Peacock Theatre (Royalty)

• Theatre ID
  3093
• Built / Converted
  1960
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  Theatre
• Address
  Portugal Street, Camden, London, WC2A 2HT, England
• Website
  • http://www.sadlerswells.com/peacock

Details

The Royalty Theatre is on the site of the London Opera House, otherwise known as the Stoll Theatre, a major part of the Kingsway street scene, which was demolished in 1956. Consent for demolition contained the requirement that a smaller theatre (compared to the Stoll's 2,600 seats), be built on site. Unfortunately this theatre was then built below ground, at the rear of the office block, with a side entrance in Portugal Street. The new theatre thus has a very small outward appearance but within is an attractive modern space. The auditorium is on two levels and has good sightlines. The walls have vertical decorative panels which lead to a variable proscenium opening behind a large orchestra pit which is on an hydraulic lift, doubling as a forestage. The stage is ideal for dance and is covered by a grid with 52 counterweight lines. Currently owned by the London School of Economics, who use it on special occasions as an assembly hall, the theatre presents a full programme of dance managed by Sadler's Wells. The 1996 upgrade of facilities introduced substantial improvement. It is arguably the best dance stage in London with a capacity of about 1000, and fulfils an important role in the provision for dance theatre in the capital. Its only weakness is that it stands some distance beyond the Drury Lane, Fortune, Duchess, Strand, Aldwych group of theatres (the easternmost group in Theatreland) and is not readily visible from any of the neighbouring highways.

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• Events
  • 1960 Design/Construction:
    • Lewis Solomon Kaye & Partners (E H Tietjen) - Architect
  • 1996 Alteration: new signage, new foyer and box office; new orchestra pit and technical improvements
    • Burrell Foley Fischer - Architect
• Capacities
  • Current: 997
• Listings
  • Grade Not listed