W. G. R. Sprague (1863–1933) was a theatre architect in the grand age.
Born in Australia, the son of actress Dolores Drummond who returned with acclaim to London in 1874. Sprague was articled to Frank Matcham for four years, then in 1880 to Walter Emden for three years; and then in partnershp with Bertie Crewe until 1895. He went on to design a large number of theatres and music halls, almost all of them in London. At the height of his career he showed a productivity worthy of mentor Frank Matcham, producing six theatres in Westminster in less than four years. Unlike Matcham and Emden, Sprague studied architectural forms and conventions and used his knowledge in his designs, saying of himself that he "liked the Italian Renaissance" as a style for his frontages, but would take liberties when needed "to get the best effects" In 1902, the theatre newspaper The Era was describing him as "Britain’s youngest theatrical designer, with more London houses to his credit than any other man in the same profession." [1]
Sprague died in Maidenhead. None of his music halls have survived, but several of his theatres still stand.
| Theatre | Location | Build Date | Original Seating Capacity | Screens | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theatre Royal | Lincoln, Lincolnshire | 1889 | with Bertie Crewe | |||
| Olympic | London | 1890 | Demolished | with Bertie Crewe | ||
| Lyceum | Sheffield | 1897 | 1,068 | Listed building | Traditional proscenium arch theatre, this 1068-seat listed building is Sprague's only surviving design outside London. Following closure in 1968, the Lyceum endured spells as a bingo hall and a rock venue before undergoing a £12 million renovation and reopening as a Number One Touring Venue in 1991 [2] | |
| Wyndham's Theatre | London | 1899 | ||||
| Camden Palace | Camden Town, London | 26 December 1900 | 2,434 | Grade II Listed status in 1991 | ||
| Noel Coward Theatre | West End, London | 1903 | Originally the "New Theatre", then the "Albery" from January 1973 to May 2006 | |||
| Aldwych Theatre | London | December 1905 | 1,092 | 1,176 seats. Currently operated by Michael Codron Plays | Built for Seymour Hicks and Charles Frohmann, as one of a pair of a similar, though not identical theatres to each side of the not yet built Waldorf Hotel - the other being the "Waldorf Theatre", 1909 renamed "Strand Theatre"). Opened Dec 1905 with Seymour Hicks's musical comedy Bluebell in Fairyland[3] | |
| Novello Theatre | London | 22 May 1905 | Built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of the Waldorf Hotel. Opened as the Waldorf Theatre on 22 May 1905, renamed the Strand Theatre in 1909. It was again renamed as the Whitney Theatre in 1911 before again becoming the Strand Theatre in 1913. In 2005 was renamed by its owners Delfont Mackintosh Theatres the Novello Theatre in honour of Ivor Novello. | |||
| Gielgud Theatre | London | 1906 | Opened in 1907 as the Hicks Theatre, paired with the Queens Theatre, then became the Globe, before becoming the Gielgud Theatre to allow the reconstructon of Wlliam Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on the Southbank to be named the Globe Theatre [4] | |||
| Queen's Theatre | London | 1907 | One of a pair, the other part being what is now called the Gielgud Theatre. The front of the theatre was blown off during World War II, restored and opened again in 1959. The building had been given a new façade and front, which was designed by Brian Westwood and Sir Hugh Casson | |||
| Ambassadors Theatre | London | 1913 | Grade II listed 1973. First home of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" | |||
| St Martin's Theatre | London | 1916 | Present home of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" |