fbpx
Wikipedia

Wyndham's Theatre

August 27, 2023

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]

Wyndham's Theatre
Honour, starring Diana Rigg, at Wyndham's in 2006
AddressSt. Martin's Court
London, WC2
United Kingdom
Coordinates51°30′40″N 0°07′42″W / 51.511111°N 0.128222°W / 51.511111; -0.128222
Public transit Leicester Square
OwnerSalisbury Estate
OperatorDelfont Mackintosh Theatres
DesignationGrade II* listed
TypeWest End theatre
Capacity799 on 4 levels
ProductionOklahoma!
Construction
Opened16 November 1899; 123 years ago (1899-11-16)
ArchitectW. G. R. Sprague
Website
Wyndham's Theatre page on the Delfont Mackintosh Theatres site

History Edit

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.

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 Edit

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 Edit

Donmar West End at Wyndham's Edit

Michael Grandage Company Edit

References Edit

  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. ^ . 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 Edit

  • Guide to British Theatres 1750–1950, John Earl and Michael Sell pp. 150 (Theatres Trust, 2000) ISBN 0-7136-5688-3

External links Edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wyndham's Theatre.
  • Wyndham's Theatre Website
  • Theatre History and (Arthur Lloyd)

August 27, 2023
wyndham, theatre, west, theatre, opened, actor, manager, charles, wyndham, other, criterion, theatre, located, charing, cross, road, city, westminster, designed, 1898, sprague, architect, other, london, theatres, between, then, 1916, designed, seat, patrons, t. 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 Wyndham s TheatreHonour starring Diana Rigg at Wyndham s in 2006AddressSt Martin s CourtLondon WC2United KingdomCoordinates51 30 40 N 0 07 42 W 51 511111 N 0 128222 W 51 511111 0 128222Public transitLeicester SquareOwnerSalisbury EstateOperatorDelfont Mackintosh TheatresDesignationGrade II listedTypeWest End theatreCapacity799 on 4 levelsProductionOklahoma ConstructionOpened16 November 1899 123 years ago 1899 11 16 ArchitectW G R SpragueWebsiteWyndham s Theatre page on the Delfont Mackintosh Theatres site Contents 1 History 2 Delfont Mackintosh era 3 Recent present and future productions 3 1 Donmar West End at Wyndham s 3 2 Michael Grandage Company 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 External linksHistory EditWyndham 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 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 EditIn 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 Gerald 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 EditDinner 9 December 2003 3 April 2004 by Moira Buffini starring Harriet Walter Democracy 20 April 2004 9 October 2004 by Michael Frayn starring Colm Meaney Dylan Moran Monster II 1 November 2004 13 November 2004 By the Bog of Cats 1 December 2004 26 February 2005 by Marina Carr starring Holly Hunter The Witches 9 March 2005 2 April 2005 by David Wood starring Ruby Wax The Vagina Monologues 7 April 2005 14 May 2005 by Eve Ensler As You Like It 21 June 2005 17 September 2005 by William Shakespeare starring Helen McCrory Sienna Miller and Clive Rowe Heroes 18 October 2005 14 January 2006 by Gerald Sibleyras starring Richard Griffiths John Hurt and Ken Stott Honour 14 February 2006 6 May 2006 by Joanna Murray Smith starring Diana Rigg and Martin Jarvis Sunday in the Park with George 23 May 2006 2 September 2006 by Stephen Sondheim starring Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell A Voyage Round My Father 21 September 2006 18 November 2006 by John Mortimer starring Derek Jacobi The History Boys 18 December 2006 14 April 2007 by Alan Bennett The Letter 19 April 2007 10 August 2007 by Somerset Maugham starring Jenny Seagrove and Anthony Andrews Shadowlands 3 October 2007 17 December 2007 by William Nicholson starring Charles Dance and Janie Dee transferred to the Novello Theatre The History Boys 20 December 2007 26 April 2008 by Alan Bennett starring Desmond Barrit The Shawshank Redemption 14 September 2009 29 November 2009 An Inspector Calls 3 December 2009 10 March 2010 by J B Priestley Avenue Q 19 March 2010 30 October 2010 following closure at the Gielgud Theatre 9 Bill Bailey Dandelion Mind 2 November 2010 8 January 2011 10 Clybourne Park 8 February 2011 7 May 2011 by Bruce Norris transferred from the Royal Court Theatre The official poster for the 2011 production of Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant and Catherine Tate Much Ado About Nothing 1 June 2011 3 September 2011 by William Shakespeare starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate Driving Miss Daisy 5 October 2011 17 December 2011 by Alfred Uhry starring James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave Christmas with the Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas 20 December 2011 7 January 2012 The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas 9 January 2012 21 January 2012 Jackie Mason Fearless 13 February 2012 17 March 2012 The King s Speech 22 March 2012 12 May 2012 stage play of the Oscar winning film Abigail s Party 18 May 2012 1 September 2012 by Mike Leigh starring Jill Halfpenny Dreamboats and Petticoats 16 October 2012 19 January 2013 limited run following closure at the Playhouse Theatre Quartermaine s Terms 29 January 2013 13 April 2013 by Simon Gray starring Rowan Atkinson Relatively Speaking 16 May 2013 31 August 2013 by Alan Ayckbourn starring Felicity Kendal and Kara Tointon Barking in Essex 16 September 2013 4 January 2014 