New Wimbledon Theatre

The New Wimbledon Theatre stands on Broadway in Wimbledon, London, an Edwardian building listed Grade II. It was designed by Cecil Aubrey Massey and Roy Young, with possible influence from a 1908 Frank H. Jones plan. The site once held a large house with spacious grounds. A unique feature was a Victorian-style Turkish bath in the basement, the only such arrangement in a British theatre. The theatre opened on Boxing Day 1910 with the pantomime Jack and Jill. Between the world wars it hosted stars such as Gracie Fields, Sybil Thorndike, Ivor Novello, Markova and Noël Coward. Lionel Bart’s Oliver! had its world premiere here in 1960 before moving to the West End. The golden dome statue, Laetitia the Roman Goddess of Gaiety, was removed during the Second World War for fear it might guide enemy bombers. After refurbishments in 1991 and 1998 the theatre kept its baroque and Adamesque interiors. The main auditorium seats about 1,670 across three levels, making it London’s eighth largest theatre. It is joined by the smaller Time and Leisure Studio, a black box space seating up to 80, used for new drama and comedy. The theatre has welcomed touring musicals, ballet and Christmas pantomimes with performers including Pamela Anderson, Warwick Davis and Brian Blessed. Television productions such as The IT Crowd and Jonathan Creek have been filmed here, and the Eurythmics shot their video There Must Be an Angel in the building.