Shaftesbury Theatre
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- For The Shaftesbury Theatre between 1883 and 1941, see Original Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End Theatre, located on Shaftesbury Ave in the London Borough of Camden. Designed by Bertie Crewe, it opened on December 26, 1911, as the Prince's Theatre. In 1963, EMI bought the theatre and changed its name to the Shaftesbury Theatre.
Basil Rathbone appeared at the Prince's Theatre in May 1933 when he played Julian Beauclerc in a revival of Diplomacy.
Part of the ceiling fell in on July 20, 1973, closing the production of the musical Hair. The theatre almost fell victim to redevelopment, but a campaign by Equity succeeded in having the theatre placed on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special architectural or Historic Interest. The theatre reopened with West Side Story a year later.
It has suffered a downturn in fortunes over the past decade or so and has played host to an impressive list of flops. During the redevelopment of the Royal Opera House in nearby Covent Garden in the late 1990s the Theatre was booked as an alternative London venue for the Royal Ballet but ticket sales were so poor the season was scrapped.
Its current capacity is around 1,400.
[edit] Principal productions
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1960s)
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1960s)
- Little Me (1960s)
- They're Playing Our Song (October 1, 1980 - May 8, 1982)
- "Follies" (July 1987 - February 1989)
- Kiss of the Spiderwoman (October 20, 1992 - July 17, 1993)
- Carousel (September 16, 1993 - March 27, 1994)
- Out of the Blue (November 23, 1994 - December 10, 1994)
- Tommy (March 5, 1996 - February 8, 1997)
- Rent (May 12, 1998 - October 30, 1999)
- Lautrec (April 6, 2000 - June 17, 2000)
- Napoleon (October 17, 2000 - February 3, 2001)
- Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned Live (April 17, 2001 - May 12, 2000)
- Peggy Sue Got Married (August 20, 2001 - October 13, 2001)
- Umoja - the Spirit of Togetherness (November 15, 2001 - February 6, 2002)
- 125th Street (September 17, 2002 - January 11, 2002)
- Calamity Jane (June 26, 2003 - September 20, 2003)
- Thoroughly Modern Millie (October 21, 2003 - June 26, 2004)
- Bat Boy - The Musical (September 8, 2004 - January 15, 2005)
- The Far Pavilions - The Musical (March 24, 2005 - September 17, 2005)
- High Society (October 1, 2005 - January 21, 2006)
- Daddy Cool - The Boney M Musical (August 15, 2006 - February 17, 2007)
- Fame - The Musical (May 4, 2007 - September 1, 2007)
- Hairspray - The Musical (From October 2007)
[edit] References
- Who's Who in the Theatre, edited by John Parker, tenth edition, revised, London, 1947, p.1184.
