| Prince Edward Theatre | |
|---|---|
Prince Edward Theatre in 2008 |
|
| Address | Old Compton Street |
| City | Westminster, London |
| Designation | Grade II listed |
| Architect | Edward Stone |
| Owned by | Delfont Mackintosh |
| Capacity | 1618 |
| Type | West End theatre |
| Opened | 1930 |
| Rebuilt | 1946 T. and B. Braddock 1978 RHWL Architects |
| Previous names | 1935 London Casino 1942 Queensberry All Services Club 1954 Casino Cinerama Theatre |
| Production | Jersey Boys |
| www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/theatres/prince-edward/ | |
The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster.
The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone,[1] with an interior designed by Marc-Henri Levy and Gaston Laverdet.[2] Named after Prince Edward (then the Prince of Wales, briefly Edward VIII and later Duke of Windsor), it opened on April 3, 1930 with a performance of the musical Rio Rita.[3] Other notable events in its opening years included the London debut of famed cabaret artiste Josephine Baker, who performed her famous 'Bananas Dance'.
In 1935, Stone converted the theatre to a dance and cabaret hall, being renamed the "London Casino". In 1942, stage alterations were undertaken by Thomas Braddock, re-opening as the "Queensberry All Services Club" in 1942 – a club for servicemen, the shows were broadcast on the BBC. After the war, the architects T. and B. Bradock restored the building to theatrical use, becoming the "London Casino"[2] once again — when the King of Yiddish Music Leo Fuld hit the stage. In 1954, the same architects converted it to a cinema, reopening as the "Casino Cinerama Theatre".[2]
In 1974, the theatre was acquired by impresario Bernard Delfont, and a new screen installed at a cost of £150,000.[3] Four years later, in 1978, it was converted back to a theatre, by RHWL Architects and given its original name, reopening with the world première of the musical Evita on 21 June 1978. Further renovations were undertaken by RHWL in 1992–93,[2] increasing the size of the stage, reopening 3 March 1993 with a revival of Crazy for You. The ABBA musical, Mamma Mia! premièred here on 6 April 1999, transferring to the Prince of Wales Theatre, after a five year run.[3]
Owned by the Delfont Mackintosh Group, and with a capacity of 1,618, it currently hosts Jersey Boys which opened 18 March 2008. Until 12 January 2008 it hosted Mary Poppins, before the show toured.