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Duke Of York's Theatre, St. Martin's Lane, London, WC2

Formerly The Trafalgar Square Theatre / Trafalgar Theatre.

Above - The Duke Of York's Theatre during the run of Tom Stoppard's 'Rock 'N Roll' in October 2006.

The Duke of York's Theatre opened as the Trafalgar Square Theatre on the 10th of September 1892 with a comic Opera called 'The Wedding Eve' by F. Toulmouche which was not a great success. The Theatre backs onto the Garrick Theatre in Charing Cross Road and was designed by Walter Emden and built by Frank Kirk for Frank Wyatt and his wife Violet Melnotte, who would later be be the first proprietor of the Duke of Yorks Theatre in Brighton.S

It was the first Theatre to be built on St. Martin's Lane. The Auditorium was built on three levels, bStalls, Dress Circle, andUpper Circle or Gallery, and the Theatre was unique in that it had real fires in the auditorium.

Left - A Postcard showing the front of the Duke Of York's Theatre 1910.

The Theatre's name was changed from The Trafalgar Square Theatre to The Duke Of York's Theatre in September 1895.

Charles Frohman, the American Theatrical Manager, took over the running of the Theatre in 1897 and put on a some very successful productions using American Actors which he exchanged for British ones performing there.

Right - A Fragment of a Duke Of York's Theatre Programme front for 1902 which sadly was torn in half and the other half lost.

Frank Wyatt owned the Theatre until his death in 1926 when his wife took over it on but she sold the Theatre in 1928 to William Hunter. The Duke Of York's was damaged in the Second World War and closed towards the end of 1940, not reopening again until May of 1943 with a play called 'Shaddow and Substance'.

The Theatre was redecorated in 1950 when new management took over in May of that year. This management saw the Theatre's shortest runs; 'All The Year Round' which opened in October 1951 and ran for just three nights, and then 'Thirteen for Dinner' which opened on the 17th of December 1953 and closed the same night!

Above Left - A Programme detail for 'Merely Mary Ann' during Charles Frohman's reign at the Duke Of York's Theatre early 1900s. And Above Right - A Programme detail for 'The Admirable Crichton' during Charles Frohman's reign at the Duke Of York's Theatre in 1902. On the first night of this production the scene-shifters went on strike after the second act and the cast had to shift the scenery themselves.

Just prior to the Theatre's opening The Era printed a review of the building in its 3rd of September 1892 issue which said: 'The new Theatre is pretty and unpretentious, the general effect being created by the judicious use of cream and gold and yellow tints, the back of the boxes being of a warm russet hue. The corridors are ornamented with coloured portraits of well-known actresses, and the decorations generally are remarkably chaste and refined. The stalls and dress-circle will be entered from St Martin's Lane.

Left - A Programme detail for 'The Twin Sister' during Charles Frohman's reign at the Duke Of York's Theatre early 1900s.

On the upper-circle tier are a large and ornamental vestibule and a pleasant saloon, with a balcony facing the roadway. The pit entrance is on the north side, and the entrance to the large gallery on the south side. The theatre is completely isolated, and from each of its four sections an extra exit has been made. It will be lighted by electricity, but in case of need gas will be available. The dressing rooms are in a detached building, connected to the theatre by a short, covered iron bridge; and a broad stone staircase leads from the stage to the open air.
Above Text from The ERA 3rd September 1892.

London's West End Theatres

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