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Wyndham's
Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the architect of six other London theatres between then and 1916. It was designed to seat 759 patrons on three levels; later refurbishment increased this to four seating levels. The theatre was Grade II* listed by English Heritage in September 1960. History Wyndham had always dreamed of building a theatre of his own, and through the admiration of a patron and the financial confidence of friends, he was able to realise his dream. Wyndham's Theatre opened on 16 November 1899, in the presence of the Prince of Wales. The first play performed there was a revival of T. W. Robertson's '' David Garrick''. A number of successes followed, including Lena Ashwell playing the lead role in '' Mrs Dane's Defence'' in 1900, upon which Wyndham said that “''the app ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Wyndham (actor)
Sir Charles Wyndham (23 March 1837 – 12 January 1919), ''né'' Charles Culverwell, was an English actor and theatre proprietor. Wyndham's Theatre in London is named after him, and he also built the New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) nearby. Wyndham's family intended him for a medical career, and he studied medicine while enthusiastically engaging in amateur theatricals in his spare time. Torn between medicine and the stage, he spent three years in the US as a surgeon in the Union army in the American Civil War and on two occasions acted unsuccessfully on the New York stage. After returning to Britain and establishing himself as an actor he made further trips to the US between 1882 and 1910, playing in theatres all around the country. In London, Wyndham became known for his comic skills, both in light comedy and farce. He took over the management of the Criterion Theatre in 1876 and remained in charge there for more than 20 years. "Criterion farce" became a familia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (1969); Olenna Tyrell in ''Game of Thrones'' (2013–2017); and the title role in ''Medea'' in the West End in 1993 followed by Broadway a year later. Rigg made her professional stage debut in 1957 in '' The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1959. She made her Broadway debut in ''Abelard & Heloise'' in 1971. Her role as Emma Peel made her a sex symbol. For her role in ''Medea'', both in London and New York, she won the 1994 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She was made a CBE in 1988 and a Dame in 1994 for services to drama. Rigg appeared in numerous TV series and films, playing Helena in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1968); Lady Holiday in '' The Great Muppet C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dear Brutus
''Dear Brutus'' is a 1917 fantasy play by J. M. Barrie, depicting alternative realities for its characters and their eventual return to real life. The title is a reference to a line from Shakespeare's '' Julius Caesar'': "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves". First production The play ran for 363 performances at the Wyndham's Theatre in the West End between 17 October 1917 and 24 August 1918. Original cast *Mr Dearth – Gerald du Maurier *Mr Purdie – Sam Sothern *Mr Coade – Norman Forbes *Matey – Will West *Lob – Arthur Hatherton *Mrs Dearth – Hilda Moore *Mrs Purdie – Jessie Bateman *Mrs Coade – Maude Millett *Joanna Trout – Doris Lytton *Lady Caroline Laney – Lydia Bilbrook *Margaret – Faith Celli ::Source: ''The Times''."Dear Brutus", ''The Times'', 18 October 1917, p. 9 The play was revived in 1922 at the same venue for another 257 performance run, with du Maurier again in the cast along with Mabel Terry-Lewis, Alfred Dray ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Boy Friend (musical)
''The Boy Friend'' (sometimes misrepresented ''The Boyfriend'') is a musical by Sandy Wilson. Its original 1954 London production ran for 2,078 performances, briefly making it the third-longest running musical in West End or Broadway history (after '' Chu Chin Chow'' and ''Oklahoma!'') until they were all surpassed by '' Salad Days''. ''The Boy Friend'' marked Julie Andrews' American stage debut. Set in the carefree world of the French Riviera in the Roaring Twenties, ''The Boy Friend'' is a comic pastiche of 1920s shows, in particular early Rodgers and Hart musicals such as '' The Girl Friend''. Its relatively small cast and low cost of production makes it a continuing popular choice for amateur and student groups. Sandy Wilson wrote a sequel to ''The Boy Friend''. Set ten years later, and, appropriately, a pastiche of 1930s musicals, in particular those of Cole Porter, it was titled ''Divorce Me, Darling!'' and ran for 91 performances at London's old Globe Theatre in 1965 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Years Between (play)
''The Years Between'' is a play by the English writer Daphne du Maurier, better known as a novelist and particularly as the author of ''Rebecca (novel), Rebecca'' (which she had adapted for the London stage in 1940). This is one of two original plays that she wrote. The other is'' September Tide'' (1948). Plot outline Set against the backdrop of the Second World War, ''The Years Between'' unfolds in the library/living room of an English country house. The man of the house, Colonel Michael Wentworth, MP, is presumed dead after his plane crashed into the sea on a flight to Europe in 1942. His wife Diana is persuaded to take over the Colonel's parliamentary seat, and she is supported in her endeavours by her neighbour Richard Llewellyn, a sympathetic farmer with whom she strikes up a romantic relationship. Llewellyn teaches the Wentworths' young son Robin how to fish, thus becoming his great friend. Three years later, as the war is about to come to an end, the Colonel returns. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West End Theatre
West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes, "West End" in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1195, Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world. Seeing a West End show is a common tourist activity in London. Famous screen actors, British and international alike, frequently appear on the London stage. There are a total of 39 theatres in the West End, with the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, opened in May 1663, the oldest theatre in London. The Savoy Theatre – built as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan – was entirely lit by electricity in 1881. Opening in October 2022, @sohoplace is the first new West End theatre in 50 years. The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) announc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Life Of Pi (play)
