New Wimbledon Theatre - The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, UK
N 51° 25.163 W 000° 12.102
30U E 694563 N 5700179
The New Wimbledon Theatre stands on the south west side of The Broadway at the junction with Russell Road. The theatre opened in 1910 and today can seat 1670 in the main auditorium. The "Then" photo was taken in 1911.
Waymark Code: WMJGCF
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/15/2013
Views: 4
The "Then" photo is from a 1911 postcard with the original image to be
found at this
website that also contains other interesting information about the theatre.
The view is taken from the west of the theatre looking back along The Broadway
to the east.
The
Merton Council website tells us:
The New Wimbledon Theatre is a stunning Grade II
Listed Edwardian theatre built by the theatre lover and entrepreneur, J B
Mullholland. Built on the site of a large house with spacious grounds the
theatre was designed by Cecil Massey and Roy Young, possibly following a
1908 design by Frank H Jones. The theatre opened its doors on Boxing Day
1910 with the pantomime Jack and Jill. For the residents of Wimbledon and
the surrounding area it was a glittering social occasion, the first of many
throughout the Theatre's history. It was reviewed favourably by the Times
and the critic added: "For beauty and size Wimbledon Theatre would not
disgrace Shaftesbury Avenue".
The theatre's heyday was during the inter-war period when it was highly
successful, with big shows and popular entertainers playing to packed
houses. Names as famous and diverse as Gracie Fields and Sybil Thorndike,
Ivor Novello, Markova and Nöel Coward played there and by the time of his
death in 1925, Mullholland had established Wimbledon as one of the best
touring dates in the country.
Recently saved from redevelopment the theatre has been extensively
refurbished and retains many of its original features particularly its
elaborate interiors with Baroque and Adamesque features including decorative
plasterwork and wrought iron balustrades to the galleries.
More recently, the venue was taken over by the Ambassador Theatre Group, the
second largest theatre group both in the West End and in the regions and has
been relaunched as the New Wimbledon Theatre.
The New Wimbledon Theatre is one of the very few surviving and refurbished
theatres of architectural merit on the very edge of London.
The theatre is Grade II listed and the entry at the
English Heritage website tells us:
Theatre. 1910, by Cecil Massey and Roy Young (perhaps
following a 1908 design by Frank H Jones). Red brick, slate mansard roof.
Copper dome to octagonal corner tower. Irregular corner site with 4-stage
tower having Tuscan colonnade to ground floor and triple square headed
entrances. Brick rusticated quoins. 3-storey elevations to either side with
shop to left side with canted bay windows above and crowning modillion
cornice. Tower windows square headed to first and second stages with stone
architraves and open segmental pediments; oval third floor windows, with
open pediments over, fused to form cornice. Elaborate interiors with Baroque
and Adamesque features; decorative plasterwork; wrought iron balustrades to
galleries etc.