The first building bearing the name, a music hall formed from roofing the yard of the Black Horse Inn, was built in 1859 for Emil Loibl, and Charles Sonnhammer. A gallery was constructed for the hall but it could not utilize the full width, because one part of the premises was used by Dr. Kahn's "Delectable Museum of Anatomy".[2]
Interior of the newly opened London Pavilion Music Hall, 1861. Sonnhammer and Loibl are probably the figures in top hats at the front.[3]
In 1885, Shaftesbury Avenue was built through part of the site, and a new London Pavilion Theatre was constructed. This opened on 30 November 1885 with a popular revue.[4] The new theatre was the first 'music hall deluxe', with marble-topped tables for dining in the auditorium. According to Charles Stuart and A. J. Park in The Variety Stage (1895) the rebuilding signaled a new era of variety theatre:
Hitherto the halls had borne unmistakable evidence of their origins, but the last vestiges of their old connections were now thrown aside, and they emerged in all the splendour of their new-born glory. The highest efforts of the architect, the designer and the decorator were enlisted in their service, and the gaudy and tawdry music hall of the past gave way to the resplendent 'theatre of varieties' of the present day, with its classic exterior of marble and freestone, its lavishly appointed auditorium and its elegant and luxurious foyers and promenades brilliantly illuminated by myriad electric lights
20th century
The success of the venture led its owner, Villiers, to form a limited company; this became the first combine of music halls, Syndicate Halls Ltd. Lupino Lane made his London début here in 1903, as "Nipper Lane".[5]
Between 1912 and 1936, the theatre presented a regular programme of musicals; these included Noël Coward's first success, On With the Dance in April 1925. There were appearances by Sir Harry Lauder; in October 1921, the American actor and vocalist Clifton Webb appeared here in Fun of the Fayre and again in October the following year as Phidas in Phi-Phi. In 1923, electric billboards were erected for the first time on the side of the building.[6]
View of Shaftesbury Avenue from Piccadilly Circus with the London Pavilion on the right, circa 1949London Pavilion Theatre showing A Hard Day's Night in 1964
In 1934, the building underwent significant structural alteration, and was converted into a cinema at a cost of £70,000 by F. G. M. Chancellor, of Frank Matcham and Co.[6] Intended as London outlet to premiere films released by United Artists, the first film to be screened at the Pavilion was the Alexander Korda release The Private Life of Don Juan which was shown from 5 September 1934; Korda had recently signed an agreement with the American company to release his films.[7] For the première of The Curse of Frankenstein in May 1957, the foyer was revamped to look like Frankenstein's laboratory, complete with the Monster in a tank.[8] In October 1962 it premiered Dr. No, the first James Bond film, and in July 1964 was the venue for the premiere of A Hard Day's Night. The cinema closed on 26 April 1981 and the site remained in limbo for some years.[9][10]
In 1986, the interior of the building was gutted and converted into a shopping arcade, preserving only the 1885 façade and the outer walls and roof. A wax figure exhibition opened in the building that same year, run by the Madame Tussauds Group, called Rock Circus. The exhibition consisted of waxworks of rock and pop musicians. The Rock Circus exhibition closed in September 2001.
Twenty-first century
In 2000, the building became part of the Trocadero Centre, and signage on the building was altered in 2003 to read London Trocadero. The basement of the building connects with Piccadilly Circus tube station and the rest of the Trocadero Centre.
The London Pavilion housed Ripley's Believe It or Not!, a visitor attraction dedicated to the weird and unusual, which was open from August 2008 until 25 September 2017. On 6 October 2018, Body Worlds London opened in the London Pavilion; the exhibition displays more than 200 real human bodies and organ specimens preserved through the method of Plastination.[citation needed]
^The Entr'acte, London, Saturday, 5 December 1885, p.6a (Footlight Notes). accessed 13 October 2007
^Oxford Dictionary of National Biography "Lupino Lane"
^ ab"Shaftesbury Avenue", Survey of London: volumes 31 and 32: St James Westminster, Part 2 (1963), pp. 68–84 accessed 13 October 2007
^Balio, Tino (1976). United Artists, Volume 1, 1919–1950: The Company Built by the Stars, Volume 1. Madison, Wisconsin & London: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 128. ISBN9780299230036.
^Sinclair McKay (2007) A Thing of Unspeakable Horror: The History of Hammer Films: 35
^"The London Pavilion, 1, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster". Arthur Lloyd. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
Sources
Guide to British Theatres 1750–1950, John Earl and Michael Sell pp. 123 (Theatres Trust, 2000) ISBN0-7136-5688-3
Who's Who in the Theatre, edited by John Parker, 10th edition revised, London, 1947, p. 1429.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to London Pavilion.
