The Windmill Theatre, Great Windmill Street, W.1

Windmill Theatre Feature

Above - The Windmill Theatre in December 2006.

 

This part of London has a rural history. A windmill stood here from the reign of Charles II until late in the eighteenth century. This gave its name to the footpath leading to the mill from Piccadilly at the top of the HayMarket over Windmill Fields. From here could be seen the towers of Westminster and its palace. Great Windmill Street now runs from Coventry Street (Piccadilly Circus) up to Brewer Street, crossing Shaftesbury Avenue. In 1910 a cinema, the Palais de Luxe, was opened at the corner of a block of buildings which included the Apollo and Lyric Theatres at the point where Archer Street joins Great Windmill Street just off Shaftesbury Avenue.

Right - The Windmill Theatre - From 'The Theatres Of London by Raymond Mander & Joe Mitcheson 1975.

This cinema was one of the first of the little West End homes of the early films. With the rise of the large super-cinema, it descended the scale and its programmes consisted of foreign films and classics.

(Please Note that the Palais de Luxe Cinema actually opened on the 20th of December,1909 with a capacity of 600, and was later to become Britain's first art house cinema in 1920. M.L.)

The property came into the possession of Mrs Laura Henderson who, in association with Bernard Isaac and J. F. Watts Phillips (The Windmill Theatre Co, Ltd), converted it into a theatre. The general manager was Vivian Van Damm. The architect, Howard Jones, remodelled the exterior in the style of a traditional windmill and the interior was entirely reconstructed to become a one-tier theatre of miniature size. (Please note that it was F. Edward Jones and not Howard Jones who was the architect who remodelled the Windmill Theatre for Vivian Van Damn. M.L.)

THE PLAYS

The theatre opened on 22 June 1931 with a new play by Michael Barringer called Inquest!, with Mary Glynne, Hilda Trevelyan and Herbert Lomas in the cast. This was only a mild success and once again films were shown which included The Blue Angel and Sous les Toits de Paris.

Right - Programme for 'Inquest!' the first production at the newly opened Windmill Theatre in June 1931. Click for details.

In December 1931 it was announced that a policy of nonstop variety would be tried. Mrs Henderson gave her manager Vivian Van Damm carte blanche to try and help the variety profession which had been hit by the coming of the 'talkies'.

On 3 February 1932 this innovation began and Revudeville was introduced, a programme of continuous non-stop variety of a nature then new to London. The idea originated in Paris and proved most popular, drawing crowded audiences. The performances ran from 2.30 p.m. until 11 p.m.

Left - Maurice Poole writes: ' Of all the Windmill Theatre souvenir programmes I feel the 1934 edition is the finest. Other Windmill Theatre programmes were more elaborate with cut out covers and felt type covers but I love the tableaux photographs in this programme.' - Click to see more of this Programme.

Right - Click to see all the Windmill Reudeville Souvenir Programmes.

During the first years the project lost £20,000, but the tide turned and the theatre soon became an established part of the London scene.

The success of 'Revudeville' at the Windmill encouraged Laura Henderson to try out these Revues in other Theatres. In 1932 the Lyric Hammersmith staged a production of Revudeville, and in February 1937 the Piccadilly Theatre began showing 'Revudeville Pot-Pourrie' for a short time. A notice in the Xmas Revudeville programme no.18 reads:

'Owing to the remarkable demand by provincial Theatres for Revudeville to be staged in their separate towns, Mrs. Laura Henderson has decided to embark on another project, and for the purpose has taken the Lyric Theatre, Hemmersmith for one month at which to start a No. 1 Touring Company of Revudeville...

Left - A Programme for the Windmill Theatre's Revudeville, here being staged at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith during the management of Nigel Playfair in 1932 - Courtesy Maurice Poole.

...This has been produced entirely by Miss Eva Bradfield, who has been responsible for all the productions in the Windmill Theatre for the last seven months, and we can promise all patrons of this theatre who care to take a journey down to Hammersmith, an entertainment on considerably larger lines than that attempted here, and one which will be outstanding in every respect.'

Right - In February 1937 The Windmill Theatre Revudeville programmes were carrying this add for the Revudeville Pot-Pourri at the Piccadilly Theatre - Courtesy Maurice Poole.

