft in front of the counters, while the lounge, which is also decorated by the same artist, is 42 ft by 40 ft. There is a sort of shopping arcade in and about the lounge, as in the up-to-date hotels, and it is quite big enough for tea dances or concerts. So comfortable, indeed, are the lounge and the bar at the Saville, that it is to be feared that something more than a warning bell will be necessary to clear them
The theatre was damaged by bombing
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
in 1941, but reopened quickly allowing Up and Running by Firth Shephard to complete a run of 603 performances. In 1955, the interior was completely refurbished by Laurence Irving, and John Collins created a new mural for the stalls bar. In 1963, a musical adaption of the Pickwick Papers
Pickwick (musical)
Pickwick is a musical with a book by Wolf Mankowitz, music by Cyril Ornadel, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Based on The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, it is set in and around London and Rochester in 1828....
premièred on July 4, 1963, featuring Harry Secombe
Harry Secombe
Sir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
in his first role in a musical. It was a success, remaining in the West End for two years and going on to tour the US, with a run on Broadway.
Epstein years
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
, manager of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and himself a former drama student, leased the theatre in 1965, presenting both plays (including works by Arnold Wesker
Arnold Wesker
Sir Arnold Wesker is a prolific British dramatist known for his contributions to kitchen sink drama. He is the author of 42 plays, 4 volumes of short stories, 2 volumes of essays, a book on journalism, a children's book, extensive journalism, poetry and other assorted writings...
) and rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
shows. The venue became notorious for its Sunday night concerts, during one by Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
members of the audience stormed the stage and the police were called to clear the theatre.
The venue also saw the last UK appearance of The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
(in June 1967) before their groundbreaking Monterey Pop Festival
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
performance. The Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
and Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
also appeared on the bill. Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
performed there in 1967 Friday December 8th, world premier: THE FOG MACHINE, MUSIC of the MIND, there was a projection of her film Bottoms (Film No. 4) shown in the Mens Room during the Concert and all those who attend were asked to please bring a mirror, and using smoke machines to fill the auditorium. An eclectic mix of bands such as Nirvana
Nirvana (UK band)
Nirvana were a United Kingdom-based progressive rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Though the band only achieved limited commercial success, they were acclaimed both by music industry professionals and critics...
, Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
, the Incredible String Band
Incredible String Band
The Incredible String Band were a psychedelic folk band formed in Scotland in 1966. The band built a considerable following, especially within British counterculture, before splitting up in 1974...
and The Bee Gees, also appeared there.. Cream were supported one night by The Jeff Beck Group (Jeff had replaced Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds) featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Ron Wood on bass. John Mayall's Bluesbreakers were also on the bill featuring Mick Taylor. Mick Taylor had replaced Peter Green in the Bluesbreakers (who had replaced Eric Clapton). Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones and was then replaced by Ron Wood. A typical Sunday night at The Saville.
The Beatles themselves borrowed the Saville to make their "Hello, Goodbye" promo (an early music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
) in 1967. While the promo did air in the United States, it wasn't allowed on British television because of a restriction on mimed performances.
When Epstein died August 27th., 1967, the later of two Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
shows was cancelled, as a mark of respect, causing some confusion amongst arriving and exiting Hendrix fans outside in the street.
The theatre was sold in 1969, and returned to presenting theatrical productions and under the new management it presented the London première of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is a play by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, originally written in 1941...
, a production that brought Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter was an English actor known for his roles as Rupert Rigsby, in the British comedy television series Rising Damp , and Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin...
to public attention. The last play to be performed at the theatre was Enemy by Robert Maugham, opening for a short run in December 1969.
Cinema years
The Saville was taken over by ABC TheatresAssociated British Picture Corporation
Associated British Picture Corporation , originally British International Pictures , was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970...
(owned by EMI) in 1970 and converted to a two screen cinema. The conversion was undertaken by William Ryder and Associates. It opened on 22 December 1970 with ABC1 seating 616, and ABC2 581. The stage area became administration offices and little of the original theatre internal structure remains. In 2001, the building was taken over by the Odeon cinema group and is now the four screen Odeon Covent Garden cinema.
The exterior of the theatre retains many of the 1930s details, although the wrought iron window on the frontage has been replaced by glass blocks. A sculptured frieze by British sculptor Gilbert Bayes
Gilbert Bayes
Gilbert William Bayes RA was a British sculptor and medalist.-Career:Born in London into a family of artists, Bayes' lengthy and illustrious career began as a student under Sir George Frampton and Harry Bates, and so became associated with the British New Sculpture movement and its focus on...
around the building for nearly 130 feet (40 m), remains and represents 'Drama Through The Ages'.
Saville Theatre productions
- For the Love of MikeFor the Love of MikeFor the Love of Mike was a 1927 American silent romantic drama film. Directed by Frank Capra, the film starred Claudette Colbert and Ben Lyon. The film is now considered to be a lost film....
(1931) - Tell Her the Truth (1932) — musical
- He Wanted Adventure (1933)
- Jill Darling (1934) — musical
- Here Come the Boys (1946)
- Gay's the Word (1951) — musical
- Keep In A Cool Place (1954) — comedy by William P Templeton
- Zuleika (1957) — musical
- PickwickPickwick (musical)Pickwick is a musical with a book by Wolf Mankowitz, music by Cyril Ornadel, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Based on The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, it is set in and around London and Rochester in 1828....
(1963) — musical
External links
- History of the Saville Theatre With Images and original Programmes.