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The present Richmond Theatre, in the
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames () in southwest London forms part of Outer London and is the only London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas amalgamated under the Londo ...
, is a British Victorian
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
located on Little Green, adjacent to Richmond Green. It opened on 18 September 1899 with a performance of ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...
''. One of the finest surviving examples of the work of theatre architect
Frank Matcham Francis Matcham (22 November 1854 – 17 May 1920)Mackintosh, Iain"Matcham, Frank" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 7 July 2019 was an English architect who specialised in the design o ...
, the building, in red brick with buff
terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terra ...
, is listed Grade II* by
Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...
. John Earl, writing in 1982, described it as " outstanding importance as the most completely preserved Matcham theatre in Greater London and one of his most satisfying interiors."


History

The theatre, originally known as the ''Theatre Royal and Opera House'', is structured into the familiar stalls, dress and upper circles, with four boxes at dress level. The auditorium is a mixture of gilt detailing and red plush fabrics, covering seats and front of circles. Its interior and exterior has been used as a
movie set Set construction is the process undertaken by a construction manager to build full-scale scenery, as specified by a production designer or art director working in collaboration with the director of a production to create a set for a theatric ...
in many films (e.g. '' Evita'', ''
Topsy-Turvy ''Topsy-Turvy'' is a 1999 British musical period drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh, starring Allan Corduner as Sir Arthur Sullivan and Jim Broadbent as W.S. Gilbert, along with Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville and Ron Cook. The ...
'', standing in for the Victorian
Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy P ...
, '' Finding Neverland''—doubling as the ''
Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...
'', '' National Treasure: Book of Secrets''—setting of
Ford's Theatre Ford's Theatre is a theater located in Washington, D.C., which opened in August 1863. The theater is infamous for being the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. On the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the theater bo ...
) and TV programmes (e.g. ''
Jonathan Creek ''Jonathan Creek'' is a long-running British mystery crime drama series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. It stars Alan Davies as the titular character, who works as a creative consultant to a stage magician while also solvi ...
''). In the early 1990s the theatre underwent a major overhaul overseen by the designer
Carl Toms Carl Toms OBE (29 May 1927 – 4 August 1999) was a British set and costume designer who was known for his work in theatre, opera, ballet, and film. Education Carl Toms was born in 1927 at Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England. His p ...
. This included a side extension giving more space for the audience and included a 'Matcham Room', today known as the Ambassador Lounge. The driving force behind the renovation of the theatre was Sally Greene, with strong support from
Richmond upon Thames Council Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London, the United Kingdom capital. Richmond upon Thames is ...
through its Chief Executive, Richard Harbord and Community Services Committee chairman
Serge Lourie (Alexander) Serge Lourie CF (born 22 February 1946) is a former Leader of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, where he was a local government councillor from 1982 to 2010. He was Chairman of the United Kingdom Housing Trust, Kingston ...
. The theatre is now part of the
Ambassador Theatre Group The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) is a major international theatre organisation headquartered in the United Kingdom, with offices in Woking (head office), London, New York, Sydney, Mannheim and Cologne. ATG's key operations comprise three in ...
and has a weekly schedule of plays and musicals, alongside special music events and children's shows. Pre-West End productions can often be seen. There is a
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
and
New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system ...
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...
tradition and many of Britain's greatest
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Br ...
and pantomime performers have appeared there. The theatre also offers a range of creative learning activities for adults and children, including drama, creative writing and singing. January 2013 saw Richmond Theatre extend access in the community when Suzanne Shaw and Tim Vine starred in the pantomime ''Aladdin'', by offering its first relaxed performance as part of a pilot scheme initiated by ATG. In 2016, the theatre was honoured with the People's Choice Award at The Richmond Business Awards.


References


Sources

* Earl, John; Sell, Michael (2000). ''Guide to British Theatres 1750–1950'', pp. 134–5, Theatres Trust.


Further reading

*


External links


Official website
1899 establishments in England Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Grade II* listed theatres Richmond Green Theatres in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames {{UK-theat-struct-stub