{{Infobox venue , name = Embassy Theatre , native_name = , native_name_lang = , image = Embassy Theatre London.jpg , image_size = , image_alt = , caption = , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_caption= , address = 64 Eton Avenue , city =

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, country =

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, designation = , coordinates = {{coord, 51.5442, -0.1738, type:landmark_region:GB, display=inline,title , architect = Andrew Mather , builder = , owner =

Royal Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...

, tenant = , operator = , capacity = 234 , type = , opened = 1890 , reopened = , yearsactive = , rebuilt = 1928, 1945, 2003 , closed = , demolished = , othernames = Eton Avenue Hall, Hampstead Conservatoire , production = , currentuse = , parking = , publictransit =

Swiss Cottage Swiss Cottage is an area of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of Charing Cross. The ...

(

Jubilee line The Jubilee line is a London Underground line that runs between in east London and in the suburban north-west, via the Docklands, South Bank and West End. Opened in 1979, it is the newest line on the Underground network, although some secti ...

) , website = The Embassy Theatre is a theatre at 64 Eton Avenue,

, in the

London Borough of Camden The London Borough of Camden () is a London borough in Inner London. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the area of the former boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn, and St ...

, England.{{Cite web , url=http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/venue_view.php?uid=187 , title=remotegoat website , access-date=2009-12-04 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720094852/http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/venue_view.php?uid=187 , archive-date=2011-07-20 , url-status=dead

Early years

The Embassy Theatre was opened as a

repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

company in September 1928 on the initiative of Sybil Arundale and Herbert Jay.,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Arundale, Sybil
/ref> when the premises of Hampstead Conservatoire of Music were adapted by architect Andrew Mather.The Theatres Trust
/ref> The following were some of its productions: *''The Yellow Streak'', September 1928. This was the opening production, featuring

Jeanne de Casalis Jeanne de Casalis (22 May 1897 – 19 August 1966) was a Basutoland-born British actress of stage, radio, TV and film. Born in Basutoland as Jeanne Casalis de Pury, she was educated in France, where her businessman father was the proprietor of ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': De Casalis, Jeanne
/ref>

Martita Hunt Martita Edith Hunt (30 January 190013 June 1969) was an Argentine-born British theatre and film actress. She had a dominant stage presence and played a wide range of powerful characters. She is best remembered for her performance as Miss Havi ...

''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Hunt, Martita
/ref> and Cecil Parker.''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Parker, Cecil
/ref> The play was praised by the writer

Dorothy Richardson Dorothy Miller Richardson (17 May 1873 – 17 June 1957) was a British author and journalist. Author of ''Pilgrimage'', a sequence of 13 semi-autobiographical novels published between 1915 and 1967—though Richardson saw them as chapters of o ...

. *''The Seventh Guest'', October 1928, a mystery melodrama with Cecil Parker and

Margaret Rawlings Margaret Rawlings, Lady Barlow (5 June 1906 – 19 May 1996) was an English stage actress, born in Osaka, Japan, daughter of the Rev. George William Rawlings and his wife Lilian (née Boddington) Rawlings. Personal life/affiliations She was e ...

''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Rawlings, Margaret
/ref> From September 1930 to March 1932 the theatre was directed by Alec L. Rea''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Rea, Alec L.
/ref> and A. R. Whatmore.''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Whatmore, A. R.
/ref> Productions included: *'' Black Coffee'' (premiere), by

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

(her first play), December 1930, produced by

André van Gyseghem André van Gyseghem (18 August 1906 – 13 October 1979) was an English actor and theatre director who also appeared in many British television programmes. Early life Van Gyseghem was born on 18 August 1906 in Eltham, Kent, the son of Georges Em ...

,Who's Who in the Theatre: Van Gyseghem, André
/ref> with

Francis L. Sullivan Francis Loftus Sullivan (6 January 1903 – 19 November 1956) was an English film and stage actor. Early life Francis Loftus Sullivan attended Stonyhurst, the Jesuit public school in Lancashire, England, whose alumni include Charles Laughton ...

Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays ('' Black Coffee'' and ''Alibi''), and more ...

and also featuring

Donald Wolfit Sir Donald Wolfit, KBE (born Donald Woolfitt; Harwood, Ronald"Wolfit, Sir Donald (1902–1968)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008; accessed 14 July 2009 20 April 1902 ...

.{{Cite web , url=http://christie.mysterynet.com/agatha/ , title=Agatha Christie MysteryNet , access-date=2009-12-07 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212004358/http://christie.mysterynet.com/agatha/ , archive-date=2009-12-12 , url-status=dead *''Carpet Slippers'', December 1930, with Griffith Jones (his debut){{Cite web , url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/griffith-jones-435305.html , title=Griffith Jones obituary, ''The Independent'' , access-date=2017-08-27 , archive-date=2018-06-20 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620004727/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/griffith-jones-435305.html , url-status=dead and Sebastian Shaw *''Mary Broome'', by Allan Monkhouse, December 1931. with

Robert Donat Friedrich Robert Donat (18 March 1905 – 9 June 1958) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) and ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939), winning for the latter the Academy Award for ...

''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Donat, Robert
/ref> and Herbert Lomas.''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Lomas, Herbert
/ref> This was a sudden and (still) unexplained substitution for the play originally announced, namely ''

Chimneys A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

'', by

''Sunday Herald'' article on rediscovery of ''Chimneys''
/ref> *''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'', February 1932, produced by A. R. Whatmore, with Sebastian Shaw as Romeo,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Shaw, Sebastian
/ref> Cecil Parker as Mercutio and

George Coulouris George Alexander Coulouris (1 October 1903 – 25 April 1989) was an English film and stage actor. Early life Coulouris was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England, the son of Abigail (née Redfern) anNicholas Coulouris a merchant of Greek o ...

as TybaltGeorge Coulouris at filmreferencce.com
/ref>

Ronald Adam years

Control then passed to

Ronald Adam General Sir Ronald Forbes Adam, 2nd Baronet, (30 October 1885 – 26 December 1982) was a senior British Army officer. He had an important influence on the conduct of the British Army during the Second World War as a result of his long tenure ...

(also known as Ronald Adams), who remained at the helm until 1939. During that time he made over 150 new productions and revivals, of which over thirty were then transferred to various theatres in the West End.''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Adam, Ronald
/ref> The Embassy school of acting was opened in the theatre in 1932.British History Online: Hampstead Social and Cultural Activities
/ref> Some of the more notable productions at the theatre were: *''Miracle at Verdun'' by Hans Chlumberg (translated by Edward Crankshaw), September 1932, produced by

, with

Derrick de Marney Derrick Raoul Edouard Alfred De Marney (21 September 1906 – 18 February 1978) was an English stage and film actor and producer, of French and Irish ancestry. Actor The son of Violet Eileen Concanen and Arthur De Marney, and the grandson of ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': de Marney, Derrick
/ref> George Howe,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Howe, George
/ref>

Alan Wheatley Alan Wheatley (19 April 1907 – 30 August 1991) was an English actor. He was a well known stage actor in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, appeared in forty films between 1931 and 1965 and was a frequent broadcaster on radio from the 1930s to the ...

.''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Wheatley, Alan
/ref> The production was then transferred to the

Comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

. *''Ten Minute Alibi'' (premiere), by Anthony Armstrong, January 1933, with Robert Douglas''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Douglas, Robert
/ref>Tom Vallance

{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403005645/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-robert-douglas-1075639.html , date=2017-04-03 , ''The Independent'', 23 January 1999. and Celia Johnson. The production then transferred to the

Haymarket Haymarket may refer to: Places Australia * Haymarket, New South Wales, area of Sydney, Australia Germany * Heumarkt (KVB), transport interchange in Cologne on the site of the Heumarkt (literally: hay market) Russia * Sennaya Square (''Hay Squ ...

