Wyndham's Theatre

Last updated

Wyndham's Theatre
Wyndhams Theatre London 2006-04-17.jpg
Honour, starring Diana Rigg, at Wyndham's in 2006
Wyndham's Theatre
AddressSt. Martin's Court
London, WC2
United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°30′40″N0°07′42″W / 51.511111°N 0.128222°W / 51.511111; -0.128222
Public transit Underground no-text.svg Leicester Square
Owner Salisbury Estate
Operator Delfont Mackintosh Theatres
Designation Grade II* listed
Type West End theatre
Capacity 799 on 4 levels
Production Oedipus
Construction
Opened16 November 1899;124 years ago (1899-11-16)
Architect W. G. R. Sprague
Website
Wyndham's Theatre page on the Delfont Mackintosh Theatres site

Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c. 1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the architect of six other London theatres between then and 1916. It was designed to seat 759 patrons on three levels; later refurbishment increased this to four seating levels. The theatre was Grade II* listed by English Heritage in September 1960. [1]

Contents

History

Wyndham had always dreamed of building a theatre of his own, and through the admiration of a patron and the financial confidence of friends, he was able to realise his dream. Wyndham's Theatre opened on 16 November 1899, in the presence of the Prince of Wales. The first play performed there was a revival of T. W. Robertson's David Garrick . A number of successes followed, including Lena Ashwell playing the lead role in Mrs Dane's Defence in 1900, [2] upon which Wyndham said that “the applause when the curtain fell was the most tremendous he had ever known”. [3]

In 1910, Gerald du Maurier began an association with the theatre which lasted 15 years and to include the stage debut of the screen actress Tallulah Bankhead. Du Maurier's small daughter, Daphne, often watched her father's performance from the wings. Thirty years later she presented her own play, The Years Between , on the same stage. In 1917, J. M. Barrie's Dear Brutus ran for more than 360 performances at Wyndham's. The same play was revived in 1922 for another lengthy run.

In April 1953, the theatre premiered Graham Greene's first play, The Living Room , with a cast including Dorothy Tutin. [4] In January 1954, a small-scale musical pastiche, Sandy Wilson's The Boy Friend , which had premiered at the much smaller Players' Theatre, was moved to the Wyndham stage. It ran for 2,078 performances, before eventually transferring to Broadway. During the 60s and early 70s, the theatre continued to provide a setting for stars such as Alec Guinness ( Wise Child ), Vanessa Redgrave and Diana Rigg.

The blockbuster of the 1970s decade – Godspell – opened at Wyndham's in January 1972 and ran to October 1974. The original cast included David Essex, Marti Webb and Jeremy Irons.

Wyndham's Theatre just before its opening on 16 November 1900. Wyndhams Theatre 1900.jpg
Wyndham's Theatre just before its opening on 16 November 1900.

Among more recent distinguished productions were the world premiere of The Ride Down Mt. Morgan by American playwright Arthur Miller and the British premiere of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women , starring Maggie Smith. Twenty-five years after making her debut there, Diana Rigg returned to play a hugely successful season as Medea. The critically acclaimed comedy, 'Art' , by Yasmina Reza, began its record-breaking run at Wyndham's in 1996 with Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Ken Stott in the cast. It opened in October 1996, and transferred to the Whitehall Theatre in October 2001.

Madonna made her West End debut there in 2002, performing in a sell-out production of Up For Grabs. This was followed by many other dramatic productions, including Dinner and the National Theatre's Democracy during 2004, Holly Hunter in By The Bog Of Cats, American TV star Ruby Wax in a children's stage version of The Witches , which ran during March 2005; followed by a controversial limited season of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues , which ran without the stars – Sharon Osbourne and her daughter Aimee, who dropped out the night before the production opened. In 2005, theatre patrons saw Helen McCrory star alongside Sienna Miller, Reece Shearsmith and Clive Rowe in a production of Shakespeare's As You Like It . [5]

A large-scale replica of the facade of the theatre was constructed at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida as part of the park's London-themed area. [6]

