TheHarold Pinter Theatre, known as theComedy Theatre until 2011,[1] is aWest End theatre, and opened on Panton Street in theCity of Westminster, on 15 October 1881, as the Royal Comedy Theatre. It was designed byThomas Verity and built in just six months in painted (stucco) stone and brick.[2] By 1884 it was known as simply the Comedy Theatre. In the mid-1950s the theatre underwent major reconstruction and re-opened in December 1955; the auditorium remains essentially that of 1881, with three tiers of horseshoe-shaped balconies.[2]
The streets betweenLeicester Square and theHaymarket had been of insalubrious reputation until shortly before the construction of the Comedy Theatre, but by 1881 the "doubtful resorts of the roisterers" had been removed.[3] J. H. Addison held a plot of ground in Panton Street at the corner of Oxenden Street, for which he commissioned the architectThomas Verity to design a theatre.[4] The builders were Kirk and Randall ofWoolwich.[3] The original seating capacity was 1,186, comprising 140 stalls, 120 dress circle, 126 upper boxes, amphitheatre 100, pit 400 and gallery 300.[4] the construction was completed in six months.[2]
The theatre was, and remains, a four-tier house, its exterior in the classical tradition in painted (stucco) stone and brick.[2] The theatrical newspaperThe Era described the interior as "Renaissance style, richly moulded and finished in white and gold. The draperies of the boxes are of maroon plush, elegantly draped and embroidered in gold".[5] It was originally planned to light the theatre by the new electric lighting, but for unspecified reasons this was temporarily abandoned, and the usual gas lighting was installed.[5][n 1]
The first lessee of the theatre, Alexander Henderson, who had worked with Verity on the design of the building, intended it to be the home ofcomic opera; at one time he had intended to call it the Lyric.[n 2] The theatre historiansMander and Mitchenson write that the name he finally chose – the Royal Comedy – lacked any official approval for the use of "Royal", which was dropped within three years.[6][n 3] He assembled a strong team, includingLionel Brough as stage director andAuguste van Biene as musical director.[5]
Melnotte sub-let the theatre in 1887 toHerbert Beerbohm Tree – his first venture into management – who presented and co-starred withMarion Terry inThe Red Lamp byOutram Tristram.[11] The following year the sub-lessee wasCharles Hawtrey, who ran the theatre until 1892 and producedJane (1890) and many farces described by Mander and Mitchenson as "now-forgotten".[8]
Poster forThe New Woman
In 1893J. Comyns Carr took over the management of the theatre. He remained in charge for three years, producing among other playsSowing the Wind by Sydney Grundy (1893);The Professor's Love Story byJ. M. Barrie (1894);The New Woman by Grundy (1894); andThe Benefit of the Doubt byA. W. Pinero (1895). The resident stars of the house in this period wereCyril Maude and his wifeWinifred Emery. Hawtrey resumed the management in a play of his own,Mr Martin, in which he co-starred withLottie Venne.[12] which he followed with a successful season of light comedies.[8]William Greet took over the theatre in 1898 and presentedArthur Roberts andAda Reeve in amusical comedyMilord Sir Smith with music byEdward Jakobowski.[13] The major productions of 1899 wereA Lady of Quality byFrances Hodgson Burnett, andGreat Caesar byGeorge Grossmith Jr. andPaul Rubens, withWillie Edouin, Grossmith and Reeve.[14]
In the early years of the 20th century the Comedy was often used for special seasons and matinée performances of avant garde plays.Frank Benson and his company, which includedLilian Braithwaite andOscar Asche, played a Shakespeare season in 1901.[15] In 1902,Lewis Waller presented an adaption ofMonsieur Beaucaire which ran for 430 performances.[16]
In 1904Fred Terry andJulia Neilson played inSunday for a run of 129 performances.[17] The following yearCharles Frohman presentedJohn Barrymore in his first London appearance inThe Dictator. In 1906John Hare presented a short season, appearing inThe Alabaster Staircase, and a revival ofA Pair of Spectacles. Other productions in the first decade of the century includedRaffles withGerald du Maurier in the title role (1906), which ran for 351 performances;[18] 1907, a series of six dramas bySomerset Maugham and others starringMarie Tempest (1907–1909);[19] andMarie Löhr in Pinero'sPreserving Mr Panmure (1911). The final production to open before theFirst World War wasPeg o' My Heart, withLaurette Taylor, which ran for 710 performances.[20]
In 1915 the Comedy followed the fashion forrevue, presentingAlbert de Courville'sShell Out! (1915),C. B. Cochran'sHalf-past Eight (1916), and four successive revues byAndré Charlot:This and That andSee-Saw! (1916), andBubbly andTails Up (1918). They all ran well, particularly the last two, which ran for 429 and 467 performances respectively.[21]
The theatre established the New Watergate Club in 1956, under producer Anthony Field, to counter the stage censorship in force at the time.[22] TheTheatres Act 1843 was still in force and required scripts to be submitted for approval by theLord Chamberlain's Office. Formation of the club allowed plays that had been banned due to language or subject matter to be performed under "club" conditions.
^The delay did not affect the Comedy's chance of being the first theatre in London (or anywhere else) to be lit by electricity, as that distinction had already been won by theSavoy, which opened five days before the Comedy.[6]
Piccadilly Circus
Media related toThe Harold Pinter Theatre, London at Wikimedia Commons