. *''The Glass Wall'' (premiere), by E. M. Delafield, February 1933, produced by

, with

Max Adrian Max Adrian (born Guy Thornton Bor; 1 November 1903 – 19 January 1973) was an Irish stage, film and television actor and singer. He was a founding member of both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. In addition to his succ ...

.The Glass Wall synopsis and history
/ref> *'' All God's Chillun Got Wings'', March 1933, produced by

, with

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his p ...

and

Flora Robson Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...

.{{cite book , title= Paul Robeson: the Great Forerunner, author = Chapter by

Marie Seton Marie Seton (20 March 1910 – 17 February 1985) was a British actress, art, theatre and film critic and biographer of Sergei Eisenstein, Paul Robeson, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Satyajit Ray. Biography Her father, Captain Seton served in the Brit ...

, work = Freedomways , year = 1998 , isbn = 9780717807246 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L8pcRKhKjdoC&q=paul+robeson+forerunner+ronald+adam&pg=PA44 *''Sometimes Even Now'' (premiere), by Warren Chetham-Strode, May 1933, with

Jack Hawkins John Edward Hawkins, CBE (14 September 1910 – 18 July 1973) was an English actor who worked on stage and in film from the 1930s until the 1970s. One of the most popular British film stars of the 1950s, he was known for his portrayal of mili ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Hawkins, Jack
/ref> Celia Johnson,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Johnson, Celia
/ref>

Marie Lohr Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tro ...

Who's Who in the Theatre: Lõhr, Marie
/ref> *''Napoleon'', September 1934, produced by

, with Edward Chapman,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Chapman, Edward
/ref> John Clements,John Clements at filmreference.com
/ref>

Violet Farebrother Violet Farebrother (22 August 1888 – 27 September 1969) was an English actress. She appeared in 25 films between 1911 and 1965, including three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. She was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, and died in Eastbo ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Farebrother, Violet
/ref>

Eric Portman Eric Harold Portman (13 July 1901 – 7 December 1969) was an English stage and film actor. He is probably best remembered for his roles in several films for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger during the 1940s. Early life Born in Halifax, ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Portman, Eric
/ref>

. *''The Dominant Sex'' (premiere), by Michael Egan,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Egan, Michael
/ref> December 1934, with

Diana Churchill Diana Spencer-Churchill (11 July 1909 – 20 October 1963) was the eldest daughter of British statesman Sir Winston Churchill and Clementine Churchill, Baroness Spencer-Churchill. Personal life Diana Churchill was born at 33 Eccleston ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Churchill, Diana
/ref> Richard Bird,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Bird, Richard
/ref>

René Ray Irene Lilian Brodrick, Countess of Midleton (née Creese, known as Rene Ray, 22 September 1911 – 28 August 1993) was a British stage and screen actress of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s and also a novelist. Acting career Ray made her screen début ...

.''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Ray, René
/ref> The production then transferred to the

Shaftesbury Shaftesbury () is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is situated on the A30 road, west of Salisbury, near the border with Wiltshire. It is the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset, being built about above sea level on a ...

. *''Stevedore'', by Paul Peters and George Sklar, May 1935, produced by

, with

, Robert Adams, Kathleen Davis. *''This Desirable Residence'', by

A. R. Rawlinson Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Richard Rawlinson, OBE (9 August 1894 – 20 April 1984) was a British Army officer who served on the Western Front, and then in military intelligence in both World Wars. He served as head of MI.9a, and of MI.19. In ...

, May 1935, with

Coral Browne Coral Edith Browne (23 July 1913 – 29 May 1991) was an Australian-American stage and screen actress. Her extensive theatre credits included Broadway productions of '' Macbeth'' (1956), '' The Rehearsal'' (1963) and '' The Right Honourable Gent ...

.''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Browne, Coral
/ref>''Sydney Morning Herald''
6 July 1935. *''Close Quarters'' (premiere), by W. O. Somin and Gilbert Lennox, June 1935, with

Oskar Homolka Oskar Homolka (August 12, 1898 – January 27, 1978) was an Austrian film and theatre actor, who went on to work in Germany, Britain and America. Both his voice and his appearance fitted him for roles as communist spies or Soviet officials, for w ...

