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| The '''Victoria Palace Theatre''' is a ] in Victoria Street, in the ]. Situated opposite ], it was designed by the prolific theatre architect ] and opened in 1911 on the site of a former ]<ref>Moy's Music hall, built in 1832. This was renamed The Royal Standard Music Hall in 1863. It was demolished in 1886 to make way for the construction of ] and ]. A new Music hall was constructed, this in turn was demolished to make way for the Victoria Palace.</ref>. The ]d ] seats 1,550 people. A sliding roof helps ventilate the auditorium during the intervals, which was a novelty feature |
The '''Victoria Palace Theatre''' is a ] in Victoria Street, in the ]. Situated opposite ], it was designed by the prolific theatre architect ] and opened in 1911 on the site of a former ]<ref>Moy's Music hall, built in 1832. This was renamed The Royal Standard Music Hall in 1863. It was demolished in 1886 to make way for the construction of ] and ]. A new Music hall was constructed, this in turn was demolished to make way for the Victoria Palace.</ref>. The ]d ] seats 1,550 people. A sliding roof helps ventilate the auditorium during the intervals, which was a novelty feature, though ] has never been permitted in British theatres. | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
Revision as of 21:18, 24 June 2008
For other theatres with a similar name, see Victoria Theatre (disambiguation). Billy Elliot the Musical, playing at the Victoria Palace, 2004–present | |
| Address | Victoria Street Westminster, London |
|---|---|
| Owner | Stephen Waley-Cohen Theatres |
| Type | West End theatre |
| Capacity | 1,550 on 3 levels |
| Production | Billy Elliot the Musical |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1911 |
| Architect | Frank Matcham |
| Website | |
| www.victoriapalacetheatre.co.uk | |
The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster. Situated opposite Victoria Station, it was designed by the prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham and opened in 1911 on the site of a former music hall. The domed auditorium seats 1,550 people. A sliding roof helps ventilate the auditorium during the intervals, which was a novelty feature, though smoking has never been permitted in British theatres.
History
Under impresario Alfred Butt, the Victoria Palace Theatre continued the musical theatre tradition of the place by presenting mainly varieties and revues. In 1934, the theatre presented Young England, a patriotic play written by the Rev. Walter Reynolds, then 83. The play received such amusingly bad reviews that it became a cult hit and played to full houses for 278 performances before transferring to two other West End theatres.
Intended by its author as a serious work celebrating the triumph of good over evil and the virtues of the Boy Scout Movement, it was received as an uproarious comedy. Before long, audiences had learned the key lines and were joining in at all the choicest moments. The scoutmistress rarely said the line 'I must go and attend to my girls' water' without at least fifty voices in good-humoured support.
Me and My Girl was a hit in its original production at the theatre, opening in 1937 starring Lupino Lane, and showing that London had not yet ceded clear leadership in musical comedy to Broadway. In 1939, songs from this show formed the first live broadcast of a performance by the BBC, listeners heard The Lambeth Walk. Some of the notable performers of variety and musical revues at the theatre have included Will Hay, Charles Hawtrey, Stainless Stephen, and Victor Barna (world champion table tennis exhibition). From 1947 through 1962, Jack Hylton produced The Crazy Gang series of variety shows, with performers including Flanagan and Allen, Nervo and Knox, and Naughton and Gold.
The long-running Black and White Minstrel Show played throughout the 1960s up to 1972. In 1982, a production of The Little Foxes, saw Elizabeth Taylor making her London stage debut. Another unusually long-running show at the theatre was Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, that played for 13 years in London, beginning in 1989 (transferring to the Strand Theatre in 1995).
The theatre has been owned by Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen since 1991. At the opening, a gilded statue of ballerina Anna Pavlova had been installed above the cupola of the theatre. This was taken down for its safety during World War II, and was lost. In 2006, a replica of the original statue was restored to its place.
Notable productions
- 1930: The Chelsea Follies
- 1934: Young England
- 1937: Me and My Girl
- 1962: The Black and White Minstrel Show
- 1974: Carry On London
- 1978: Annie
- 1982: Windy City
- 1982: The Little Foxes
- 1986: Charlie Girl
- 1987: High Society
- 1989: Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story
Recent productions
- Jolson (26 October 1995 - 22 March 1997) by Rob Bettinson and Francis Essex
- Always (10 June 1997 - 26 June 2007) by William May and Jason Sprague
- Fame - The Musical (11 November 1997 - 17 January 1998)
- Girls' Night Out (2 March 1998 - 2 May 1998) by Dave Simpson
- Sweet Charity (19 May 1998 - 15 August 1998) by Cy Coleman, Bob Fosse and Neil Simon, starring Bonnie Langford
- Annie (30 September 1998 - 28 February 1999) by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan, starring Lily Savage
- The Colour of Justice: The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry (3 March 1999 - 13 March 1999) by Richard Norton-Taylor
- The New Rocky Horror Show (14 April 1999 - 5 June 1999) by Richard O'Brien
- The Pajama Game (4 October 1999 - 19 December 1999) by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross
- La Cava (8 June 2000 - 22 July 2000) by Laurence O'Keefe, John Clafin and Dana Broccoli
- Fame - The Musical (3 October 2000 - 8 September 2001) by Jacques Levy and Steve Margoshes
- Kiss Me, Kate (30 August 2001 - 24 August 2002) by Cole Porter
- Grease (2 October 2002 - 6 September 2003) by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, starring Ben Richards and Lee Latchford-Evans
- Tonight's the Night (7 November 2003 - 9 October 2004) by Ben Elton and Rod Stewart
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (17 December 2004 - 23 January 2005) by Tudor Davies, Paul Elliott and Carole Todd, starring Lily Savage
- Billy Elliot the Musical (11 May 2005 - ) by Lee Hall, starring Tim Healy and Sally Dexter
References
- Moy's Music hall, built in 1832. This was renamed The Royal Standard Music Hall in 1863. It was demolished in 1886 to make way for the construction of Victoria Station and Victoria Street. A new Music hall was constructed, this in turn was demolished to make way for the Victoria Palace.
- Anecdotes accessed 24 Aug 2007
- Still doing the Lambeth Walk The Times, 4 September 2006 accessed 24 Aug 2007
- Victoria Palace history accessed 24 Aug 2007
- Earl, John and Sell, Michael Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950, pp. 145 (Theatres Trust, 2000) ISBN 0-7136-5688-3
- Ronald Bergan: The Great Theatres of London. An Illustrated Companion (Prion: London, 1990) (ISBN 1-85375-057-3).
- Patricia Dee Berry: Theatrical London (Britain in Old Photographs series) (Alan Sutton: Stroud, Gloucestershire, 1995) (ISBN 0-7509-0942-0).
- Theatre History
- Profile of the theatre
- Information about Young England
