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Lyceum Theatre

The Lyceum Theatre is a 2,100-seat West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand. There has been a theatre with this name in the locality since 1765. From 1794 to 1809, however, the building hosted a circus produced by Philip Astley, a chapel, the first London exhibition of waxworks displayed by Madame Tussaud, and other entertainments. From 1816 to 1830, it served as The English Opera House. After a fire, the house was rebuilt and reopened on 14 July 1834 to a design by Samuel Beazley. The building was unique in that it has a balcony overhanging the dress circle. It was built by the partnership of Peto & Grissell. The theatre then played opera, adaptations of Charles Dickens novels and James Planché's "fairy extravaganzas", among other works.
From 1871 to 1902, Henry Irving appeared at the theatre in, especially, Shakespeare, usually starring opposite Ellen Terry. In 1904 the theatre was almost completely rebuilt and richly ornamented in Rococo style by Bertie Crewe, but it retained Beazley's façade and grand portico. It played mostly melodrama over the ensuing decades. The building closed in 1939 and was set to be demolished, but it was saved and converted into a Mecca Ballroom in 1951, styled the Lyceum Ballroom, where many well-known bands played. The Lyceum was closed in 1986 but restored to theatrical use in 1996 by Holohan Architects. Since 1999, the theatre has hosted The Lion King.
Grade II* listed. LinkExternal link
by N Chadwick

Created: Sun, 4 Jan 2015, Updated: Mon, 18 Jan 2016


10 images use this description:

TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick
TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick
TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick
TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick
TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick
TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick
TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick
TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick
TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick
TQ3080 : Lyceum Theatre by N Chadwick


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