(London debut),''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Homolka, Oscar
/ref>

.''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Robson, Flora
/ref> The production then transferred to the

. *''Rivals!'' (premiere), by Herbert Hughes and

John Robert Monsell John Robert "Jack" Monsell (15 August 1877 – 20 March 1952) was an Irish illustrator. Monsell was born at Cahirciveen, County Kerry, to a wealthy Anglo-Irish family. His father, William Thomas Monsell (1843–1887), was a magistrate and ...

, September 1935, with Winifred Campbell, Frederick Ranalow, Bruce Carfax, and Elsie French. Staged by

Vladimir Rosing Vladimir Sergeyevich Rosing (russian: Владимир Серге́евич Розинг) (November 24, 1963), also known as Val Rosing, was a Russian-born operatic tenor and stage director who spent most of his professional career in the United ...

. *''

Professor Bernhardi ''Professor Bernhardi'' (1912) is one of the best known plays written by the Viennese dramatist, short story writer and novelist Arthur Schnitzler. It was first performed in Berlin at the Kleines Theater in 1912, but banned in Austria until the ...

'', June 1936, with Abraham Sofaer in the title role.''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Sofaer, Abraham
/ref> and

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Adrian, Max
/ref>

Noel Howlett Noel Howlett (22 December 1902 – 26 October 1984) was an English actor, principally remembered as the incompetent headmaster, Morris Cromwell, in the ITV 1970s cult television programme ''Please Sir!'' He was the subject of infatuation by De ...

''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Howlett, Noël
/ref> The production then transferred to the

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

. *''Judgment Day'' (London premiere), by

Elmer Rice Elmer Rice (born Elmer Leopold Reizenstein, September 28, 1892 – May 8, 1967) was an American playwright. He is best known for his plays ''The Adding Machine'' (1923) and his Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of New York tenement life, '' Street Sce ...

, May 1937, with

Glynis Johns Glynis Margaret Payne Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born British former actress, dancer, musician and singer. Recognised as a film and Broadway icon, Johns has a career spanning eight decades, in which she appeared in more than ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Johns, Glynis
/ref>

Catherine Lacey Catherine Lacey (6 May 1904 – 23 September 1979) was an English actress of stage and screen. Stage Lacey made her stage debut, performing with Mrs Patrick Campbell, in ''The Thirteenth Chair'' at the West Pier Brighton on 13 April 1925. Her ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre: Lacey, Catherine
/ref> George Woodbridge''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Woodbridge, George
/ref> The production then transferred to the

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

. *''Three Set Out'', by Philip Leaver,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Leaver, Philip
/ref> June 1937, directed by

Margaret Webster Margaret Webster (March 15, 1905 – November 13, 1972) was an American-British theater actress, producer and director. Critic George Jean Nathan described her as "the best director of the plays of Shakespeare that we have." Life and caree ...

, with

Constance Cummings Constance Cummings CBE (May 15, 1910 – November 23, 2005) was an American-British actress with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Cummings was born in Seattle, Washington, the only daughter and younger child of Kate Logan (née Cu ...

and

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elect ...

{{cite book , title= Margaret Webster: A Life in the Theater, author= Milly S. Barranger , publisher = University of Michigan Press , year =2004, isbn= 0472113909 , url= https://books.google.com/books?id=eyIkoAEII-YC&q=margaret+webster *''Profit and Loss'', May 1938, produced by

, with

Mabel Love Mabel Love (16 October 1874 – 15 May 1953), was a British dancer and stage actress. She was considered to be one of the great stage beauties of her age, and her career spanned the late Victorian era and the Edwardian period. In 1894, Winston ...

(final appearance)''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Love, Mabel
/ref> *''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

'', November 1939, in modern dress, with

Joseph O'Conor Joseph O'Conor (14 February 1916 – 21 January 2001) was an Irish actor and playwright. Early years O'Conor was born in DublinAlan Strachan ''The Independent'', 2 February 2001Stephen GilbertObituary ''The Guardian'', 25 January 2001 on ...

