UK – London – Piccadilly Theatre

Dates: April 1928 – present
Address: 16 Denman Street, London W1D 7DY

Official website: https://www.thepiccadillytheatre.com

Designed by Marc-Henri Levy and Gaston Laverdet.
Original seating capacity of 1400 made it one of the largest venues in London. The capacity is now 1232.
The venue was built in 1928 at a cost of £200,000.

Features a unit stage which can be removed in part or completely.

Billed in 1968 as ‘London’s only air-conditioned theatre” (The Guardian, 4 September 1969)

2017 Ceiling Restoration

Removing the moveable ceiling and restoring the dome

2019 Ceiling Collapse

In an echo of the collapse at the Apollo Theatre in 2013, a section of plaster ceiling above the Grand Circle fell in, around 10 minutes after the start of a performance of Death of a Salesman, on Wednesday November 6th, 2019.
The collapse was reportedly preceded by the sound of dripping and then running water.
It appears that this is original 1928 ceiling, and was not part of the 2017 restoration work (above)

History and Past Productions

Moulin Rouge! The Musical (previews from November 12 2021, press night on December 8 2021)
Pretty Woman The Musical (Friday 14 Feb 2020 – Saturday 2 Jan 2021)
Death of a Salesman (from 24 October 2019 to 4 January 2020) directed by Marianne Elliott & Miranda Cromwell
Heartbeat of Home (4 September 2019 – 13 October 2019)
The Lehman Trilogy (from 11 May 2019 – 31 August 2019)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (from 29 November 2018 – limited season to 27th April 2019)
Strictly Ballroom: The Musical (from April 2018 – 27 October 2018) starring Jonny Labey, Zizi Strallen and Will Young
- March 29 2018: A burst pipe backstage caused the first preview to be cut short (Whatsonstage article)
Annie (May 23 2017 – 18 February 2018) starring Miranda Hart then Meera Syal
2017 – Restoration work to the auditorium domed ceiling, which also removed the 1979 moveable ceiling.
Jersey Boys (18 March 2014 – 26 March 2017) transferred from the Prince Edward Theatre
Dirty Dancing (13 July 2013 – 22 February 2014) followed by a UK tour
Viva Forever – The Spice Girls Musical (27 November 2012 – 29th June 2013, 8 months)
Ghost the Musical (June 2011 – 6 October 2012)
Grease the Musical (24 July 2007 – 30 April 2011)
Guys and Dolls (19 May 2005 – 14 April 2007) Donmar Warehouse production
Jailhouse Rock: The Musical (19 April 2004 – 23 April 2005)
Jumpers (20 November 2003 – 6 March 2004)
Noises Off (13 August 2003 – 8 November 2003)
Ragtime (19 March 2003 – 14 June 2003)
Noises Off (from 3 May 2001)
Shockheaded Peter (ended 28 April 2001)
La Cava (2000/01)
Spend Spend Spend (opened October 12 1999, closed August 5 2000)
The Birthday Party (1999) by Harold Pinter, directed by Joe Harmston. Starring Prunella Scales, Timothy West, Steven Pacey, Nigel Terry
Mack and Mabel (Opened November 7 1995) 270 performances
Moby Dick The Musical (1992)
1990s – Swan Lake, choreographed by Matthew Bourne
Metropolis (8th March 1989 – 6th October 1989)
1986 – Live from the Piccadilly TV broadcast, hosted by Jimmy Tarbuck.
Mutiny (18 July 1985 – ?)
Toad of Toad Hall (13 December 1982 – 8 January 1983)
Educating Rita (19 August 1980 – 18 September 1982)
1979 – Moveable ceiling installed, which could block off the Grand Circle, and which hid the auditorium domed ceiling. It was removed during restoration works in 2017
Very Good Eddie 1976 (411 performances)
Gypsy (May 29 1973 – March 2 1974) 300 performances. Starring Angela Lansbury
I and Albert (6 November 1972 – ?) 120 performances. Starring Polly James and Sven-Bertil Taube.
Edward II & Richard II (20 January – 21 March 1970) in repertoire. Prospect Theatre Company, starring Ian McKellen
1969 The venue is billed as London’s only Air-Conditioned Theatre
Man of La Mancha (London premiere) (April 24 1968 ) 253 performances. Starring Keith Michell, Joan Djener, Bernard Spear.
Oliver! (26 April 1967 – ) transferred from The New Theatre
Houdini Man of Magic (1967) starring Stuart Damon, Judith Bruce, Stubby Kaye. Musical comedy.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (London premiere) (1965) starring Constance Cummings
A Streetcar Named Design (London premiere) (October 12 1949) directed by Laurence Olivier, starring Bonar Colleano, Vivien Leigh and Renee Asherson
Damaged during the Second World War, with a German bomb landing on the theatre, necessitating extensive repairs in the 1950s.
1936 April – The venue reopens as a cabaret restaurant called The London Casino.
1931 – Folly To Be Wise – 257 performances
1929 November – Reopened as a live venue with The Student Prince
1928 – 1929 – Venue used as a Warner Bros cinema, including the UK premiere of The Singing Fool, starring Al Jolson, making it the first venue in the UK to show a talking picture. The Warner Brothers created the Vitaphone system to synchronise dialogue with image, which used a soundtrack on a gramophone record, mechanically linked to the movie projector to maintain synchronisation.
1928 – Blue Eyes, a musical starring Evelyn Laye

Equipment

1971 (from The Stage Guide)
Electrics: Strand CDTH board in stalls box SL. Dimmers -120; 3 presets; 14 groups (memory pistons). Socket type – 15A BESA. Circuits – FOH 24; Flies and Stage dips 96. Total capacity available – 232kW. Special effects supply – 30A on 3 phases and 30A on 1 phase. Follow spots and footlights available on request.
Sound: Console in stalls box SL. 2 amplifiers x 65W. Tape decks and turntables as required available for hire. Mic sockets – 2 long range on pros. sides. 13 loudspeakers in auditorium.