Theatre Royal Haymarket facts for kids
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1720: Little Theatre (nearby)
1767: Theatre Royal |
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The theatre in 2008, showing Edward Bond's The Sea
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| Address | Suffolk Street, Haymarket London, SW1 United Kingdom |
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| Coordinates | 51°30′31″N 0°07′54″W / 51.508611°N 0.131667°W |
| Public transit |  Piccadilly Circus |
| Owner | Access Entertainment |
| Operator | Access Entertainment |
| Type | West End theatre |
| Capacity | 888 on 4 levels |
| Production | The Picture of Dorian Gray |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 4 July 1821 (current structure) |
| Rebuilt | 1879: proscenium and removal of pit 1904: auditorium 1994: major refurbishment |
| Years active | 1720–present |
| Architect | John Nash |
| Website | |
| www.trh.co.uk | |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: The Haymarket Theatre (Theatre Royal) | |
| Designated: | 14 January 1970 |
| Reference #: | 1066641 |
The Theatre Royal Haymarket, also known as the Haymarket Theatre, is a famous theatre in London. It's located on Haymarket in the City of Westminster. This theatre first opened in 1720, making it the third-oldest playhouse in London that is still used today.
In 1766, Samuel Foote received a special "royal patent." This allowed the theatre to perform "legitimate drama," which meant spoken plays, not operas or concerts. The original building was a bit further north on the same street. The theatre moved to its current spot in 1821. It was redesigned by a famous architect named John Nash.
The Haymarket Theatre is a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historical site. It can seat 888 people. The land the theatre stands on is owned by the Crown Estate.
The Haymarket has been a place of important changes in theatre. In 1873, it hosted the very first planned matinée performance. A matinée is a show held in the afternoon. This idea quickly became popular in theatres everywhere. Many famous people have managed the theatre, including Herbert Beerbohm Tree. Well-known actors like Robert William Elliston and John Liston made their first appearances here.
Contents
A Look Back: The Theatre's History
How the Theatre Began
The first Haymarket theatre was built in 1720. A carpenter named John Potter built it on the site of an old inn. It was one of the first public theatres in London's West End. Building the theatre cost £1000, with another £500 spent on decorations and costumes.
It opened on December 29, 1720, with a French play. At first, it was called The New French Theatre. Later, its name changed to the Little Theatre in the Hay.
The theatre's first big hit was a play called Hurlothrumbo, or The Supernatural in 1729. It ran for 30 nights, which was a long time back then! In 1730, an English acting company took over the theatre. Famous writers like Henry Fielding performed their plays here.
The Haymarket was known for showing plays that made fun of politicians. For example, Henry Fielding's play The Historical Register poked fun at Prime Minister Robert Walpole. This led to a new law in 1737, the Licensing Act 1737. This law made it harder for theatres to put on plays without permission. It almost shut down the Haymarket Theatre completely.
In 1749, a strange event happened. Someone advertised that a "Bottle Conjuror" would appear on stage. This conjuror claimed he would put his entire body inside an empty wine bottle! When the act didn't happen, the audience became angry and damaged the theatre.
London's Third Royal Theatre
In 1758, Samuel Foote worked to make the Haymarket a regular theatre. With help from the Duke of York, he received a special royal license. This allowed him to show plays for four months each year, from May to September.
Foote also bought the theatre's lease. He made the building bigger and better. On May 14, 1767, he reopened it as the Theatre Royal. This made it London's third "patent theatre," meaning it had a royal license to perform. Foote put on many successful plays here. However, he often made fun of famous people on stage. This, along with his poor health, led him to sell the theatre in 1777 to George Colman Sr..
During 1793–94, the Haymarket was used while the Drury Lane Theatre was being rebuilt. A sad event happened on February 3, 1794. Twenty people lost their lives, and many were hurt. This was due to a large crowd pushing to see the King, who was at the performance that evening.
George Colman Sr. passed away in 1794, and his son, George Colman Jr., took over. He was a good playwright and manager, but he spent too much money. He eventually had to sell parts of the theatre. He even managed the theatre from prison for a while because of his debts.
Around 1820, many buildings on the east side of Haymarket were rebuilt. This was part of architect John Nash's plan to improve the area. Nash convinced the theatre owners to rebuild the theatre a little further south. This way, the theatre's grand front entrance would be a beautiful view from Charles Street. Nash added a large portico with six columns to the front. He also added a second gallery to the audience area.
The new theatre opened on July 4, 1821, with the play The Rivals. Benjamin Nottingham Webster managed the theatre from 1837 to 1853. He and the next manager, John Baldwin Buckstone, made the Haymarket famous for comedies. Many great actors of that time performed there.
The Late 1800s
In 1862, the theatre hosted a play called Our American Cousin. It ran for 400 nights! The play's success made the word "dreary" common in everyday language. W. S. Gilbert, a famous playwright, premiered seven of his plays at the Haymarket. These included "fairy comedies" like The Palace of Truth (1870) and Pygmalion and Galatea (1871).
Some people say that Buckstone's ghost is often seen at the theatre. He especially appears during comedies and when he enjoys the plays. In 2009, actor Patrick Stewart said he saw the ghost in the wings during a show.
In 1879, the theatre was taken over by the Bancrofts. They changed the auditorium and added a "picture frame proscenium" around the stage. This was the first of its kind in London. They also removed the "pit" seating area and replaced it with stalls. This made some audience members angry on opening night in 1880.