(debut),Alan Strachan
Joseph O'Conor obituary
{dead link, date=August 2021, bot=medic{{cbignore, bot=medic, ''The Independent'', 2 February 2001.

Peter Copley Peter Copley (20 May 1915 – 7 October 2008) was an English television, film and stage actor. Biography Copley was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, son of the printmakers, John Copley and Ethel Gabain. After changing his mind about joining ...

Hugh Griffith Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh film, stage, and television actor. He is best remembered for his role in the film '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), which earned him critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Acto ...

Ronald Adam's own list of significant transfers in that period was ''Ten Minute Alibi'', ''Close Quarters'', ''The Dominant Sex'', ''

'', ''Judgment Day''.

Post-war period

After war damage, the building was reopened in 1945, with a capacity of 678. It was then run until 1954 by

Anthony Hawtrey Anthony John Hawtrey (22 January 1909 – 18 October 1954) was an English actor and stage director. He began his acting career in 1930 and began directing by 1939. As director of the Embassy Theatre in London, his productions sometimes achieved ...

.{{cite book , title= The Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre, editor= Colin Chambers , year=2002 , url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9PPVN0-SKMwC&q=continuum+anthony+hawtrey&pg=PA243 Notable productions included: *'' Quality Street'', February 1945, directed by

, with

Joyce Blair Joyce Blair (born Joyce Ogus; 4 November 1932 – 19 August 2006) was an English actress and dancer. She was the younger sister of Lionel Blair, with whom she often performed. Early life and education Blair was born in London, as the daughter ...

(making her debut, aged 13),''The Times'' obituary Joyce Blair
/ref>

Ursula Howells Ursula Howells (17 September 1922 – 16 October 2005) was an English actress whose elegant presence kept her much in demand for roles in film and television. Life and career Howells was born in London, the daughter of composer Herbert Howells, ...

(making her London debut),

Geoffrey Toone Geoffrey Toone (15 November 1910 – 1 June 2005) was an English character actor and former matinee idol, born in Ireland. Most of his film roles after the 1930s were in supporting parts, usually as authority figures, though he did play the lead ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Toone, Geoffrey
/ref>

Bryan Forbes Bryan Forbes CBE (; born John Theobald Clarke; 22 July 1926 – 8 May 2013) was an English film director, screenwriter, film producer, actor and novelist described as a "Renaissance man"Falk Q. . BAFTA. 17 October 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2013 an ...

, Gwendoline Watford,

Linden Travers Florence Lindon-Travers, known professionally as Linden Travers (27 May 1913 – 23 October 2001Ronald Bergan ), was a British actress. Life and career Travers was born in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, the daughter of Florence (née ...

''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Travers, Linden
*''Myself a Stranger'', August 1945, with Jack Allen,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Allen, Jack
/ref>

Hugh Burden Hugh Archibald Nairn Burden''The Daily Telegraph'', 25 July 1962 (3 April 1913 – 16 May 1985) was a British actor and playwright. Hugh Archibald Nairn Burden was the eldest son of Harry Archibald Burden, a colonial official, and Caro Cecil n ...

,''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Burden, Hugh
/ref>

Cecil Ramage Cecil Beresford Ramage, MC (17 January 1895 – 22 February 1988) was a Scottish barrister, actor and Liberal politician. Life Following his education at the Edinburgh Academy, Ramage was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Scots at the o ...

''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Ramage, Cecil R.
/ref> *''Fit for Heroes'', September 1945, directed by Henry Kendall, with

Irene Vanbrugh Dame Irene Vanbrugh DBE ( Barnes; 2 December 1872 – 30 November 1949) was an English actress. The daughter of a clergyman, Vanbrugh followed her elder sister Violet into the theatrical profession and sustained a career for more than 50 year ...