''Life of Pi'' is a play based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Yann Martel adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti. The play premiered in June 2019 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield before transferring to the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End in November 2021. The play won five Laurence Olivier Awards (including Best New Play), five UK Theatre Awards (including Best New Play) and Best New Play at the WhatsOnStage Awards. Production history Sheffield (2019) The play was commissioned by produceSimon Friend and after a series of workshops over two years, made its world premiere at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield running from 28 June until 20 July 2019. The play is directed by Max Webster. London (2021-2023) Following the success of the Sheffield run, the play opened in London's West End at the Wyndham's Theatre, produced by Simon Friend, beginning previews on 15 November 2021, with an official opening on 2 December. The play was originally due to o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Living Room (play)
''The Living Room'' is a 1953 play by Graham Greene Synopsis The play consists of two acts, each of two scenes and is set entirely in the living room of Rose Pemberton and her two elderly aunts who live with the aunts' brother James, a disabled Roman Catholic priest. The aunts have a long-running fear of death in the house, with any bedroom being locked away from further use following a death of its resident family member. The story revolves around the introduction of Rose's new lover, Michael Dennis, to the family. It later transpires that Michael is married when his suicidal wife arrives at the house. Premiere After premiering at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh it transferred to the West End where it ran for 308 performances at Wyndham's Theatre between 16 April 1953 and 9 January 1954. Original cast *Mary, the daily woman – Dorothy Dewhurst *Michael Dennis – John Robinson *Rose Pemberton – Dorothy Tutin *Miss Teresa Browne – Mary Jerrold *Miss Helen Browne – ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dorothy Tutin
Dame Dorothy Tutin, (8 April 19306 August 2001) was an English actress of stage, film and television. For her work in the theatre, she won two Olivier Awards and two ''Evening Standard'' Awards for Best Actress. She was made a CBE in 1967 and a Dame (DBE) in 2000. Tutin began her stage career in 1949 and won the 1960 Best Actress ''Evening Standard'' Award for ''Twelfth Night''. Having made her Broadway debut in the 1963 production of ''The Hollow Crown'', she received a Tony Award nomination for her role in the 1968 original Broadway production of '' Portrait of a Queen''. In the 1970s, she won a second Best Actress ''Evening Standard'' Award and won the Olivier Award (then the Society of London awards) for Best Actress in a Revival for '' A Month in the Country'' and ''The Double Dealer''. Her films included ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' (1952), '' The Beggar's Opera'' (1953), '' A Tale of Two Cities'' (1958), '' Savage Messiah'' (1972) and '' The Shooting Party'' ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mrs Dane's Defence (play)
{{citation style, date=July 2011 ''Mrs. Dane's Defence'' is a society play (though it has some characteristics of a melodrama) in four acts by the British playwright Henry Arthur Jones. First performance The play was first performed at London's Wyndham's Theatre on 9 October 1900 and ran for 209 performances. The original cast included Charles Wyndham as Sir Daniel Carteret, Mary Moore as Lady Eastney and Lena Ashwell as Mrs. Dane (her performance in this role launched Lena Ashwell's career). A touring cast played in the US from 31 December 1900 to April 1901. Structure and setting The play has four acts. All the action takes place in the imaginary village of Sunningwater, about twenty-five miles from London. The first and second acts are set in the blue drawing room at Lady Eastney's, two or three weeks apart. The third and fourth acts are set in the library at Sir Daniel Carteret's on the following Wednesday afternoon and Saturday evening. Plot The story focuses on Mr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daphne Du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was George du Maurier, a writer and cartoonist. Although du Maurier is classed as a romantic novelist, her stories have been described as "moody and resonant" with overtones of the paranormal. Her bestselling works were not at first taken seriously by critics, but they have since earned an enduring reputation for narrative craft. Many have been successfully adapted into films, including the novels '' Rebecca'', '' Frenchman's Creek'', ''My Cousin Rachel'' and '' Jamaica Inn'', and the short stories " The Birds" and " Don't Look Now". Du Maurier spent much of her life in Cornwall, where most of her works are set. As her fame increased, she became more reclusive. Biography Early life Daphne du Maurier was born at 24 Cumberland Terrace, Regent's Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charing Cross Road
Charing Cross Road is a street in central London running immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles Circus (the intersection with Oxford Street) and then becomes Tottenham Court Road. It leads from the north in the direction of Charing Cross at the south side of Trafalgar Square. It connects via St Martin's Place and the motorised east side of the square. History Charing Cross road was originally two narrow streets in the West End, Crown Street and Castle Street. The development of Regent Street (parallel to the west) in the mid-18th century coincided with not only the building up of great fields west of the area but also Westminster Bridge which was built as central London and the wider estuary's second bridge after more than a century of pressure, in 1750. These pressures therefore congested the north–south axis of the inner West End almost as much as the relieved London Bridge area. Specifically a major increase in traffic occurred around Piccad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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