The Shaftesbury Theatre is a

West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes, "West End" in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194– ...

, located on

Shaftesbury Avenue Shaftesbury Avenue is a major road in the West End of London, named after The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It runs north-easterly from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. From Piccadilly C ...

, 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 S ...

. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue.

History

The theatre was designed for the Melville Brothers by

Bertie Crewe William Robert 'Bertie' Crewe (1860 – 10 January 1937) 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. Sprague a ...

and opened on 26 December 1911 with a production of '' The Three Musketeers''. It was originally named the New Prince's Theatre, becoming the Prince's Theatre in 1914. The original capacity of the auditorium is unknown, but with standing room in the Stalls it is possible that over 3000 people were able to attend performances. The current capacity is between 1300 and 1400. The Prince's was the last theatre to be built in

, and is located on the junction between Shaftesbury Avenue and High Holborn. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

, the Prince's advertised itself as ‘The Laughter House where you can forget the War.’ In September 1919, the theatre had considerable success with a season of

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which '' H.M.S. ...

operas, presented by the

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. T ...

. The success of these revivals led to a number of similar seasons over the next few decades, with the Theatre selling out every time. Other productions during this time included ''The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' starring Eille Norwood and a season of classical plays, including ''Medea'' and ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'', starring Sybil Thorndike. In 1928,

Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Ro ...

and Adele Astaire starred in ''Funny Face'' with Leslie Henson. The musical was a great success, but was cut short by a gas explosion on High Holborn outside the theatre. Despite heavy bombing in the West End, and several periods of forced closure, the Prince's was able to continue a programme of shows during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Many of these were presented by and named for Firth Shepherd, such as ''Shepherd’s Pie''. ''Shepherd’s Pie'' was a comedic and musical

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own du ...

of the kind that was popular in London theatres during the war, and was heralded as one of the most successful of its kind. In 1948, Jack Hylton presented ''Burlesque'' starring Marjorie Reynolds at the Prince's. Hylton was also the producer for '' Buoyant Billions'' (1949), a play written by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

when he was 93. In 1953, Hylton and Sam Wanamaker presented ''The Shrike'' by Joseph Kramm, and in 1955 Pat Kirkwood appeared at the theatre in '' Wonderful Town''. After a period of years presenting plays and musicals at the Prince's, Hylton was reported to have bought the theatre in 1961, but this was later corrected in the press. Hylton had been the lessee of the theatre in June 1961 and had negotiated the sale of the building to Television Wales and West. Two months later, TWW sold it on to Charles Clore and EMI, which changed the name of the theatre in 1962. The programme in the 1960s under the ownership of EMI included a number of long- running musicals, such as the Broadway transfer '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (1963) and ''Our Man Crichton'' (1964), based on a book by

JM Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

. The theatre experienced a much less successful run with Lionel Bart’s '' Twang!!'' – a musical based on the story of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is de ...

which was plagued with creative and financial issues. ''Twang!!'' starred Ronnie Corbett and

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.''Hair''. The opening of the show coincided deliberately with the removal of the Lord Chamberlains powers of censorship over theatre in England, which allowed for the nude scene. While ''Hair'' was still running, the theatre was sold to a property development company called Peureula Investments. On 20 July 1973 the production was forced to close because a small section of the ceiling collapsed in the auditorium. There were allegedly plans to redevelop the theatre and the surrounding areas, and a campaign to save the theatre began. This included an occupation of the site. The Save London Theatres Campaign, led by actor Marius Goring, eventually succeeded in securing protected status for the Shaftesbury. In 1976, the Theatres Trust was formed by an Act of Parliament to promote the protection of theatres. The theatre reopened with ''West Side Story'' in December 1974. Other productions in the decade included a musical stage version of ''Dad’s Army'', starring Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn, and ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...

'' starring Terence Stamp, with scenic designs by Edward Gorey. ''They’re Playing Our Song'' (1980–1982) starring

Tom Conti Tommaso Antonio Conti (born 22 November 1941) is a Scottish actor, theatre director, and novelist. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1979 for his performance in '' Whose Life Is It Anyway?'' and was nominated for the Academy A ...

and Gemma Craven was produced by actor and writer Ray Cooney. After a nine-month period of closure, Cooney presented ''Run For Your Wife'' with Richard Briers, Bernard Cribbins and Bill Pertwee. This was the first play under the banner of the Theatre of Comedy. The Theatre of Comedy became the lessee of the Shaftesbury, and later purchased the building. The company was jointly founded and financially backed by a group of distinguished actors, playwrights and producers including Tom Conti, Ray Cooney, Tom Courtenay, Bernard Cribbins,

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

, Liza Goddard, Sheila Hancock, Nigel Hawthorne,

Maureen Lipman Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakesp ...

