St James's Theatre
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The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's London. Built by the partnership of Peto & Grissell, it opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. It was for a short while called The Prince's.
It had a long and distinguished theatre life, and many famous people performed there including Oscar Wilde, Henry Irving, Lillie Langtry, Henry Ainley (who briefly co-managed with Gilbert Miller), George Alexander (who also managed it for over 25 years until he died), Claude Rains, Charles Hawtrey, Laurence Olivier and his wife Vivien Leigh and Orson Welles. Sir Gerald Du Maurier was actor-manager of the St James's for several years in the 1920s and 1930s.
Other performances included opera, Shakespearian readings, burlesque, ballet and modern plays.
There was a campaign against its closure, led by Vivien Leigh, which included street marches and a protest in the House of Lords. It was demolished in 1957.
External links
- [St James's Theatre] for an extensive history of the theatre and its performances.
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