Helen Cherry Helen Mary Cherry (24 November 1915 – 27 September 2001) was an English stage, film and television actress. She was born in Worsley, Lancashire, and brought up in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire. Marriage Whilst working at the Arts Thea ...

, Jack Allen,

Raymond Lovell Raymond Lovell (13 April 1900 – 1 October 1953) was a Canadian-born actor who performed in British films. He mainly played supporting roles, often somewhat pompous characters. Lovell initially trained as a physician at Cambridge University ...

Olaf Pooley Oloe Krohn "Olaf" Pooley (13 March 1914 – 14 July 2015) was an English actor, screenwriter and painter. As an actor, he appeared as Professor Stahlman in the seven-part ''Doctor Who'' serial '' Inferno'' (1970). Early life Pooley was born t ...

. *'' The Gambler'', adapted by

Norman Ginsbury Norman Ginsbury (1902–1991) was a British writer, known for his plays. He also wrote material for film and television. His 1935 play '' Viceroy Sarah'' about Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, ran for 157 performances in the West End. Th ...

from

Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

, November 1945, directed by Sebastian Shaw, with

Ferdy Mayne Ferdy Mayne (or Ferdie Mayne) (born Ferdinand Philip Mayer-Horckel; 11 March 1916 – 30 January 1998) was a German-British stage and screen actor. Born in Mainz, he emigrated to the United Kingdom in the early 1930s to escape the Nazi regi ...

, Gwendoline Watford. *'' Red Roses for Me'', by

Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey ( ga, Seán Ó Cathasaigh ; born John Casey; 30 March 1880 – 18 September 1964) was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes. ...

, February 1946, with Kieron O'Hanrahan,Kieron Moore obituary, Daily Telegraph
/ref>

Eddie Byrne Eddie Byrne (31 January 1911 – 21 August 1981) was an Irish actor. Career His stage work included many appearances with Dublin's Abbey Theatre, and also work with the National Theatre in London. Outside Ireland he is probably best known ...

Templeman collection of theatre programmes: Embassy Theatre
/ref> *''National Velvet'', 1946. *''Sense and Sensibility'', 1946. *'' Mrs Dane's Defence'', 1946, with

Mary Ellis Mary Ellis (born May Belle Elsas, June 15, 1897 – January 30, 2003) was an American actress and singer appearing on stage, radio, television and film, best known for her musical theatre roles, particularly in Ivor Novello works. After appea ...

.Mary Ellis obituary in ''The Independent''
{dead link, date=August 2021, bot=medic{{cbignore, bot=medic *''

Hattie Stowe ''Hattie Stowe'' is a 1947 historical play by the British writer Ian Hay. It portrays the life of the nineteenth century American abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an ...

'', February 1947 *'' Miranda'', June 1947, directed by Richard Bird, with

Nora Swinburne Leonora Mary Johnson (24 July 1902 – 1 May 2000), known professionally as Nora Swinburne, was an English actress who appeared in many British films. Early years Swinburne was born in Bath, Somerset, the daughter of Henry Swinburne Johnson a ...

Ronald Ward Ronald Ward (5 April 1901 – 31 March 1978) was a British actor who, alongside his stage work, appeared in more than twenty British films between 1931 and 1956. He was born in Eastbourne in 1901 as Ronald William Ward, and made his screen ...

Diane Hart Diane Lavinia Hart (20 July 1926 – 7 February 2002) was an English actress in both films and the theatre in the West End Theatre of London, political campaigner, and inventor. Born in 1926, Hart was educated at various convents and then at ...

*''Torwatletie'', 1948, by

Robert McLellan Robert McLellan OBE (1907–1985) was a Scottish renaissance dramatist, writer and poet and a leading figure in the twentieth century movement to recover Scotland’s distinctive theatrical traditions. He found popular success with plays and ...