, Derek Nimmo, Geoffrey Palmer,

Donald Sinden Sir Donald Alfred Sinden (9 October 1923 – 12 September 2014) was a British actor. Sinden featured in the film '' Mogambo'' (1953), and achieved early fame as a Rank Organisation film star in the 1950s in films including '' The Cruel Sea ( ...

Eric Sykes Eric Sykes (4 May 1923 – 4 July 2012) was an English radio, stage, television and film writer, comedian, actor, and director whose performing career spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and performed with many other leading com ...

and Michael Williams. The intention was for the Shaftesbury to have a programme of British comedy showcasing existing and new talent. Notable runs in the 1980s included ''Pygmalion'' (1984) with Peter O'Toole, '' Two into One'' (1984–1986), a revue by

Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles on the sitcoms ''Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and '' Mr. Bean'' (1990–1995), and the film series '' Johnny English'' (2003–20 ...

(1986), ''The Entertainer'' starring Peter Bowles (1986) and Stephen Sondheim’s '' Follies'' (1987–1989). From April 1989 there was a production of '' M. Butterfly'' starring Anthony Hopkins. In 1986 Don Taffner became a significant shareholder in the Theatre of Comedy. Taffner went on to become the majority shareholder and chairman in 1992. Shows in the 1990s included '' Kiss of the Spiderwoman'' (1992-1993) with

Chita Rivera Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson; January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in ''West Side Story'', Velma Kelly in ''Chic ...

, Eddie Izzard in ''Definite Article'' and ''

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

'', the musical by

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Towns ...

and Des McAnuff (1996 -1997). From May 1998 the Shaftesbury was host to '' Rent'', starring original Broadway cast members Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal.

Recent History

The venue is currently owned by the Theatre of Comedy Company. Successful shows in the 21st Century have included the European premiere of ''Hairspray'', which opened in October 2007 and ran for almost three years, winning multiple awards. ''Rock of Ages'' opened in August 2011 and ''From Here to Eternity'', by Tim Rice, in September 2013. Beverly Knight starred in the West End premiere of Tony Award-winner ''Memphis'' in 2014. ''Motown'', which told the story of the Motown record label founder

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record la ...

, broke box office records and ran from 2016 to 2019. The show was both preceded and followed by short seasons of '' The Illusionists''. On 20 November 2019, the new musical '' & Juliet'' opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre following previews from 2 November. & Juliet retells the story of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a 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 lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' using the pop anthems of Swedish songwriter and producer Max Martin. As a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, West End theatres were forced to close on 16 March 2020. The production reopened on 24th September 2021. On 14 May 2021, it was announced that Be More Chill would open at the Shaftesbury Theatre for a ten-week run, with the original London cast reprising their roles, with the run at The Other Palace cut short due to the pandemic. The show opened on 30 June and closed on 5 September 2021.

Renovations

The external facades of the theatre were renovated in 2010, and the original Edwardian canopy was uncovered and restored. In 2013 there was a project to lay the foundations and support structure for a new fly tower, construction of which was completed during the run of ''Memphis'' without disruption to the show's performance schedule. The new fly tower tripled the existing loading capacity in order to make the building fit for the technical demands of modern productions. The project garnered five major awards including from a National

RIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

award and a Civic Trust award. The Shaftesbury Theatre is currently undergoing extensive renovations to improve the public areas of the building. This project is occurring in conjunction with Camden's West End Project, which will include the pedestrianisation of the Princes Circus area immediately outside the theatre.

Notable productions

* ''

Mr Faint-Heart ''Mr Faint-Heart'' is a 1931 comedy play by the British writer Ian Hay. It was staged at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End between 20 April and 20 June 1931. In 1935 it was adapted into a film '' All at Sea'' directed by Anthony Kim ...

'' (1931) * '' Orders Are Orders'' (1932) * '' The Frog'' (1936) * '' Summer Song'' (1956) * '' The French Mistress'' (1959) * '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (1963–64) * '' Twang!!'' (1965–66) * '' Hair'' (20 September 1968 – 20 July 1973) * '' West Side Story'' (1974) * '' Hello, Dolly!'' (1980) * '' They're Playing Our Song'' (1 October 1980 – 8 May 1982) * '' Two into One'' (1984) * '' Follies'' (July 1987 – February 1989) * ''

Eartha Kitt - Live in Concert Eartha is the world's largest rotating and revolving globe, located within the former headquarters of the DeLorme mapping corporation in Yarmouth, Maine. Garmin purchased the company and the building in 2016. The globe weighs approximately 5,600 ...