Trocadero Centre
August 27, 2023
london, pavilion, building, corner, shaftesbury, avenue, coventry, street, north, east, side, piccadilly, circus, london, currently, shopping, arcade, part, trocadero, centre, 1859, music, hallfaçade, 2002addressshaftesbury, avenuewestminster, londoncoordinate. The London Pavilion is a building on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street on the north east side of Piccadilly Circus in London It is currently a shopping arcade and part of the Trocadero Centre London Pavilion1859 London Pavilion Music HallFacade of the London Pavilion in 2002AddressShaftesbury AvenueWestminster LondonCoordinates51 30 37 N 0 08 02 W 51 510278 N 0 133889 W 51 510278 0 133889OwnerBurford GroupDesignationGrade II listed 1 Current useTrocadero CentreConstructionOpened1859Rebuilt1900 amp 1918 Wylson amp Long1934 converted to cinema by F ChancellorYears active1859 1934ArchitectJames Ebenezer Saunders and Robert Worley 1885 Websitelondontrocadero wbr com Contents 1 Early history 2 20th century 3 Twenty first century 4 References and sources 5 External linksEarly history EditThe first building bearing the name a music hall formed from roofing the yard of the Black Horse Inn was built in 1859 for Emil Loibl and Charles Sonnhammer A gallery was constructed for the hall but it could not utilize the full width because one part of the premises was used by Dr Kahn s Delectable Museum of Anatomy 2 Interior of the newly opened London Pavilion Music Hall 1861 Sonnhammer and Loibl are probably the figures in top hats at the front 3 In 1885 Shaftesbury Avenue was built through part of the site and a new London Pavilion Theatre was constructed This opened on 30 November 1885 with a popular revue 4 The new theatre was the first music hall deluxe with marble topped tables for dining in the auditorium According to Charles Stuart and A J Park in The Variety Stage 1895 the rebuilding signaled a new era of variety theatre Hitherto the halls had borne unmistakable evidence of their origins but the last vestiges of their old connections were now thrown aside and they emerged in all the splendour of their new born glory The highest efforts of the architect the designer and the decorator were enlisted in their service and the gaudy and tawdry music hall of the past gave way to the resplendent theatre of varieties of the present day with its classic exterior of marble and freestone its lavishly appointed auditorium and its elegant and luxurious foyers and promenades brilliantly illuminated by myriad electric lights20th century EditThe success of the venture led its owner Villiers to form a limited company this became the first combine of music halls Syndicate Halls Ltd Lupino Lane made his London debut here in 1903 as Nipper Lane 5 Between 1912 and 1936 the theatre presented a regular programme of musicals these included Noel Coward s first success On With the Dance in April 1925 There were appearances by Sir Harry Lauder in October 1921 the American actor and vocalist Clifton Webb appeared here in Fun of the Fayre and again in October the following year as Phidas in Phi Phi In 1923 electric billboards were erected for the first time on the side of the building 6 View of Shaftesbury Avenue from Piccadilly Circus with the London Pavilion on the right circa 1949 London Pavilion Theatre showing A Hard Day s Night in 1964In 1934 the building underwent significant structural alteration and was converted into a cinema at a cost of 70 000 by F G M Chancellor of Frank Matcham and Co 6 Intended as London outlet to premiere films released by United Artists the first film to be screened at the Pavilion was the Alexander Korda release The Private Life of Don Juan which was shown from 5 September 1934 Korda had recently signed an agreement with the American company to release his films 7 For the premiere of The Curse of Frankenstein in May 1957 the foyer was revamped to look like Frankenstein s laboratory complete with the Monster in a tank 8 In October 1962 it premiered Dr No the first James Bond film and in July 1964 was the venue for the premiere of A Hard Day s Night The cinema closed on 26 April 1981 and the site remained in limbo for some years 9 10 In 1986 the interior of the building was gutted and converted into a shopping arcade preserving only the 1885 facade and the outer walls and roof A wax figure exhibition opened in the building that same year run by the Madame Tussauds Group called Rock Circus The exhibition consisted of waxworks of rock and pop musicians The Rock Circus exhibition closed in September 2001 Twenty first century EditIn 2000 the building became part of the Trocadero Centre and signage on the building was altered in 2003 to read London Trocadero The basement of the building connects with Piccadilly Circus tube station and the rest of the Trocadero Centre The London Pavilion housed Ripley s Believe It or Not a visitor attraction dedicated to the weird and unusual which was open from August 2008 until 25 September 2017 On 6 October 2018 Body Worlds London opened in the London Pavilion the exhibition displays more than 200 real human bodies and organ specimens preserved through the method of Plastination citation needed References and sources EditReferences Historic England Details from listed building database 1226674 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 29 September 2015 The Old Pavilion Arthur Lloyd The site includes a photograph of the premises Accessed 25 October 2007 Interior of newly opened London Pavilion Music Hall 1861 by Unknown at Museum of London Archived from the original on 18 May 2015 The Entr acte London Saturday 5 December 1885 p 6a Footlight Notes accessed 13 October 2007 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Lupino Lane a b Shaftesbury Avenue Survey of London volumes 31 and 32 St James Westminster Part 2 1963 pp 68 84 accessed 13 October 2007 Balio Tino 1976 United Artists Volume 1 1919 1950 The Company Built by the Stars Volume 1 Madison Wisconsin amp London University of Wisconsin Press p 128 ISBN 9780299230036 Sinclair McKay 2007 A Thing of Unspeakable Horror The History of Hammer Films 35 Grundy Ian London Pavilion 1 Piccadilly Circus London W1J 0DA Cinema Treasures Retrieved 7 January 2018 The London Pavilion 1 Piccadilly Circus Westminster Arthur Lloyd Retrieved 7 January 2018 SourcesGuide to British Theatres 1750 1950 John Earl and Michael Sell pp 123 Theatres Trust 2000 ISBN 0 7136 5688 3 Who s Who in the Theatre edited by John Parker 10th edition revised London 1947 p 1429 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to London Pavilion Trocadero Centre Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title London Pavilion amp oldid 1171691947, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
