Vaudeville Theatre

The Vaudeville Theatre stands on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Built in 1870, it was designed by C. J. Phipps in a Romanesque style with decorations by George Gordon. The theatre was rebuilt twice, most recently in 1926, when its auditorium was changed from a horseshoe shape to a rectangle. It originally seated over 1,000 but now holds 690. Early stage mechanisms like thunder drums and lightning sheets still survive inside. The entrance once led through a maze of small corridors behind two Strand houses. The theatre has hosted landmark productions and famous performers. Henry Irving made his first major success here in 1870 with a run of 300 nights. The comedy Our Boys became the first play to reach 500 consecutive performances in 1875, later surpassing 1,000. W. S. Gilbert presented his burlesque Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in 1891. Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss starred in a series of Christmas shows including Bluebell in Fairyland and Quality Street. The record-breaking musical Salad Days premiered here in 1954. Visitors find a theatre with a preserved 1890s foyer in Adamesque style, complete with a four-storey Portland stone frontage. The auditorium now has a rectangular shape with ornate ceiling details. The dressing rooms extend to Maiden Lane, and the stage still contains rare early mechanisms. The building reflects its history through surviving features and the stories of productions that shaped its reputation.