SPOTLIGHT ON… Richmond Theatre
Photo credit (all): Vicki Sharp
On 21 September 2024, the Richmond Theatre, beautifully located on the Little Green in Richmond, Surrey with its symmetrical brick and terracotta facade with twin towers, is holding an Open Day to celebrate its 125th anniversary.
Theatre Director Allie Long said: “I’m thrilled to be throwing open our doors for our Open Day on 21 September, where we will celebrate 125 years of Richmond Theatre. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to step inside our historic venue, explore its rich heritage, and see firsthand how the magic of live theatre is created by our expert in-house team. Whether you’re a lifelong patron or new to our stage, we can't wait to share this special day with you. From world-class drama to festive, family pantomimes, our stage has seen it all and this is your invitation to tread the boards."
Built by FC Mouflet as a playhouse and designed by the brilliant architect, Frank Matcham, it opened on 18 September 1899 and remains one of the surviving jewels of Matcham’s wonderful legacy for British Theatre. Frank Matcham lived from 1854 to 1920 and has been recognised as a creative genius, creating individual venues to fit the land space and ensuring excellent sight lines. He worked with engineer RA Briggs to improve the steel framed cantilever balconies to deliver circles without obstructing pillars. Richmond is one of twenty-six of his venues that are still operating in the 2020’s which includes The Coliseum (1904) in London, Buxton Opera House (1903), Kings Theatre in Glasgow (1904) and the Blackpool Tower Circus (1900). There will be a guided tour of the venue at 10 am on 21 September and a sensory storytime (lasting 20 minutes) based on Shakespeare’s As You Like It, which was the first play performed on the stage.
The plaster work in the auditorium was by H. BoekBinder. The ornate domed ceiling features four large panels, representing scenes from Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet. The oval plaques between these panels were originally inscribed with real gold leaf with ‘Dance’, ‘Music’, ‘Mirth’ and ‘Songs’ and the names of the playwrights; Shakespeare, Congreve, Sheridan and Goldsmith. Above the proscenium arch is a panel baring the inscription: “To wake the soul by tender strokes of art” from the prologue to ‘Addison’s Catto 1’ by Alexander Pope, the 18th Century poet and playwright. The Theatre is now Grade II* listed.
The 840-seat theatre, which has been owned by John Butterworth’s family since February 1944, has been operated under a series of leases to theatre managers. It was acquired by Alan Miles, Andrew Melville and Fredrick Piffard in January 1947. Over nearly 30 years (1947-1973), Piffard presented over 1,000 plays, 25 pantomimes, music hall and ballet and he was associated with Richmond Theatre longer than any other management. He died in 1975; a plaque dedicated to him can be seen in the foyer.
In 1989, Richmond Theatre closed for two years, while under the management of Sally Greene, for refurbishments led by Carl Toms, with the foyer ceiling design by Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen. Richmond Theatre Trust was established in 1990 to oversee the operations and continues today as an independent charity helping young people of the local boroughs to access and experience the venue. The Theatre is now operated by ATG under a long lease.
Creative Learning Producer Mirfat Abraham said: “In partnership with Richmond Theatre Trust, our Creative Learning and Community Partnerships programme supports early years, young people, community organisations and adults of all ages. The programme reaches over 6000 people every year by co-creating opportunities with and for communities local to Richmond Theatre, and surrounding Boroughs. These Creative Learning activities fill our historical spaces with dynamic voices of the future, and bring joy to all!“
Over the years, many of the great theatrical names have appeared on its stage. In 1906, Sir Charles Chaplin appeared, in 1908 Dame Ellen Terry and in 1922 Dame Gracie Fields. Since then, Dame Sybil Thorndike, Sir Alec Guinness , Sir John Gielgud , Lord Olivier , Sir John Mills, Sir Donald Wolfit and Dame Edith Evans have all appeared. In 1980, Dame Dorothy Tutin and Donald Pleasance appeared together in Reflections ahead of a London transfer and the following year, Sir Ralph Richardson appeared in Early Days. In 1988, Box Office records were broken when Sir Kenneth Branagh and his company presented Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Dame Judi Dench. In the same year, Sir Ian Mckellen appeared in Henceforward. In November 2024, Felicity Kendal will be in classic comedy, Filumena.
It has also because of its quality been a popular hire for film and TV companies wanting to set scenes in Victorian and Edwardian Theatre. The films: Evita, Topsy-Turvy (standing in for the Victorian Savoy Theatre), Finding Neverland (doubling as the Duke of York's Theatre), National Treasure: Book of Secrets (setting of Ford's Theatre), and episodes of TV programmes Jonathan Creek and Poirot were filmed there.
Of course, pantomime remains one of the highlights of its programming year since the first Puss in Boots on Boxing Day 1899, with wonderful productions from Crossroads now annually gracing the stage. In the 1980s and 1990s some of the great entertainers of the time starred such as Terry Scott, Anita Harris, Les Dawson, Bernard Bresslaw, Roy Hudd, Jack Tripp, Derek Griffith , Arthur Askey, Una Stubbs and Dame Barbara Windsor,
In 1982, the production of Cinderella ran from 17 December to 26 February 1983. Indeed, in some early years, like 1910 and 1911, three or four pantomimes were presented during the year so well over 140 pantomimes have been staged at the theatre. This year’s pantomime is Beauty and the Beast with Dame Maureen Lipman, running from 7 December to 5 January 2025.
So Besties, grab your chance to visit this glorious theatre with a unique history on its Open Day on 21 September 2024, or book to see Filomena in November or the pantomime in December here.
Written by: Nick Wayne
Nick has been involved in Producer and Venue Organisations for twenty-five years, seen over 1200 productions, visited over 160 of the UK Venues and invested in over 30 West End Productions