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New Ambassadors Theatre, West Street, London WC2,

Formerly The Ambassadors Theatre

Above - The New Ambassaors Theatre during the run of 'Waiting For Godot' in October 2006

The New Ambassadors Theatre opened as The Ambassadors Theatre on the 5th June 1913 with a production of 'Panthea' by Monckton Hoffe. The original plan was to build two theatres side by side at the same time but the war caused the building of the second Theatre, St. Martin's, to be delayed until 1916. Both Theatres were designed by W. G. R. Sprague. Because the Ambassadors was built before the building previous to St. Martins had been demolished it had to be lower than intended so as not to interfere with the 'ancient lights' of the other building. Hence the reason that the stalls of the Ambassadors Theatre are below ground level.

Right - Programme for 'Swinging The Gate' at the Ambassadors Theatre in 1940, which was a sequel to 'The Gate Revue' of 1939.

The ERA said on the Theatre's opening: The general scheme of decoration is Louis XVI and the colour scheme of Parma violet ivory, and dull gold is a refreshing change to the warm colours usually selected in decorative schemes. The Auditorium is arranged with a commodious stalls area, behind which is a good roomy pit, and above this level is the dress circle, and forming part of the smae tier is the family circle, or upper boxes, sufficiently raised to form another distinct circle.

The world's longest running play, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, started its run at the Ambassadors Theatre on the 25 November 1952, with Richard Attenborough and his wife Sheila Sim before moving to the St. Martin's Theatre next door in 1974 where it is still going strong in 2007 despite being in its 55th year.

Left - Early Programme for 'The Mousetrap' at the Ambassadors Theatre with Richard Attenborough still in the cast, although his wife, Sheila Sim, was no longer in the play. - Click to see the Entire Programme.

Despite the 2nd World War the Theatre carried on with a good many productions including 'Sweet and Low' which was shown in 1943 - See programme below.

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