Herbert Beerbohm Tree became the theatre's manager in 1887. He installed electric lights in the theatre. Under his management, Oscar Wilde's comedies A Woman of No Importance (1893) and An Ideal Husband (1895) were first performed here. Tree's play Trilby (1895) was so successful that it helped him build Her Majesty's Theatre and start RADA, a famous drama school.
In 1896, Cyril Maude and Frederick Harrison became the theatre's managers. J. M. Barrie's play The Little Minister ran for 320 performances in 1897.
The 1900s
1900 to 1950
Frederick Harrison and Cyril Maude continued to manage the Haymarket in the early 1900s. In 1904, the audience area was redesigned in a fancy French style. In 1909, Herbert Trench produced The Blue Bird.
Other popular shows before World War I included Bunty Pulls the Strings (1911), which ran for 617 performances. J. M. Barrie's Mary Rose had a run of 399 performances in 1920. Another long-running show was Yellow Sands in 1926–27.
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In 1926, Harrison died, and Horace Watson became the General Manager. His shows included The First Mrs Fraser (1929), starring Marie Tempest. In 1939, work began on a new bar, but it wasn't finished until 1941 because of World War II. During the war, the theatre showed plays like Noël Coward's Design for Living (1939). John Gielgud also had a special season in 1944–1945, performing plays like Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
In 1943, two of Coward's plays, Present Laughter and This Happy Breed, were shown. Later, in 1948, Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie was directed by Gielgud and starred Helen Hayes.
1950 to 1980
In 1951–52, Waters of the Moon starred famous actresses Sybil Thorndike and Edith Evans. For the Coronation season in 1953, Noël Coward performed in The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw. Coward called the Haymarket "the most perfect theatre in the world."
In 1956, Stuart Watson took over management from his father. Then, his daughter-in-law Sylva Stuart Watson managed it from 1963. Shows during this time included Flowering Cherry (1957) with Ralph Richardson, and Ross (1960) starring Alec Guinness. John Gielgud directed The School for Scandal in 1962.
In 1971, Louis I. Michaels became the theatre's owner. Productions in this decade included A Voyage Round My Father (1971–72) starring Alec Guinness. In 1972, Crown Matrimonial starred Wendy Hiller as Queen Mary. Later shows included The Millionairess (Shaw) with Penelope Keith and Waters of the Moon again, starring Wendy Hiller and Ingrid Bergman in her last stage role (both 1978).
1980 to 2000
In 1980, the theatre presented Make and Break with Leonard Rossiter. In 1981, Louis Michaels died, and the theatre was taken over by a company. They presented Overheard by Peter Ustinov and Virginia with Maggie Smith.
In 1982, the Haymarket had a season of different plays. These included Hobson's Choice starring Penelope Keith, and Man and Superman starring Peter O'Toole. In 1983, shows included The School for Scandal with Donald Sinden and Heartbreak House with Rex Harrison.
In 1984, The Aspern Papers starred Christopher Reeve and Vanessa Redgrave. In 1985, Lauren Bacall starred in Sweet Bird of Youth. In 1986, the theatre showed Antony and Cleopatra with Timothy Dalton and Vanessa Redgrave. Breaking the Code starred Derek Jacobi as Alan Turing.
In 1994, the theatre closed for a big renovation that cost £1.3 million. It reopened later that year with Arcadia by Tom Stoppard. Peter Hall directed a revival of An Ideal Husband in 1996, 100 years after it first premiered at the Haymarket. There is a special plaque at the theatre to remember Oscar Wilde.
In 1996, Neil Simon's The Odd Couple starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. In 1997, A Streetcar Named Desire starred Jessica Lange. In 1998, Shakespeare's Villains, a one-man play by Steven Berkoff, was nominated for an award.
The 2000s and Beyond
In the 21st century, the Haymarket has continued to host many popular shows. In 2001, The Royal Family starred Judi Dench. In 2002, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith appeared on stage together for the first time in over 40 years in The Breath of Life.
In 2004, a stage version of the movie When Harry Met Sally... was shown. During one performance, parts of the ceiling fell, hurting fifteen people. The theatre closed for two nights for repairs.
In 2005, Victoria Wood's musical Acorn Antiques: The Musical starred Julie Walters. In 2006, there were revivals of A Man for All Seasons and Noël Coward's Hay Fever with Judi Dench.
In 2009, famous actors Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart starred in Waiting for Godot. This play, along with Breakfast at Tiffany's, was featured in a TV documentary about the Haymarket Theatre.
Trevor Nunn became Artistic Director in 2011. He produced a revival of Flare Path starring Sienna Miller. From 2012, the theatre hosted the National Theatre's production One Man, Two Guvnors for two years.
In 2014, a stage version of the film Fatal Attraction premiered. In 2015, Penelope Wilton starred in Taken at Midnight. This was followed by Harvey and The Elephant Man starring Bradley Cooper.
In 2016, How the Other Half Loves was revived. Pixie Lott made her debut as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. In 2017, Damian Lewis and Sophie Okonedo starred in The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?.
In 2018, Frozen starred Suranne Jones. In 2019, the theatre was sold to Access Entertainment. In February 2019, Only Fools and Horses The Musical opened. It closed in April 2023 after over 1,000 performances, making it the longest-running show in the Haymarket's history!
Masterclass Program
In 1998, the theatre started a charity called Masterclass. This program helps young people aged 17 to 30 who want to work in theatre. It offers workshops, apprenticeships, and career fairs. Young people can learn from leading experts in acting, directing, writing, and design. By 2012, over 60,000 young people had taken part in these masterclasses.
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