Delfont Mackintosh era

In May 2005, the theatre was taken over by Cameron Mackintosh's Delfont-Mackintosh Ltd., which began operations of the venue in September 2005. In October 2005, the theatre presented Tom Stoppard's Heroes, a translation of the French play Le vent des peupliers by Gérald Sibleyras, which starred Richard Griffiths and John Hurt. [7]

The following year the theatre hosted a new production of Joanna Murray-Smith's play Honour starring Diana Rigg, Martin Jarvis and Natascha McElhone, which ran between 7 February and 6 May 2006. It later hosted the West End transfer of the Menier Chocolate Factory's hit production of Stephen Sondheim's musical Sunday in the Park with George , which starred Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell and ran till September. Between December 2006 and April 2007, the theatre presented the West End commercial transfer of Alan Bennett's National Theatre hit The History Boys which played to sell-out houses during its run until April 2007.

Bill Kenwright's production of Somerset Maugham's The Letter played through summer 2007. There was a short hiatus after Chita Rivera was forced to postpone a scheduled London return. Shadowlands, based on the life story of C. S. Lewis opened in October 2007, starring Charles Dance and Janie Dee, before another return of Alan Bennett's The History Boys from December 2007.

The theatre closed temporarily for refurbishment works, before reopening in September 2008 with Kenneth Branagh starring in Michael Grandage's production of Chekhov's Ivanov . This new version by Tom Stoppard was the opening play in the Donmar West End twelve-month season at Wyndham's, with tickets at Donmar Warehouse prices. [8]

The Donmar West End season also included Derek Jacobi starring in Twelfth Night , Judi Dench in Yukio Mishima's Madame de Sade , and Jude Law in Hamlet , all staged by Grandage.

Recent, present, and future productions

Donmar West End at Wyndham's

Michael Grandage Company

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Stoppard</span> British playwright (born 1937)

Sir Tom Stoppard is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and political freedom, often delving into the deeper philosophical thematics of society. Stoppard has been a playwright of the National Theatre and is one of the most internationally performed dramatists of his generation. He was knighted for his contribution to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Branagh</span> British actor and filmmaker (born 1960)

Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh is a British actor and filmmaker. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Reading, Berkshire, Branagh trained at RADA in London and served as its president from 2015 to 2024. His accolades include an Academy Award, four BAFTAs, two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Olivier Award. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2012 Birthday Honours, and was given Freedom of the City in his native Belfast in 2018. In 2020, he was ranked in 20th place on The Irish Times' list of Ireland's greatest film actors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Shakespeare Company</span> British theatre company

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratford-upon-Avon, and on tour across the UK and internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Jacobi</span> English actor (born 1938)

Sir Derek George Jacobi is an English actor. Jacobi is known for his work at the Royal National Theatre and for his film and television roles. He has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Olivier Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony Award. He was given a knighthood for his services to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana Rigg</span> English actress (1938–2020)

Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969); Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones (2013–2017); and the title role in Medea in the West End in 1993 followed by Broadway a year later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noël Coward Theatre</span> West End theatre in St. Martins Lane in London, formerly the Albery Theatre

The Noël Coward Theatre, formerly known as the Albery Theatre, is a West End theatre in St. Martin's Lane in the City of Westminster, London. It opened on 12 March 1903 as the New Theatre and was built by Sir Charles Wyndham behind Wyndham's Theatre which was completed in 1899. The building was designed by the architect W. G. R. Sprague with an exterior in the classical style and an interior in the Rococo style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of York's Theatre</span> Theatre in London

The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by the architect Walter Emden, it opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, and was renamed Trafalgar Theatre in 1894. The following year, it became the Duke of York's to honour the future King George V.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Marber</span> English comedian, playwright, director

Patrick Albert Crispin Marber is an English comedian, playwright, director, actor, and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donmar Warehouse</span> Theatre in Covent Garden, London, England

The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Russell Beale</span> British actor (born 1961)

Sir Simon Russell Beale is an English actor. He has been described by The Independent as "the greatest stage actor of his generation". He has received various accolades, including two BAFTA Awards, three Olivier Awards, and a Tony Award. For his services to drama, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harriet Walter</span> British actress (born 1950)

