Gate Theatre Studio

The Gate Theatre Studio was a small independent theatre on Villiers Street in the City of Westminster. It began in 1925 on the top floor of a run-down warehouse in Covent Garden, seating just 96 people. The first production was Susan Glaspell’s *Berenice*, directed by Peter Godfrey and starring his wife Molly Veness. The theatre moved in 1927 to a site beneath the arches near Charing Cross Station, where it shared space with Carlo Gatti’s old music hall. Rebuilt as the Gate Theatre Studio, it opened with Simon Gantillon’s *Maya*, starring Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies. The building had once housed Gatti’s Underneath the Arches Musical Hall before becoming part of the Players’ Theatre. The Gate Theatre Studio played a key role in London’s theatrical life during the 1930s. It became known for staging plays that faced censorship elsewhere, such as Oscar Wilde’s *Salome* in 1931. Norman Marshall took over in 1934 and revived the theatre’s reputation with successful revues and bold productions. Many shows transferred to the West End, including Laurence Housman’s *Victoria Regina* in 1935 and John Steinbeck’s *Of Mice and Men* in 1939. The young Robert Morley made his mark here before taking a play to Broadway. The theatre was part of a group of independent companies that avoided censorship by operating as private clubs. Visitors to the Gate Theatre Studio would have found an intimate space beneath the arches of Villiers Street. The auditorium was small, seating fewer than a hundred, but the atmosphere was lively and experimental. Productions often featured new or controversial works, drawing attention from critics like James Agate. The theatre also nurtured talent, with Hermione Gingold making her professional debut in its revues. Despite its success, the building suffered bomb damage in 1941 during the Second World War. The theatre never reopened, though its influence on London’s theatre scene remained strong.