Greenwich Theatre
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Greenwich Theatre is a local theatre located in Croom's Hill close to the centre of Greenwich in south-east London.
Building history
The building was originally a music hall created in 1855 as part of the neighbouring Rose and Crown public house, but the Rose and Crown Music Hall was reconstructed in 1871 and renamed 'Crowder's Music Hall'.
It briefly rejoiced in the name 'Crowder's Music Hall and Temple of Varieties', but was renamed in 1879 as 'Royal Borough Theatre of Varieties'. This name lasted less than 20 years. After a brief spell as the 'Greenwich Hippodrome', it was rebuilt in 1898 and became the 'Parthenon Theatre of Varieties'.
Having shown both live performances and films since 1915, in 1924 it was converted into a cinema. In 1949, the building was closed and it took a concerted campaign to save it from demolition during the 1960s. After substantial alterations, the building eventually reopened as the Greenwich Theatre in 1969.
It had to survive a further crisis in the late 1990s prompted by the 1997 withdrawal of its annual subsidy from the London Arts Board. It eventually reopened in November 1999.
The seating capacity is currently 421, around an open thrust stage.
Theatrical history
From 1969, the theatre became a showcase for many new dramatic works. Early plays included Chekhov's Three Sisters and Jean Genet's The Maids, featuring Glenda Jackson, Susannah York and Vivien Merchant - many of the Greenwich cast featured in the subsequent film version. Greenwich Theatre also saw the première of John Mortimer's A Voyage Round My Father and, on 5 November 1981, Rupert Everett appeared in the première of Another Country - another play which successfully transferred to celluloid having also won accolades in the West End.
