Lyric Theatre (London)
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The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster.
Designed by architect C. J. Phipps, it was built by producer Henry Leslie with profits from the Alfred Cellier and B. C. Stephenson hit Dorothy, which he transferred from the Prince of Wales Theatre to open his new venue on December 17, 1888. It was the second theatre to be constructed on this stretch of Shaftesbury Avenue and is now the oldest on the street. The foyer and bars were refurbished in 1932-33, and the facade was restored in 1994. At present it seats 967 on four levels, although it originally was designed with a seating capacity of 1,306. The theatre still uses an electric pump to operate its iron curtain.
Early in the theatre's history, it staged mostly light operas, and later it was a home to light comedies and straight dramas.
[edit] Notable productions
- 1892: The Mountebanks
- 1894: His Excellency
- 1896: The Sign of the Cross
- 1899: Florodora
- 1910: The Chocolate Soldier
- 1911: The Girl in the Taxi
- 1919: The Bird of Paradise, which starred Henry Daniell as Hoheno
- 1922: Lilac Time
- 1924: The Street Singer
- 1926: The Gold Diggers starred Tallulah Bankhead
- 1931: Strange Interlude
- 1934: The Royal Family, by George S. Kaufman, directed by Noel Coward, with Madge Titheradge, Marie Tempest and Laurence Olivier
- 1935: Tovarich
- 1946: The Winslow Boy
- 1950: The Little Hut
- 1955: South Sea Bubble
- 1958: Irma La Douce
- 1964: Robert and Elizabeth
- 1969: Plaza Suite
- 1972: How the Other Half Loves
- 1981: Tonight at 8:30; Arms and the Man
- 1983: Blood Brothers; Pack of Lies
- 1984: Loot
- 1989: Steel Magnolias
- 1990: Five Guys Named Moe
- 1995: Ain't Misbehavin'
- 1998: An Ideal Husband
- 2000: Brief Encounter
- 2001: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
- 2002: The Constant Wife
- 2004: Beautiful and Damned
- 2005: Death of a Salesman
- 2006: Grumpy Old Women; Cabaret
[edit] References
- Who's Who in the Theatre, edited by John Parker, tenth edition, revised, London, 1947, pps: 477-478.
[edit] External links
- Lyric Theatre history with archive programmes and many images
- History of productions at the theatre
- Profile of the theatre