, with

Roddy McMillan Roddy McMillan OBE (23 March 1923 – 9 July 1979) was a Scottish actor and playwright, possibly most famous for his comedy role as Para Handy for BBC Scotland's television series, ''The Vital Spark''. He also played the lead role in Edwa ...

in the title role, production by Unity Players touring from

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

*''Portrait of Hickory'', April 1948, with

Judy Campbell Judy Campbell (born Judith Mary Gamble; 31 May 1916 – 6 June 2004) was an English film, television and stage actress, widely known to be Noël Coward's muse. Her daughter is the actress and singer Jane Birkin, her son the screenwriter and di ...

. *''The Father'' (

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

), November 1948, with

''Who's Who in the Theatre'': Redgrave, Michael Scudamore
/ref> *''A Woman in Love'' ("Amoureuse"), April 1949, adapted and directed by

, with

*''On Monday Next'' (premiere), by Philip King, April 1949, with Henry Kendall, directed by him and

Shaun Sutton Shaun Alfred Graham Sutton (14 October 1919 in Hammersmith, London – 14 May 2004 in Norfolk) was an English television writer, director, producer and executive, who worked in the medium for nearly forty years from the 1950s to the 1990s. His m ...

, also with

Leslie Phillips Leslie Samuel Phillips (20 April 1924 – 7 November 2022) was an English actor, director, producer and author. He achieved prominence in the 1950s, playing smooth, upper-class comic roles utilising his "Ding dong" and "Hello" catchphrases. ...

{{cite book, title=On Monday Next , author=Philip King, publisher= Samuel French , location= London *''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'', July 1949, produced by

, with

Michael Aldridge Michael William ffolliott Aldridge (9 September 1920 – 10 January 1994) was an English actor. He was known for playing Seymour Utterthwaite in the television series ''Last of the Summer Wine'' from 1986 to 1990 and he had a long career as a ...

in the title role, and

Peter Wyngarde Peter Paul Wyngarde (born Cyril Goldbert, 23 August 1927 – 15 January 2018) was a British television, stage and film actor from the late 1940s to the mid 1990s. He was best known for portraying the character Jason King, a bestselling novelist ...

Maxine Audley Maxine Audley (29 April 1923 – 23 July 1992) was an English theatre and film actress. She made her professional stage debut in July 1940 at the Open Air Theatre. Audley performed with the Old Vic company and the Royal Shakespeare Company many ...

. *''

Caro William ''Caro William'' is a play by William Douglas-Home which premiered at the Embassy Theatre (London) in 1952. The cast included Robert Shaw as Mr. George Lamb, Rachel Gurney as Mrs. George Lamb and Freda Gaye as Lady Melbourne Elizabeth Lamb, ...

'', premiere 1952, with Robert Shaw (London debut),

Rachel Gurney Rachel Gurney (5 March 1920 – 24 November 2001) was an English actress. She began her career in the theatre towards the end of World War II and then expanded into television and film in the 1950s. She remained active, mostly in television a ...

. *''

The Merchant of Yonkers ''The Merchant of Yonkers'' is a 1938 play by Thornton Wilder. History ''The Merchant of Yonkers'' had its origins in a 1835 one-act farce ''A Day Well Spent'', by the English dramatist John Oxenford. In 1842 ''A Day Well Spent'' was extended int ...

'', 1952, directed by

, with

Robert Eddison Robert Leadam Eddison, OBE (10 June 1908 – 14 December 1991) was an English actor, who despite his lengthy career as a classical stage actor, is probably most widely remembered in the role of the Grail Knight in ''Indiana Jones and the Last C ...

Sophie Stewart Sophie Stewart (5 March 1908 – 6 June 1977) was a British actress of stage and screen. Biography She was born as Sophia Lyal Drummond Stewart in Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland in March 1908 and died in June 1977 at the age of 69, in Cupa ...

Alfie Bass Alfie Bass (born Abraham Basalinsky, 10 April 1916 – 16 July 1987) was an English actor. He was born in Bethnal Green, London, the youngest in a Jewish family with ten children; his parents had left Russia many years before he was born. He a ...

Esma Cannon Esma Ellen Charlotte Littmann (née Cannon) (27 December 1905 – 18 October 1972), credited as Esme or Esma Cannon, was a diminutive () Australian-born character actress and comedian, who moved to Britain in the early 1930s. Although she freque ...

