Richmond Theatre

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Richmond Theatre
1899 Richmond Theatre and Opera House
1902 Prince of Wales
1908 Richmond Hippodrome
Theatre Royal, Richmond
Theatre on the Green
Richmond Theatre portraitR.jpg
Richmond Theatre
Location Richmond, London, England
Coordinates 51°27′43″N0°18′14″W / 51.4620°N 0.3038°W / 51.4620; -0.3038
Public transit Underground no-text.svg Overground roundel (no text).svg National Rail logo.svg Richmond
Owner Ambassador Theatre Group
Designation Grade II*
TypeProvincial
Capacity 840
Construction
Opened18 September 1899
Architect Frank Matcham
Website
Richmond Theatre website at Ambassador Theatre Group
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameRichmond Theatre
Designated28 June 1972
Reference no.1065384

The present Richmond Theatre, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is a British Victorian theatre located on Little Green, adjacent to Richmond Green. It opened on 18 September 1899 with a performance of As You Like It . One of the finest surviving examples of the work of theatre architect Frank Matcham, the building, in red brick with buff terracotta, is listed Grade II* by Historic England. [1] John Earl, writing in 1982, described it as "[o]f outstanding importance as the most completely preserved Matcham theatre in Greater London and one of his most satisfying interiors." [2]

Contents

History

Little Green, with Richmond Green seen in the distance Lilgreen.jpg
Little Green, with Richmond Green seen in the distance

The theatre, originally known as the Theatre Royal and Opera House, [3] is structured into the familiar stalls, dress and upper circles, with four boxes at dress level. The auditorium is a mixture of gilt detailing and red plush fabrics, covering seats and front of circles. Its interior and exterior has been used as a movie set in many films (e.g. Evita , Topsy-Turvy , standing in for the Victorian Savoy Theatre, Finding Neverland —doubling as the Duke of York's Theatre , National Treasure: Book of Secrets —setting of Ford's Theatre) and TV programmes (e.g. Jonathan Creek ).

In the early 1990s the theatre underwent a major overhaul overseen by the designer Carl Toms. This included a side extension giving more space for the audience and included a 'Matcham Room', today known as the Ambassador Lounge. The driving force behind the renovation of the theatre was Sally Greene, with strong support from Richmond upon Thames Council through its chief executive, Richard Harbord and Community Services Committee chairman Serge Lourie.

The theatre is now part of the Ambassador Theatre Group and has a weekly schedule of plays and musicals, alongside special music events and children's shows. Pre-West End productions can often be seen. There is a Christmas and New Year pantomime tradition and many of Britain's greatest music hall and pantomime performers have appeared there. The theatre also offers a range of creative learning activities for adults and children, including drama, creative writing and singing. [4]

January 2013 saw Richmond Theatre extend access in the community when Suzanne Shaw and Tim Vine starred in the pantomime Aladdin, by offering its first relaxed performance as part of a pilot scheme initiated by ATG. [5]

In 2016, the theatre was honoured with the People's Choice Award at The Richmond Business Awards. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Richmond upon Thames</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in southwest London, England forms part of Outer London and is the only London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963. It is governed by Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council and is divided into nineteen wards. The population is 198,019 and the major settlements are Barnes, East Sheen, Mortlake, Kew, Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton.

Richmond is a town in south-west London, 8.2 miles (13.2 km) west-southwest of Charing Cross. It stands on the River Thames, and features many parks and open spaces, including Richmond Park, and many protected conservation areas, which include much of Richmond Hill. A specific Act of Parliament protects the scenic view of the River Thames from Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambassadors Theatre (London)</span> West End theatre in London

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Matcham</span> English theatre, music hall architect (1854–1920)

Francis Matcham was an English architect who specialised in the design of theatres and music halls. He worked extensively in London, predominantly under Moss Empires, for whom he designed the Hippodrome in 1900, Hackney Empire (1901), Coliseum (1903) and Palladium (1910). His last major commission before retirement was the Victoria Palace (1911) for the variety magnate Alfred Butt. During his 40-year career, Matcham was responsible for the design and construction of over 90 theatres and the redesign and refurbishment of a further 80 throughout the United Kingdom.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Wimbledon Theatre</span> Theatre in London, England

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The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) is a major international theatre organisation headquartered in the United Kingdom, with offices in Woking, London, New York, Sydney, Mannheim and Cologne. ATG's key operations comprise three inter-related activities: theatre ownership and management, ticketing and marketing operations, and show productions

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Normansfield Hospital</span> Hospital in England

Normansfield Hospital is a Grade II* listed building in Teddington in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. It was built as a facility for patients with an intellectual disability and included a theatre. It now houses the national office of the Down's Syndrome Association, and the Langdon Down Museum of Learning Disability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince's Theatre, Bristol</span>

The Prince's Theatre was a theatre on Park Row in Bristol in England which was built in 1867 and was destroyed by bombing in 1940 in the Bristol Blitz during World War II. Owned by members of the Chute family for most of its existence, at one time the theatre was the Bristol venue for many of the country's leading touring actors and theatrical companies in addition to being one of the most renowned pantomime houses in the country before briefly becoming a music hall and latterly a cinema. The actors Henry Irving and Ellen Terry made their last appearance together under Irving's management at the Prince's Theatre in The Merchant of Venice in 1902.

References

  1. Historic England (28 June 1972). "Richmond Theatre (1065384)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  2. Earl, John. Contributor to Curtains!!! or a New Life for Old Theatres, John Offord Publications Ltd (London 1982) ISBN   0903931427
  3. "Richmond Theatre – History of Richmond Theatre Richmond, London". ATG Tickets. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  4. "Creative Learning & Community Partnerships". ATG Tickets. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. "Access".
  6. "Richmond Business Awards 2016 – Richmond Upon Thames Chamber Of Commerce". Richmond Upon Thames Chamber Of Commerce. Retrieved 23 May 2017.

Sources

Further reading