 Illustration from theatre programme of 1936 based on a photo of the Saville Theatre, featuring the playThe Limping Man, a 1931 play byWilliam Matthew Scott. | |
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| Address | Shaftesbury Avenue Camden,London United Kingdom |
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| Coordinates | 51°30′51″N0°07′42″W / 51.514269°N 0.128242°W /51.514269; -0.128242 |
| Owner | Yoo Capital |
| Type | Live arts venue (former cinema and theatre) |
| Capacity | 1,426 (1931) |
| Current use | Closed for redevelopment |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 8 October 1931 |
| Closed | 11 August 2024 |
| Years active | 1931–2024 |
| Architect | Sir Thomas Bennett, withBertie Crewe |
| Website | |
| https://yoocapital.com/project/the-saville/ | |
TheSaville Theatre building is a formerWest End theatre andcinema at 135Shaftesbury Avenue in theLondon Borough of Camden. The theatre opened in 1931, and became a music venue during the 1960s. In 1970, it became a cinema, most recently as theOdeon Covent Garden.
The Odeon Covent Garden permanently closed on August 11, 2024 pending site redevelopment.
The theatre was designed by the architectSir Thomas Bennett, in consultation withBertie Crewe, and opened on 8 October 1931, with a play with music byH.F. Maltby,For The Love Of Mike.[1]
The theatre benefited from a capacity of 1,426 on three levels and a stage that was 31.5 feet (9.6 m) wide, with a depth of 30.5 feet (9.3 m). The interior was opulent,The Stage reviewed the new theatre on its opening
The stalls bar and saloon lounge adjoining, will please the public, special care has been exercised in their equipment and decoration. The bar, which has mural paintings by Mr A. R. Thompson, is 18 ft by 54 ft in front of the counters, while the lounge, which is also decorated by the same artist, is 42 ft by 40 ft. There is a sort of shopping arcade in and about the lounge, as in the up-to-date hotels, and it is quite big enough for tea dances or concerts. So comfortable, indeed, are the lounge and the bar at the Saville, that it is to be feared that something more than a warning bell will be necessary to clear them[1]
The theatre was damaged inthe Blitz in 1941, but reopened quickly allowing a revised version of therevueUp and Doing to complete a run of 332 performances.[2] An American comedy,Junior Miss, opened in March 1943 and ran for 518 performances.[3] In April 1946 the revueHere Come the Boys, starringBobby Howes andJack Hulbert, started a run of 336 performances.[4]
Ivor Novello's musicalGay's the Word ran for 502 performances from February 1951.[5] In 1952Love from Judy, a musical adaption ofDaddy-Long-Legs, opened in September and ran for 594 performances.[6] In 1955 the interior of the theatre was completely refurbished by Laurence Irving, and John Collins created a new mural for the stalls bar.[1] In 1958 the musicalExpresso Bongo began a 315-performance run.[5]
In 1962Peter Ustinov starred in his own playPhoto Finish, which ran for 253 performances,[7] andLaurence Olivier appeared inDavid Turner'sSemi-Detached, which ran for 133 performances.[8] The following yearPickwick, a musical adaption ofThe Pickwick Papers, premiered on 4 July, featuringHarry Secombe in the title role. It was a success, running for 694 performances.[9]
Brian Epstein, manager ofThe Beatles, leased the theatre in 1965, presenting both drama (including works byArnold Wesker)[10] androck and roll shows. Plays in 1965 includedThe Solid Gold Cadillac withSid James andMargaret Rutherford, which ran for 142 performances.[11]
TheD'Oyly Carte Opera Company played two ten-week London seasons at the Saville, from 6 December 1965 to 12 February 1966 and 18 December 1967 to 24 February 1968, presenting elevenSavoy Operas in each season.[12]
The venue saw appearances ofThe Jimi Hendrix Experience in January 1967 when they opened forThe Who, and again in August 1967.The Move andProcol Harum also appeared on the bill. Acts includingChuck Berry, The Beatles,Jimi Hendrix,Pink Floyd,Elton John,Nirvana,Cream,Fairport Convention, theIncredible String Band andThe Bee Gees also appeared there.[1][13]
The theatre was sold in 1969, and returned to presenting theatrical productions and under the new management it presented the London premiere ofThe Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, a production that broughtLeonard Rossiter to public attention.[14]Cameron Mackintosh's revival ofAnything Goes was a flop that year, playing for only two weeks,[15] and the last play to be performed at the theatre wasEnemy byRobin Maugham, opening for a run of 58 performances in December 1969.[16]
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The Saville was taken over byABC Theatres (owned by EMI) in 1970 and converted into a two-screen cinema by William Ryder and Associates. The gala opening on 22 December 1970 featuredThere's a Girl in My Soup in ABC 1 (616 seats) andThe Railway Children in ABC 2 (581 seats). The stage area became administration offices and little of the original theatre internal structure remains.[1][17]
In 2001, the building was taken over by theOdeon Cinemas group to become the four screen Odeon Covent Garden cinema.
The exterior of the theatre retains many of the original 1930s details, although the wrought iron arch window on the frontage has been replaced by glass blocks. A sculptured frieze by British sculptorGilbert Bayes, which runs across the building for nearly 130 feet (40 m), remains and represents 'Drama Through The Ages'.
The Saville was acquired in October 2021 byYoo Capital[18] with plans to redevelop the site as a live arts venue with a hotel and restaurant. The Odeon Covent Garden permanently closed on August 11, 2024.[19]
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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