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 The closed Mermaid Theatre, now primarily a conference centre | |
 Interactive map of Mermaid Theatre | |
| Address | Puddle Dock London,EC4 United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°30′41″N0°06′07″W / 51.511306°N 0.101972°W /51.511306; -0.101972 |
| Public transit |   Blackfriars |
| Owner | Blackfriars PD Ltd |
| Type | Open-stage |
| Capacity | 600-seated on one level |
| Current use | Conference centre and recording |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 28 May 1959 |
| Closed | 2003 |
| Architect | Ove Arup |
| Website | |
| www.the-mermaid.co.uk | |
TheMermaid Theatre was a theatre encompassing the site ofPuddle Dock andCurriers' Alley[1][better source needed] atBlackfriars in theCity of London, and the first built in the City since the time ofShakespeare. It was one of the first new theatres to abandon the traditional stage layout; instead of this, a single tier of seats surrounded the stage on three sides.
The 20th-century theatre was the life's work of actorBernard Miles and his wife,Josephine Wilson. His original Mermaid Theatre was a large hall at his home,Duff House, St John's Wood, in north west London. It seated 200 people, and during 1951 and 1952 was used for concerts, plays and an opera production ofDido and Aeneas withKirsten Flagstad,Maggie Teyte andThomas Hemsley, conducted by Geraint Jones, which was recorded byHis Master's Voice. For the third season in 1953, the Mermaid Theatre was moved to theRoyal Exchange.[2]
Miles was encouraged to build a permanent theatre and, raising money from public subscriptions, and his revenues from publicity spots for theEgg Marketing Board, he oversaw the creation of the new building on land formerly occupied by a warehouse.[citation needed]
The new Mermaid Theatre opened on 28 May 1959 with a production ofLock Up Your Daughters and it was the venue for many other productions, such asCowardy Custard and an annual staging ofTreasure Island, with Miles reprising his role ofLong John Silver, which he also played in a television version. The Mermaid Theatre also ran the Molecule Club, educating children about science.[3]
Other notable productions include the 1978 première ofWhose Life Is It Anyway?, withTom Conti andRona Anderson.[4] TheRoyal Shakespeare Company sometimes transferred Stratford productions to the Mermaid, including a residency during 1987 which saw the staging of seven plays.[5]
Gomba Holdings, a property company owned by Ugandan Asian businessman Abdul Shamji and his family, which claimed to have interests in theGarrick andDuchess theatres as well asWembley Stadium,[6] bought the theatre in the mid-1980s in the hope of redeveloping the Puddle Dock site. Bernard Miles' tenure as honorary artistic advisor was terminated and the theatre's importance declined. In 1989, Abdul Shamji was sentenced to 15 months in prison over his involvement in theJohnson Matthey bank collapse.[7][8][9] Josephine Wilson died in 1990 and Bernard (by then Lord) Miles died in 1991, financially destitute.[6][10]
Marc Sinden was appointedartistic director in 1993, opening the Bernard Miles Studio as a second performance area,[11] but left the next year.[12]
After a further change of ownership the theatre was slated for demolition in 2002 as part of redevelopment plans. It had fallen into disuse, the buildings being used more often as a conference centre than a theatre. A preservation campaign by actors and other supporters attempted to reverse the decision. In April 2003Ken Livingstone, theMayor of London, ordered the council to block the demolition.[13] TheBBC Concert Orchestra used it for occasional concerts, and the BBC recorded a weekly radio show,Friday Night Is Music Night, which showcased musicians such as the violinistNigel Kennedy and singerJosh Groban.[citation needed]
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In September 2008, the Corporation of London City Planning Committee, against the advice of theTheatres Trust and various actors, producers and artistic directors,[14] granted a certificate that stripped the former playhouse of its theatre status. The move may save the developer £6 million worth of Section 106 funding, which it had previously agreed to pay in lieu if it closed the 600-seat Mermaid; the company could be released from the obligation because no theatrical productions have taken place for more than ten years.[15] The existing plans would see the Puddle Dock building converted into a conference centre and fitness suite, plus offices, a nightclub and retail and restaurant space. Campaigners were concerned that the entire building might be demolished.[14] The former chairman of the Save London's Theatres Campaign, John Levitt, called the decision "a tragedy" and "sheer meanness".[14]
In 2021, the Mermaid Theatre exists as a conference centre, called The Mermaid London.
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