Dame Harriet Mary Walter is a British actress. She has performed on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and received an Olivier Award, and nominations for a Tony Award, five Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011, Walter was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Grandage</span> British theatre director (born 1962)

Michael Grandage CBE is a British theatre director and producer. He is currently artistic director of the Michael Grandage Company. From 2002 to 2012 he was artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse in London and from 2000 to 2005 he was artistic director of Sheffield Theatres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Stoppard</span> British actor (born 1974)

Edmund Stoppard is an English actor. He is the son of playwright Tom Stoppard and doctor Miriam, Lady Hogg. his credits include The Pianist (2002), Joy Division (2006), Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire (2006), Tchaikovsky (2007), Brideshead Revisited (2008), Britain's Greatest Codebreaker (2011), The Politician's Husband (2013), Cilla (2014), Blackwood (2014), Angelica (2015), Home Fires (2015), The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015–2017), Genius (2017), Knightfall (2017–2019), Brave New World (2020), The Princess (2022), and Golda (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thea Sharrock</span> British director

Thea Sharrock is an English theatre and film director. In 2001, at age 24, she became the artistic director of London's Southwark Playhouse and the youngest artistic director in British theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josie Rourke</span> English theatre and film director

Josie Rourke is an English theatre and film director. She is a Vice-President of the London Library and was the artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse theatre from 2012 to 2019. In 2018, she made her feature film debut with the Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated historical drama Mary Queen of Scots, starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Butler Harner</span> American actor

Jason Thomas Butler Harner is an American actor known for his role as FBI Special Agent Roy Petty in Ozark.

David Leveaux is a British theatre director who has been nominated for five Tony Awards as director of both plays and musicals. He directs in the UK, working at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Almeida Theatre, and the Donmar Warehouse, on Broadway, and also in Tokyo.

The Philanthropist is a play by Christopher Hampton, written as a response to Molière's The Misanthrope. After opening at the Royal Court Theatre, London in August 1970, the piece, directed by Robert Kidd, transferred to the May Fair Theatre in the West End and ran there for over three years, subsequently going on a regional tour in 1974. In the meantime, the play, directed once again by Kidd, premiered on Broadway in March 1971, running till May of the same year. Kidd had previously collaborated with Hampton on When Did You Last See Your Mother? (1964), which had also been staged at the Royal Court Theatre.

<i>Leopoldstadt</i> (play) 2020 play by Tom Stoppard

Leopoldstadt is a dramatic stage play written by British playwright Sir Tom Stoppard. The original production premiered on 25 January 2020 at Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End. The play is set among the wealthy Jewish community in Vienna, in the first half of the 20th century and follows the lives of "a prosperous Jewish family who had fled the pogroms in the East".

Dafydd Rogers is a theatre producer known for a number of award winning plays produced in the UK and internationally. and for his commitment to making theatre as accessible and affordable as possible. He is a long-standing board member of the Society of London Theatre and the UK Theatre Association.

References

  1. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1292230)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Hartnoll, Phyllis (1967). Oxford Companion to the Theatre (Third ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 1018.
  3. ↑ Walker, Dave (18 September 2014). "An actor's life for me: Lena Ashwell". The Library Time Machine. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  4. ↑ Samantha Ellis. "The Living Room, London, April 1953 | Stage". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Billington, Michael (22 June 2005). "As You Like It". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  6. ↑ "On the Road to Diagon Alley: The London Embankment". Themeparkinsider.com. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  7. ↑ Aleks Sierz, "Sir Tom in the doghouse", The Telegraph, 10 October 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  8. ↑ "The Stage / Shenton's View / Patron saint of ladies loos". blogs.thestage.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "AVENUE Q Finds A New Home In The West End". Westend.broadwayworld.com. 21 January 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  10. ↑ "Wyndhams Theatre London - The Kite Runner, Don Juan in Soho, Lady Day at Emersons Bar & Grill, Tickets, Info, Reviews". Wyndhams-theatre.com. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "Bill Bailey - Larks in Transit". London Theatre Guide. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  12. ↑ "The Catherine Tate Show Live is coming to the West End". Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 October 2018.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.