by Clive Exton starring Lee Evans and Sheila Hancock The Weir 22 January 2014 19 April 2014 by Conor McPherson starring Brian Cox Ardal O Hanlon and Dervla Kirwan Uncle Vanya and Three Sisters 23 April 2014 3 May 2014 performed in Russian with a Russian cast Skylight 18 June 2014 23 August 2014 by David Hare starring Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan King Charles III 11 September 2014 31 January 2015 by Mike Bartlett starring Tim Pigott Smith A View from the Bridge 16 February 2015 11 April 2015 by Arthur Miller starring Mark Strong Nicola Walker and Phoebe Fox American Buffalo 27 April 2015 27 June 2015 by David Mamet starring Damian Lewis John Goodman and Tom Sturridge The Mentalists 13 July 2015 29 August 2015 by Richard Bean starring Stephen Merchant and Steffan Rhodri The Father 5 October 2015 21 November 2015 by Florian Zeller in a translation by Christopher Hampton starring Kenneth Cranham and Claire Skinner Hangmen 7 December 2015 5 March 2016 by Martin McDonagh starring David Morrissey People Places and Things 23 March 2016 18 June 2016 by Duncan Macmillan starring Denise Gough The Truth 27 June 2016 3 September 2016 by Florian Zeller in a translation by Christopher Hampton starring Tanya Franks and Alexander Hanson No Man s Land 20 September 2016 17 December 2016 by Harold Pinter starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart The Kite Runner 10 January 2017 11 March 2017 by Khaled Hosseini adapted by Matthew Spangler starring Ben Turner Don Juan in Soho 28 March 2017 10 June 2017 by Patrick Marber starring David Tennant Adrian Scarborough and Gawn Grainger Lady Day at Emerson s Bar and Grill 27 June 2017 9 September 2017 by Lanie Robertson starring Audra McDonald Heisenberg The Uncertainty Principle 9 October 2017 6 January 2018 by Simon Stephens starring Anne Marie Duff and Kenneth Cranham Long Day s Journey into Night 6 February 2018 8 April 2018 by Eugene O Neill starring Jeremy Irons and Lesley Manville The Height of the Storm 9 October 2018 1 December 2018 by Florian Zeller in a translation by Christopher Hampton starring Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins Bill Bailey Larks in Transit 3 December 2018 5 January 2019 11 The Catherine Tate Show Live 7 January 2019 12 January 2019 12 The Price 11 February 2019 27 April 2019 by Arthur Miller starring David Suchet The Starry Messenger 29 May 2019 10 August 2019 by Kenneth Lonergan starring Matthew Broderick and Elizabeth McGovern Fleabag 28 August 2019 14 September 2019 by Phoebe Waller Bridge starring Phoebe Waller Bridge The Man in the White Suit 8 October 2019 7 December 2019 by Sean Foley starring Stephen Mangan Kara Tointon and Sue Johnston Curtains 13 December 2019 11 January 2020 by Kander and Ebb starring Jason Manford Ore Oduba and Carley Stenson Leopoldstadt 12 June 2021 4 September 2021 by Tom Stoppard production previously played here from January to March 2020 when theatres closed due to COVID 19 pandemic Life of Pi 15 November 2021 15 January 2023 Oklahoma 16 February 2023 2 September 2023 by Rodgers and Hammerstein The Unfriend 16 December 2023 9 March 2024 by Stephen Moffat starring Lee Mack Sarah Alexander and Frances Barber Long Day s Journey into Night 19 March 2024 8 June 2024 by Eugene O Neill starring Brian Cox and Patricia ClarksonDonmar West End at Wyndham s Edit Ivanov 17 September 2008 29 November 2008 by Anton Chekhov in a new version by Tom Stoppard starring Kenneth Branagh and Kevin R McNally Twelfth Night 10 December 2008 7 March 2009 by William Shakespeare starring Derek Jacobi Madame de Sade 18 March 2009 23 May 2009 by Yukio Mishima starring Judi Dench and Rosamund Pike Hamlet 3 June 2009 22 August 2009 by William Shakespeare starring Jude LawMichael Grandage Company Edit Red 15 May 2018 28 July 2018 by John Logan starring Alfred Molina and Alfred EnochReferences Edit Historic England Details from listed building database 1292230 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 2 March 2017 Hartnoll Phyllis 1967 Oxford Companion to the Theatre Third ed Oxford University Press p 1018 Walker Dave 18 September 2014 An actor s life for me Lena Ashwell The Library Time Machine Retrieved 18 October 2019 Samantha Ellis The Living Room London April 1953 Stage The Guardian Retrieved 2 March 2017 Billington Michael 22 June 2005 As You Like It The Guardian Retrieved 16 December 2021 On the Road to Diagon Alley The London Embankment Themeparkinsider com Retrieved 2 March 2017 Aleks Sierz Sir Tom in the doghouse The Telegraph 10 October 2005 Retrieved 15 December 2012 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 AVENUE Q Finds A New Home In The West End Westend broadwayworld com 21 January 2010 Retrieved 2 March 2017 Wyndhams Theatre London The Kite Runner Don Juan in Soho Lady Day at Emersons Bar amp Grill Tickets Info Reviews Wyndhams theatre com 17 December 2016 Retrieved 2 March 2017 Bill Bailey Larks in Transit London Theatre Guide Retrieved 22 September 2018 The Catherine Tate Show Live is coming to the West End Evening Standard Retrieved 17 October 2018 Bibliography EditGuide to British Theatres 1750 1950 John Earl and Michael Sell pp 150 Theatres Trust 2000 ISBN 0 7136 5688 3External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wyndham s Theatre Wyndham s Theatre Website Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Theatre History and Arthur Lloyd Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wyndham 27s Theatre amp oldid 1165288886, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.