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The Leicester Square Theatre

Later The Olympic Theatre / Odeon West End Cinema

Above Left - The Leicester Square Theatre in 1939 - From a postcard - And Right - The Leicester Square Theatre in 2005, currently known as the Odeon West End, - Photo M.L.

The Leicester Square Theatre was designed by Andrew Mather and built by Gee. Walker and Slater LTD. for Walter Gibbons and Jack Buchanan on the 19th of December 1930 with a capacity of 2,000. It opened with a production of 'Viennese Nights'. Jack Buchanan had a flat built above the Theatre, which he lived in until it was bombed in the war.

Left - Programme for Gordon Courteny's review 'Non-Stop Revels' at the Leicester Square Theatre in 1932.

When the Theatre was built it was intended that it would be the home of light musical comedy, however, when the building was planned the architects forgot one important thing; THE STAGE. It had been thought that it would be possible to purchase some buildings at the rear of the theatre and it was not until after the building works was started that it was discovered that the owner of the properties was unwilling to sell, thus it was not possible to build the Theatre with a stage large enough for the intended purpose. The project which was to be named after Jack Buchanan bankrupted Walter Gibbons. Apart from a few half and half shows the Theatre operated almost entirely as a cinema.

RKO bought the building, installed a revolving stage, and reopened it in June 1931, and in July Gracie Fields appeared at the Theatre for a week, twice nightly, along with a film which was a prelude to her first talky 'Sally in our Alley' which opened at the Theatre on the 21st of August. This formed part of 'Fifty Fifty' which was a combined stage and screen presentation featuring Jack Hulbert's song and dance show 'The R.K.O. Loud Speakers,' and of course the Gracie Field's film 'Sally in our Alley.'

The name was changed to the Olympic in March 1932, but only until July when it closed and reopened once again as the Leicester Square Theatre in August.

Gordon Courteny took over management of the Theatre from August the 8th 1932 with his revue shows 'Non-Stop Revels' for a short while (Programme shown Above Left and Below). However, after less than a year the Theatre was back to showing films only again and has been used as a Cinema ever since.

After world war two reopening the building as a live theatre was strongly mooted but in the end nothing became of it and the building remained as a cinema.

Right - The auditorium of the Leicester Square Theatre in January 1968 - Photo by John D. Sharp from the journal of the Cinema Organ Society, June 1970.

On July the 22nd 1988 the Theatre was taken over by Odeon Cinemas and renamed The Odeon West End, opening with the film 'The Couch Trip'.

In 1991 the Theatre was closed and split into two Cinemas. Screen One opened on the 11th October that year and was constructed upstairs in the former balcony of the Theatre and seated 503. Screen Two was constructed in the former stalls of the Theatre and seated 848 on its opening on the 1st of November 1991. The Facade of the former Leicester Square Theatre was retained in the 1991 conversion but was covered up with billboards advertising the Cinemas current presentations.

In October of 2008 Westminster Council approved the demolition of the Theatre so that an Hotel could be built on the site, with two small Screens of 440 and 200 seats constructed in the basement. Demolition is projected to begin in the summer of 2009. A sad end indeed for this former Theatre, and yet another loss to Leicester Square which was once the heart of London's West End Theatreland.

For more information on Leicester Square's Theatrical heritage see this page.

Some of the above textual information on the Leicester Square Theatre was gleaned from 'The Theatres of London' by Raymond Mander & Joe Mitchenson 1963, 'London Theatres and Music Halls 1850-1950' by Dianna Howard 1970, with contributions from Alan Chudley.

Above - Programme for Gordon Courteny's review 'Non-Stop Revels' at the Leicester Square Theatre in 1932.

Above - The Odeon West End, formerly the Leicester Square Theatre, in September 2008 - Photo ML

Above Left - The Side Elevation of the Leicester Square Theatre showing the original dressing room block and Stage Door. And right, the Rear Elevation showing the Stage House and Fly Tower. - Photos ML August 2008.