'' (March - April 1989 - three week sold-out run) * '' Out of Order'' (1990)

Recent productions

* '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (20 October 1992 – 17 July 1993) by John Kander and Fred Ebb, starring

* '' Carousel'' (16 September 1993 – 27 March 1994) by

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most well-known American ...

and Oscar Hammerstein II * ''

'' (5 March 1996 – 8 February 1997) by

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are conside ...

and Des McAnuff * '' Rent'' (12 May 1998 – 30 October 1999) by Jonathan Larson * ''

Thoroughly Modern Millie ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' is a 1967 American musical- romantic comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Julie Andrews. The screenplay, by Richard Morris based on the 1956 British musical ''Chrysanthemum'', follows a naïve you ...

'' (21 October 2003 – 26 June 2004), starring Amanda Holden and

* '' Bat Boy: The Musical'' (27 August 2004 – 15 January 2005) by Keythe Farley, Brian Flemming and Laurence O'Keefe, starring

Deven May Deven Shaw May (born April 3, 1971, in Whittier, California) is a Broadway performer, actor and photographer. He is most famous for his portrayal of the half-bat, half-human boy in Laurence O'Keefe's Off-Broadway musical ''Bat Boy'', for which he ...

* '' The Far Pavilions'' (24 March 2005 – 17 September 2005), starring Kulvinder Ghir * '' Daddy Cool'' (15 August 2006 – 17 February 2007) by

Frank Farian Frank Farian (born Franz Reuther; 18 July 1941) is a German record producer, musician, singer and songwriter, who founded the 1970s disco-pop group Boney M., the Latin pop band No Mercy and the pop band Milli Vanilli. He frequently created v ...

, starring Michelle Collins, Javine Hylton and Harvey Junior * '' Fame: The Musical'' (4 May 2007 – 1 September 2007) by Jacques Levy and Steve Margoshes, starring Ian Watkins and Natalie Casey * '' Hairspray: The Musical'' (11 October 2007 – 28 March 2010) by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Originally starring Michael Ball, Leanne Jones, Mel Smith and Tracie Bennett. * '' Burn the Floor'' (21 July 2010 – 4 September 2010) starring Ali Bastian * ''

Flashdance ''Flashdance'' is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend ...

'' (26 September 2010 – 15 January 2011) * ''Comedy Rush'' (2 performances only: 24 February 2011 and 24 March 2011) * '' Derren Brown – Svengali'' (8 June 2011 – 16 July 2011) * '' Rock of Ages'' (27 September 2011 – 6 January 2013) transferred to the Garrick Theatre * '' Burn the Floor'' (11 March 2013 – 30 June 2013) * ''

From Here to Eternity the Musical ''From Here to Eternity'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stuart Brayson and Tim Rice and a book by Bill Oakes. Based on the 1951 novel of the same name by James Jones, the musical made its West End and world premiere in 2013, at the S ...

'' (30 September 2013 – 29 March 2014) * '' The Pajama Game'' (2 May 2014 – 13 September 2014) * '' Memphis'' (9 October 2014 – 31 October 2015) * '' The Illusionists – Witness the Impossible'' (14 November 2015 – 3 January 2016) * '' Motown: The Musical'' (11 February 2016 – 20 April 2019) * '' & Juliet'' (20 November 2019 - 16 March 2020) - Closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic * '' Be More Chill'' (30 June 2021 - 5 September 2021) * '' & Juliet'' (24 September 2021) * Mrs. Doubtfire (12 May 2023 - 13 January 2024)

Nearby Tube stations

Tottenham Court Road Tottenham Court Road (occasionally abbreviated as TCR) is a major road in Central London, almost entirely within the London Borough of Camden. The road runs from Euston Road in the north to St Giles Circus in the south; Tottenham Court Road ...

Holborn Holborn ( or ) is a district in central London, which covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part (St Andrew Holborn (parish), St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Wards of the City of London, Ward of Farringdon ...

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

References

;Citations ;Further reading * *

External links

*
Scenes from the 1921–22 D'Oyly Carte season at the theatre

{{Authority control West End theatres Theatres completed in 1911 Theatres in the London Borough of Camden Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Camden Grade II listed theatres Edwardian architecture in London 1911 establishments in England