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West End theatre: the story on HearLore | HearLore
West End theatre
The Savoy Theatre became the first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electricity on the 1st of October 1881, transforming the very nature of theatrical performance. Before this date, gaslight had dictated the rhythm of the stage, forcing actors to move in ways that avoided shadows and requiring audiences to squint against flickering flames. The introduction of the incandescent light bulb developed by Sir Joseph Swan allowed for steady, bright illumination that made the colors of costumes appear true and distinct, much like daylight. This technological leap was not merely a convenience; it was a revolution that allowed scenic art to develop in ways previously impossible, creating a visual language that would define the modern theatre experience. The Times reported that the success of this new mode of illumination was complete, and its importance for the development of scenic art could scarcely be overrated. The Savoy, built by Richard D'Oyly Carte specifically to showcase the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan, stood as a monument to this new era, proving that technology and art could converge to create something entirely new.
Shadows of The Reformation
Theatre in London did not begin with the grand Victorian edifices of the 19th century but emerged from the ashes of the English Reformation, when the first permanent public playhouse, known as The Theatre, was constructed in 1576 in Shoreditch by James Burbage. This wooden structure was soon joined by The Curtain, and both venues became the home of William Shakespeare's company, laying the foundation for a cultural explosion that would eventually move to Southwark. In 1599, the timber from The Theatre was dismantled and moved to Southwark, where it was used to build the Globe Theatre in a new theatre district beyond the controls of the City corporation. The Puritans, who regarded theatre as sinful, closed all playhouses in 1642, leading to a dramatic protest on the 24th of January 1643 when actors wrote a pamphlet titled The Actors remonstrance or complaint for the silencing of their profession, and banishment from their severall play-houses. After the Restoration in 1660, Puritan legislation was declared null and void, and theatre exploded back into life with two companies licensed to perform: the Duke's Company and the King's Company. Performances were held in converted buildings, such as Lisle's Tennis Court, until the first West End theatre, known as Theatre Royal in Bridges Street, was designed by Thomas Killigrew and built on the site of the present Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. It opened on the 7th of May 1663 and was destroyed by a fire nine years later, only to be replaced by a new structure designed by Christopher Wren and renamed the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which remains the oldest theatre in London today.
When did the Savoy Theatre become the first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electricity?
The Savoy Theatre became the first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electricity on the 1st of October 1881. This technological leap allowed for steady, bright illumination that made the colors of costumes appear true and distinct, much like daylight. The Times reported that the success of this new mode of illumination was complete and its importance for the development of scenic art could scarcely be overrated.
Who constructed the first permanent public playhouse known as The Theatre in 1576?
James Burbage constructed the first permanent public playhouse known as The Theatre in 1576 in Shoreditch. This wooden structure was soon joined by The Curtain and both venues became the home of William Shakespeare's company. In 1599, the timber from The Theatre was dismantled and moved to Southwark to build the Globe Theatre.
What is the longest-running production in the West End and when did it begin?
Agatha Christie's murder mystery play The Mousetrap is the longest-running production in the West End and the world. It has been performed continuously since the 25th of November 1952. The longest-running musical in West End history is Les Misérables, which has been running in London since October 1985.
When were all theatres in the West End closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
All theatres in the West End were closed on the 16th of March 2020 following government advice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Theatres in London were allowed to re-open with social distancing on the 17th of May 2021. Full capacity was permitted from the 19th of July and opening in October 2022.
Which theatre was the first new West End theatre to open in 50 years?
The @sohoplace became the first new West End theatre in 50 years when it opened in October 2022. This venue joined other historic theatres in the district following a period of closures and refurbishments. The Society of London Theatre announced that 2018 was a record year for the capital's theatre industry before the pandemic.
For much of the 19th century, the Patent theatre companies retained their duopoly on drama, meaning all other theatres could perform only musical entertainments, a restriction that forced presenters to find loopholes in the genre of melodrama. Melodrama did not break the Patent Acts, as it was accompanied by music, allowing it to flourish in large halls attached to public houses before purpose-built theatres began to appear in the East End, such as the Pavilion Theatre in Whitechapel. The comic theatrical genre the harlequinade was also popular among London audiences, with its most famous performer, Joseph Grimaldi, best known for developing the modern day white-face clown, making his stage debut at Drury Lane in 1780. The West End theatre district became established with the opening of many small theatres and halls, including the Adelphi in The Strand on the 17th of November 1806. The expansion of the West End theatre district gained pace with the Theatres Act 1843, which relaxed the conditions for the performance of plays, and The Strand gained another venue when the Vaudeville opened on the 16th of April 1870. The next few decades saw the opening of many new theatres in the West End, including the Criterion Theatre on Piccadilly Circus on the 21st of March 1874, and the Savoy Theatre in The Strand, which opened in October 1881 as the first theatre and public building to be lit by electric lights.
