Mentions of Prince of Wales Theatre, London in indexed journals

 

 

Location

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Past Productions:

(some information from the Delfont Mackintosh website

• The Book of Mormon (25 February 2013 – paused in March 2020 due to coronavirus – returning on 15 November 2021)
  • The Windsors: Endgame (2 August to 9 October 2021) starring Harry Enfield
• Let It Be (14 September 2012 – 19 January 2013) transferred to Savoy Theatre
• Mamma Mia (Previews 16 April 2004; Opened 9 June 2004 – 1 September 2012) transferred to Novello Theatre
  • Reopened by HRH Prince of Wales on 10 June with charity gala performance on 10 June.
  • Mamma Mia became the longest-running show at the theatre in 2007 (overtaking Aspects of Love)
• 2003-04 Auditorium and Front of House spaces extensively refurbished by the Arts Team at RHWL under the management of Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Limited.
  • “The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Limited who have undertaken the £7.5 million refurbishment programme to give the West End one of its most stylish, spacious and comfortable theatres. Refurbishment was carried out to increase the seating capacity slightly to 1,160 seats and to modernise the theatre’s facilities. New bars were added, the auditorium completely rebuilt, the backstage areas refurbished and the theatre’s famous tower and exterior completely gutted and refurbished with new LED lighting and a crisp modern finish.”
• Cliff – The Musical (March 2003 – June 2003)
• Rent (October 2002 – March 2003)
• The Full Monty (March 2002 – October 2002)
• The Witches of Eastwick (23 March 2001 – 27 October 2001) transferred from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Reworked for a smaller venue, and starring Clarke Peters. 
• Fosse (8 February 2000 – 6 January 2001)
• Rent (November 1999 – January 2000) ?transferred from Shaftesbury Theatre
• West Side Story (January – September 1999)
• Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Previews 15 October, opens 23 October 1996 – 3 October 1998) directed by Jerry Zaks
• Elvis (15 April 1996 – 28 September 1996) 
• Tommy Steele – What A Show (Previews 2 October, opens 9 October 1995 – 6 January 1996)
• Copacabana (Previews from June 18, opened June 23 1994. Closed 9 September 1995) starring Gary Wilmot, then Darren Day. Directed by Roger Redfern. 
• The Magic Man (9 February 1994 – 26 March 1994) starring Paul Daniels
• Aspects of Love (20 December 1993 – 15 January 1994)
• City of Angels (March 30 1993 – 13 November 1993)
• Annie Get Your Gun (November-December 1992)
• Aspects of Love (17 April 1989 – 20 June 1992) 1325 performances
• South Pacific (20 January 1988 – 14 January 1989)
• Guys and Dolls (Opened June 19 1985) National Theatre production, starring Lulu
• Little Me (Previews 15 May 1984, Opened 30 May 1984, Closed 25 May 1985) starring Russ Abbot
• Hello Dolly (1983) featuring Danny La Rue (the first man to appear as Dolly)
• Underneath the Arches (1982)
• It’s Magic (10 December 1980 – 6 February 1982)  – 498 performances. Starring Paul Daniels
• An Evening With Tommy Steele (11 October 1979 – 29 November 1980)
• Same Time Next Year (1976) starring Michael Crawford & Frances Cuka.
• Harvey (1975) featuring James Stewart as Elwood
• Danny La Rue variety show (1973)
• Trelawny (3 August – 2 December 1972) featuring Gemma Craven, produced by Cameron Mackintosh. Transferred from Sadlers Wells Theatre
• The Threepenny Opera (1972), directed by Tony Richardson, featuring Vanessa Redgrave, Hermione Baddeley, Diana Quick, Miriam Gargoyles, Barbara Windsor.
• They Don’t Grow On Trees (5 December 1968) starring Dora Bryan as 9 different characters, Ronald Lewis and Hugh Paddick.
• Sweet Charity (11 Oct 1967 – 1968) starring Juliet Prowse and then Gretchen Wyler (from ?mid 1968).
• Way Out In Piccadilly (3 November 1966 – ?around September 1967) starring Frankie Howerd and Cilla Black, written by Ray Galton, Alan Simpson & Eric Sykes. Cilla Black appeared until 22 July 1967, and was replaced by Anita Harris.
• South American Fiesta – Grancolombian Dance Company (3 October 1966 – 3 weeks)
• Manuela Vargas and Her Company of Flamenco Dancers (2 August 1966 – end August)
• Funny Girl (Previews from 12 April 1966, Opened 13 April 1966 – ended July 16 1966) featuring Barbra Streisand (until her pregnancy. She left the show on July 16 1966 and was initially to be replaced by Lisa Shane, her understudy, but on 7 June 1966 it was announced that the show would end when Streisand left). Streisand was ill on 28 April 1966 and her understudy performed, resulting in around 400 people walking out (Daily Telegraph, 29 April 1966) Directed by Jerome Robbins
• Beset by Women (aka Tom Jones) (9 March 1966 – ?) starrnng Keith Barron as Tom Jones, Virginia Stridde, Douglas Blackwell, Carmel Cryan, Sonia Graham, Peter Whitbread
• Saturday Night And Sunday Morning (29 January 1966 – ?) by Alan Sillitoe. Directed by Frank Dunlop. Starring Tom Bell, Joan Heal, June Ritchie.
• Doctor at Sea (4 Jan 1966 – 22 January 1966) starring John Slater, Jerry Desmonde, Ray Cooney
• Passion Flower Hotel (24 August 1965 – ?)
• Travelling Light (8 April 1965 – 14 August 1965) starring Harry H Corbett, Michael Crawford, Julia Foster, Hazel Coppen. Written by Leonard Kingston. Directed by William Chappell.
• Round About Piccadilly () Max Bygraves replaced by Dickie Henderson on Feb 26 1965.
• The Beatles Command Performance in the presence of the Queen Mother (1963)

The Beatles Command Performance in 1963

• Martha Graham short season (1963) including Clytemnestra
• Come Blow Your Horn (1962) by Neil Simon, starring Bob Monkhouse, Michael Crawford & David Kossoff.
• The World of Suzie Wong (1959) 832 performances
• Various revues and variety acts (1950s), including Paris to Piccadilly, Pardon My French, Paris by Night and Plaisirs de Paris.
  Stars such as Norman Wisdom, Peter Sellars, Bob Hope, Terry Thomas, Dickie Henderson, Hughie Green, Morecambe & Wise and Terry Scott featured in the shows.
• Harvey (1949) featuring Sid Field, directed by Anthony Quayle
• Diamond Lil (1948) – featuring Mae West
• Piccadilly Hayride (1946) 778 performances
• The Great Dictator (1941) – a season showing the Chaplin classic
• Les Folies de Paris et Londres (27 October 1937, running continuously from 2pm – 11pm)
• The Second Prince of Wales Theatre (following an extensive rebuilding 1936-37)
• Various French-style revues – the venue became known as London’s Folies Bergere.
• The Blue Train (1927) featuring Lily Elsie
• A Gaiety Girl (1893) featuring Hayden Coffin
• Dorothy (1884) featuring Marie Tempest – the first hit production at the original Prince’s Theatre, designed by architect C.J.Phipps.
• The First Prince of Wales Theatre