The above mentioned Tour began on the 26th of December 1932 and ran for just 4 weeks, and the Piccadilly Theatre production was staged in February 1937. Neither of these ventures were particularly successful however, despite the continued success at the Windmill. Vivian Van Damm wrote an article about this tour in a Windmill Theatre programme of 1932 which reads:

'I am receiving many letters from patrons all over the Country begging me to change my programme weekly of fortnightly, and much as I should love to be able to please all and sundry who make this request, I would ask you to realise what it means to put on an absolute and complete change of programme every three weeks, including as it does four new production numbers which take considerable time to devise and rehearse, and in addition a minimum of 67 new dresses have to be made for each show.

Left - Revudeville and Vulgarity - An Article by Vivian Van Damm - From a Windmill Theatre Programme of 1932. - Click to Read.

It certainly would be a marvelous thing for us if we could please everybody in this respect, but unfortunately at the moment that is not possible. One day however, judging by the way in which Revudeville is forging ahead in the esteem of the British public, I may be in a position to give you very good news regarding a further scheme, and whilst I am on this subject, I should like to take this opportunity of informing you that a complete new version of Revudeville, which is eventually going on tour, is being rehearsed and will be put on at the Lyric, Hammersmith (the house which Sir Nigel Playfair made so famous with "The Beggar's Opera") commencing on Monday, Dec. 26th, for four weeks only.

This production will be on the same lines as the present show we give here but with entirely different numbers and if you and your friends happen to be in that neighbourhood and want to have an hour or so of delightful entertainment, I can do no better than recommend you look to the Lyric, Hammersmith and see what we can do when we go out for a big show. The Lyric, of course, is a much larger theatre than the Windmill, and the show will naturally be on a bigger scale.'

Vivian Van Damm - From a Windmill Theatre Programme of 1932 - Courtesy Maurice Poole.

 

The Windmill was the only theatre in London which never closed during the war, except for the twelve compulsory days between 4 and 16 September 1939, throughout the blitz, the performers often sleeping night after night in the theatre during the worst of the attacks from the air.

Left - On the 31st of October 1964 the Windmill Theatre shut its doors on Revudeville for the last time. Click here to see the last 'A' Company programme.

The death of Mrs Henderson in 1944 was a great loss to the Windmill, but it was announced that the policy of the theatre was to remain unchanged under the direction of Van Damm. After his death in December 1960 the theatre was carried on by his daughter Sheila, who had become his partner. Many famous comedians of today made their first impact here and a roll of honour was fixed to the exterior of the theatre. The full history of the venture has been told in To-Night and Every Night by Vivian Van Damm (1954).

Right - The Last Souvenir Programme issued by the Windmill Theatre Co., Ltd., in 1964. - Courtesy Maurice Poole.

The last edition of Revudeville was seen in 1964.

In October the theatre was sold to the Compton Cinema Group and it closed on 31 October 1964 and was reconstructed as a cinema and casino.

In 1973 a campaign was started to revive 'The Old Windmill Days' and re-claim the theatre.

Left - Windmill Theatre June 1977 - Photo M.L. NB. The CZ Motorcycle parked by The Lyric Theatre hoardings belonged to the late Sir Ralph Richardson who was also an avid BMW Motorcycle owner, he was appearing at the Lyric at the time, in 'The Kingfisher'.

Eventually, in February 1974, the theatre was bought by Paul Raymond, from Laurie Marsh, who transferred a 114 year lease to him.

Raymond announced his intention of making it a home for nude shows 'a la Revudeville but without the comic element'.

Right - Front Cover of a Programme for "Lets Get Laid"a Paul Raymond production which featured the well know artistes John Inman, Jack Haig, and Fiona Richmond. The programme is dated 2nd September,1974 and the production was directed by Victor Spinetti. - Courtesy Maurice Poole.

Parts of the text on this page, and the Windmill Theatre line art, are edited from 'The Theatres Of London' 1975 with kind permission - The Trustees of the Raymond Mander & Joe Mitcheson Collection - literary executors of Joe Mitchenson. Other text was written by myself, and some information was kindly supplied by Maurice Poole. M.L.

 

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