Stars and Scandals
Oscar Wilde, one of the most popular playwrights in London in the 1890s, premiered his second comedy, A Woman of No Importance, at Haymarket Theatre in 1893, while the subject of widespread public and media interest, Lillie Langtry, an associate of Wilde, made her West End debut in the comedy She Stoops to Conquer in 1881. In 1878, Ellen Terry joined Henry Irving's company as his leading lady, and for more than the next two decades she was considered the leading Shakespearean and comic actress in Britain. The theatre building boom continued until about the First World War, with the Palace Theatre opening in 1891 and the Duke of York's Theatre debuting J. M. Barrie's play, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, on the 27th of December 1904. In 1930, Laurence Olivier had his first important West End success in Noël Coward's Private Lives, and a number of other actors made their West End debut prior to the Second World War, including John Gielgud, Alec Guinness, Vivien Leigh and Rex Harrison. The latter's performance in Terence Rattigan's 1936 comedy French Without Tears at the Criterion Theatre established him a leading light comedian. During the 1950s and 1960s, many plays were produced in theatre clubs to evade the censorship then exercised by the Lord Chamberlain's Office, until the Theatres Act 1968 finally abolished censorship of the stage in the United Kingdom.
The Longest Runs
Agatha Christie's murder mystery play The Mousetrap is the longest-running production in the West End and the world, having been performed continuously since the 25th of November 1952, while the longest-running musical in West End history is Les Misérables, produced by Cameron Mackintosh, which has been running in London since October 1985. It overtook Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, which closed in 2002 after running for 8,949 performances and 21 years, as the longest-running West End musical of all time on the 9th of October 2006. Other long-runners include Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, and Catherine Johnson's ABBA-inspired jukebox musical Mamma Mia! which have also subsequently overtaken Cats. Running since 2011, Matilda the Musical, an adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda, won a then-record seven Olivier Awards in 2012, while running since 2016, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a two-part play written by Jack Thorne based on an original story by J. K. Rowling, won a record-breaking nine Olivier Awards in 2017. These productions have become cultural touchstones, drawing millions of visitors to London and proving that the commercial theatre industry can sustain massive, long-term success.
The Crisis of Safety
Starting in 2004, there were several incidents of falling plasterwork, or performances being cancelled because of urgent building repairs being required, culminating in the partial collapse of the ceiling of the Apollo Theatre in December 2013. Of these earlier incidents, only one led to people being hurt, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2004, where 15 people were injured when part of the ceiling fell on to them, but at the Apollo 76 people needed medical treatment for their injuries. A number of West End theatres have undergone refurbishments, including the Victoria Palace Theatre following the run of Billy Elliot in 2016, and the Dominion Theatre refurbishment was completed in 2017 with the unveiling of a new double-sided LED screen, the largest and highest resolution projecting screen on the exterior of a West End theatre. In 2012, gross sales of £529,787,692 were up 0.27% and attendances also increased 0.56% to 13,992,773-year-on-year, and in 2013, sales again rose this time by 11% to £585,506,455, with attendances rising to 14,587,276. This was despite slightly fewer performances occurring in 2013, highlighting the resilience of the industry even as the physical structures faced increasing challenges.
The Pandemic Pause
On the 16th of March 2020, following government advice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all theatres in the West End were closed until further notice, marking a historic pause in the industry's history. Theatres in London were allowed to re-open with social distancing on the 17th of May 2021, with full capacity permitted from the 19th of July, and opening in October 2022, @sohoplace became the first new West End theatre in 50 years. The Society of London Theatre announced that 2018 was a record year for the capital's theatre industry, with attendances topping 15.5 million for the first time since the organisation began collecting audience data in 1986, and box office revenues exceeding £765 million. Attendance slipped 1.4% the next year, but box office revenues reached a record £799 million, and in 2023, audiences reached a record 17.1 million, demonstrating the enduring appeal of live performance even after a global crisis.
The Non-Commercial Stage
The term West End theatre is generally used to refer specifically to commercial productions in Theatreland, but the leading non-commercial theatres in London enjoy great artistic prestige, including the National Theatre, the Barbican Centre, Shakespeare's Globe, the Old Vic, Royal Court Theatre, Sadler's Wells Theatre, and the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. These theatres stage a high proportion of straight drama, Shakespeare, other classic plays and premieres of new plays by leading playwrights, for example David Hare's play Pravda starring Anthony Hopkins which was described by The Telegraph as one of the biggest hits in the history of the National Theatre. The Royal Opera House is widely regarded as one of the world's great opera houses, with its current incarnation opened in 1858, and in 1735 its first season of operas, by George Frideric Handel, began and many of his English oratorios were specifically written for Covent Garden and had their premieres here. The London Coliseum is the resident home to the English National Opera, and the theatre is also the London base for performances by the English National Ballet, who perform regular seasons throughout the year when not on tour. The Peacock Theatre is located on the edge of the Theatreland area, now owned by the London School of Economics and Political Science, and is used in the evenings for dance performances by Sadler's Wells, who manage the theatre on behalf of the school.