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___________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Duchess Theatre, Catherine Street, London, WC2.
Above - The Duchess Theatre during the run of 'See How They Run' in October 2006.
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This design has proved problematic for the Theatre ever since as ground water has to be permanently pumped out of the basement by several dedicated pumps, rather like the bilge pumps on a boat. Right - The Circle and Ceiling of the Duchess Theatre in the 1990s. - Photo M.L. |
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Above - The Duchess Theatre during the run of 'The Unexpected Guest ' in 1958 - Courtesy Gerry Atkins |
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Right - The safety curtain at the Duchess Theatre in the 1990s. - Photo M.L.
This small playhouse has a capacity of only 479 and the sight-lines are excellent due to the Circle being suspended from the roof . The Theatre has concealed lighting throughout.
Left and Right - Two Views of the concealed lighting in the stalls and stairways of the Duchess Theatre in the 1990s. - Photo M.L. The Duchess will be eighty years old on the 25th of November 2009 yet it still has its original iron curtain, grid, flies, and hardwood stage, all still working well. And the lift has just recently been put back into service with its original 1929 cabin although it is now operated by modern machinery. |
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Above - The Duchess Theatre on the right and the site of the Gaiety Theatre, Aldwych at centre, currently being prepared for building of an Hotel in October 2006, during the run of 'See How They Run' - Photo M.L.
Above - The Duchess Theatre from above - Photo Taken from the roof of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in October 2006 during the run of 'See How They Run' - Photo M.L. |
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Adelphi Aldwych Apollo Apollo Victoria Arts Cambridge Comedy Criterion Dominion Drury Lane Duchess Duke Of Yorks Fortune Garrick Gielgud Haymarket Her Majesty's London Coliseum London Palladium Lyceum Lyric New Ambassadors New London Noel Coward / Albery Novello Old Vic Palace Peacock Phoenix Piccadilly Playhouse Prince Edward Prince of Wales Queen's Royal Opera House Savoy Shaftesbury St. Martin's Trafalgar Studios / Whitehall Vaudeville Victoria Palace Wyndham's
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The
Theatre was designed by Ewen Barr who overcame the 'Ancient Lights'
problem by building his new Theatre with the upper storeys set back
and the rest of the building low to the ground, much of it, including
the stage and stalls, below ground level. The front of the circle is
consequently at street level.
Left
- The stage and Proscenium of the Duchess Theatre in the 1990s. - Photo
M.L.
The
Duchess Theatre was built by F. G. Minter Ltd. in a 'Modern Tudor Gothic'
style and the auditorium was built on two different size levels, the
Circle being narrower than the Stalls. 
Left
- The Stalls of the Duchess Theatre in the 1990s. - Photo M.L.
The
Duchess has had far too many productions to name here but it is generally
home to small touring shows or limited run seasons of plays and small
musicals.