Peter Baylis Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

Nigel Hawthorne Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne (5 April 1929 – 26 December 2001) was an English actor. He is most known for his stage acting and his portrayal of Sir Humphrey Appleby, the permanent secretary in the 1980s sitcom '' Yes Minister'' and the Cabi ...

Robert Eddison at IMDb
/ref> *''Uranium 235'', by

Ewan MacColl James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989), better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist and actor. Born in England to Scottish parents, he is known as one of the ...

, May 1952, produced by

Joan Littlewood Joan Maud Littlewood (6 October 1914 – 20 September 2002) was an English theatre director who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is best known for her work in developing the Theatre Workshop. She has been called "The Mother of M ...

with

Harry H. Corbett Harry H. Corbett OBE (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing rag-and-bone man Harold Steptoe alongside Wilfrid Brambell in the long-running BBC television sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'' ( ...

George A. Cooper George Alphonsus Cooper (7 March 1925 – 16 November 2018) was an English actor and voice artist. He died in November 2018 at the age of 93. Early life Cooper was born in Leeds, the son of William and Eleanor (née Dobson) Cooper. His father ...

Avis Bunnage Avis Bunnage (22 April 1923, Ardwick, Manchester – 4 October 1990, Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-Sea) was an English actress of film, stage and television. She attended Manley Park Municipal School and Chorlton Central School in Manchester. She ...

. *''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'', March 1953 with

Laurence Payne Laurence Stanley Payne (5 June 1919 – 23 February 2009) was an English actor and novelist. Early life Payne was born in London. His father died when he was three years old, and he and his elder brother and sister were brought up by their ...

in the title role,Laurence Payne obituary, ''The Times''
/ref>

Christine Finn Christine L. T. Finn (1929 – 5 December 2007) was an English actress, known primarily for her role in the 1950s TV serial ''Quatermass and the Pit'', and, after that, her voice work for the 1960s '' Thunderbirds'' television series. She also ...

*''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' 1953 with

*'' The Boy Friend'' (premiere for full version) 1953 with

Hugh Paddick Hugh William Paddick (22 August 1915 – 9 November 2000) was an English actor. He starred in the 1960s BBC radio show ''Round the Horne'', performing in sketches such as "Charles and Fiona" (as Charles) and " Julian and Sandy" (as Julian). He a ...

. In 1953, it was sold to Sidney Bernstein, with management by screenwriter and playwright

Wolf Mankowitz Cyril Wolf Mankowitz (7 November 1924 – 20 May 1998) was an English writer, playwright and screenwriter. He is particularly known for three novels— '' Make Me an Offer'' (1952), '' A Kid for Two Farthings'' (1953) and ''My Old Man's a Dustm ...

. Notable productions included: *''The Bespoke Overcoat'', 1954 *''The Lion in the Lighthouse'', June 1955, with

Henry Kendall (actor) Henry Kendall AFC, (28 May 1897 – 9 June 1962) was an English stage and film actor, theatre director and revue artiste. His early theatrical career was curtailed by the First World War, in which he served with distinction. Resuming his sta ...

*''The World of Sholem Aleichem'', ca. 1955 *''The Boychik'', ca. 1956

Central School

The theatre was sold to the

, who continue as the resident company, in 1956. Notable productions have included the premiere of ''

Mad Forest ''Mad Forest: A Play from Romania'' is a play by English playwright Caryl Churchill. The three acts occur, respectively, shortly before, during, and shortly after the Romanian Revolution of 1989. The play is mostly written in English, but has se ...

'' in 1990.

References

{{reflist, 30em

General references

*{{cite book, title=Who's Who in the Theatre, author=John Parker, edition=tenth , year=1947 , publisher = Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons , location=London, url=https://archive.org/details/dramaticlistwhos007920mbp
Rob Wilton Theatricalia: Other Plays 1900-1939

External links

Theatres in the London Borough of Camden