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____________________________________________________________________________________________ Novello Theatre, Aldwych, London, W.C.2 Formerly Waldorf Theatre / Strand Theatre / Whitney Theatre
Above - The Novello Theatre on its reopening in December 2005 The Novello
Theatre is currently home to the dance musical 'Into The Hoods.'
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Right -
Programme for 'Dorothy' presented by Eleanora Duse at the Waldorf Theatre
in 1905. - Click
for details. - Courtesy Crispin Cockman. The Theatre was built as part of the Aldwych reconstruction which began at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Four theatres were demolished when London's Aldwych, named after the Old Wych Street, was constructed. This vast operation began in the last years of the nineteenth century and was not finally completed until after the First World War. The Olympic Theatre in Wych Street and the Opera Comique in the Strand were closed in 1899, the Globe Theatre in Newcastle Street shut its doors in 1902. This was followed by the closure of the Gaiety Theatre in the Strand in June of the same year.
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The Waldorf Theatre was constructed at the bottom corner of Catherine Street - the top end of which houses the fourth and present Theatre Royal Drury Lane which has been open since 1812. The Waldorf Theatre was part of a vast new building consisting of the Waldorf Theatre itself, The new Waldorf Hotel in the center, and at the far end, The Aldwych Theatre. Both Theatres were designed by W. G. R. Sprague and given identical exteriors. Just prior to the Theatre's opening, The ERA printed in it's 20th May 1905 edition a description of the new Waldorf Theatre, it read:
Right - Period postcard with map showing the Waldorf Hotel, and the Waldorf , Aldwych and Gaiety Theatres. On the first tier level is the refreshment saloon, decorated
in cream and gold. In the auditorium the colour scheme is Rose du Barri,
relieved by richly gilt circle fronts, and by a touch of green in the
French tapestries upholstering the stalls and dress circle; a qualifying
note being struck in the brown French walnut of the seat frames. One
of the notable features is a magnificent circular ceiling in modelled
plaster with finely gilt centre piece and outer border, and a boldly
treated picture sweeping round the two, painted after the style of Le
Brun. The bas relievo modelling of the tympanum which surmounts the
proscenium represents Apollo in his chariot drawn by four Above Left - The Strand Theatre, Formerly Waldorf Theatre, now Novello, seating plan - Click to Enlarge.
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The Waldorf Theatre had a change of name in 1909 when it became the Strand Theatre, but this was only temporary as in 1911 it was changed again to the Whitney Theatre. However the name reverted to the Strand Theatre again in 1913 and has remained so until 2005. The Theatre was redecorated and partly reconstructed in 1930 and the Dress Circle rear boxes were removed. The Theatre also suffered some bomb damage during the first world war.
Above - 1936 Programme for 'Aren't Men Beasts!' at the Strand Theatre staring John Mills whose picture, from the programme, is also shown above. John Mills died in 2005.
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Above - Three programmes for the Strand Theatre 1933, 1935, and 1949.
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Above - The Waldorf Hotel with the Waldorf (now Novello) Theatre (left) and the Aldwych Theatre (right) c.1906. The corner of the Gaiety Theatre may just be seen at the extreme left foreground. Opposite the Waldorf Theatre, on Catherine Street is the 'unique site' which because of an Ancient Lights ruling remained vacant until 1925 when the Duchess Theatre was built on part of it. On the horizon, behind the Aldwych Theatre may be glimpsed some of the roof of Drury Lane Theatre. Bedford Lemere took the photograph from the rear of the site now occupied by India House. To his right would have been the sites of two recently demolished theatres, The Globe (1868 - 1902) and the Opera Comique (1870 - 1899). Text and image from 'Theatrephile' Volume 2 No.6 Spring 1985 |
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The Waldorf Theatre had a change of name in 1909 when it became the Strand Theatre, but this was only temporary as in 1911 it was changed again to the Whitney Theatre. However the name reverted to the Strand Theatre again in 1913 and has remained so until 2005. The Theatre was redecorated and partly reconstructed in 1930 and the Dress Circle rear boxes were removed. The Theatre also suffered some bomb damage during the first world war (See below).
Damage inflicted on the Strand Theatre in London when two bombs were dropped on Aldwych by the Zeppelin L15. Another bomb from the same airship fell in front of the Lyceum Theatre. The Zeppelins were a sinister new development in aerial warfare. Their engines made 'a weird and peculiar burr' which became all too familiar. |
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Left - The same side elevation of the Strand Theatre on Catherine Street, as shown in the image of the bomb damage in 1915 above, during renovation and a name change to the Novello Theatre in 2005. Photo M.L. |
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Above - The Strand Theatre being refurbished and
it's name changed
Right - In Search Of Ruritania by David Slattery is an honest and affectionate journey into the life, work and world of the late Ivor Novello. Click to buy the book at Amazon.co.uk. |
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Above - The Novello Theatre on its opening in December 2005 - Photo M.L. For a detailed history of the Novello Theatre you may also like to see this excellent page on the Delfont Mackintosh website.
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Left - The Stage Door of the Strand Theatre in 2005 on Tavistock Street during renovations and conversion to the Novello Theatre. - Photo M.L.
For a detailed history of the Novello Theatre you may also like to see this excellent page on the Delfont Mackintosh website. |
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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
decorative scheme of the interior is in the Louis XIV style. The walls
of the crush room and main staircase are adorned with alternate stripes
of dove coloured and violet marble, and the balustrade of the staircase
is a wrought iron copy of one of Baron's famous designs. 
Left
- Bomb damage to the Strand Theatre, 13th October, 1915. - From a 1950s
Nostalgia Postcard. The rear of the card reads:
Bombing
raids using aircraft followed in 1917.
