St Martin's Theatre
Encyclopedia
St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre
, located in West Street, near Charing Cross Road
, in the London Borough of Camden
. It was designed as one of a pair of theatres with the Ambassadors Theatre by W.G.R. Sprague, in memoriam for the 9th Baron Willoughby de Broke
.
Nurtured at an early age through amateur theatricals at Compton Verney
, the family seat in Warwickshire
, and later developed during the time he spent in London, both as an MP
for Rugby
, and as a member of the House of Lords
. It was his intention to devote a chapter of his autobiography "The Passing Years" to drama, but he died before its completion. His interest was translated into action when in association with B.A.(Bertie) Meyer, who commissioned theatre architect W.G.R. Sprague to design the St Martin's. Originally intended to be one of a pair with the adjacent Ambassadors which opened in 1913, the St Martin's début was delayed by the outbreak of World War I
: the first performance of Houpla took place on 23 November 1916.
Many famous British actors have passed through St Martin's. In April 1923 Basil Rathbone
played Harry Domain in R.U.R. and in June 1927 Henry Daniell
appeared there as Gregory Brown in Meet the Wife.
Bertie Meyer, who was so closely involved in the St Martin's in the early days, ran the theatre intermittently from 1916 to 1967, when his son R.A.(Ricky) took over. Ricky was the administrator for twenty years until his retirement in 1987; he remained as a consultant until his death in 1991.
Agatha Christie
's "The Mousetrap
" transferred in March 1974 where it still remains, holding the record for the longest running show in the world. The theatre was Grade II listed by English Heritage
in March 1973.
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
, located in West Street, near Charing Cross Road
Charing Cross Road
Charing Cross Road is a street in central London running immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles Circus and then becomes Tottenham Court Road...
, in the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
. It was designed as one of a pair of theatres with the Ambassadors Theatre by W.G.R. Sprague, in memoriam for the 9th Baron Willoughby de Broke
Baron Willoughby de Broke
Baron Willoughby de Broke is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by writ in 1491 for Sir Robert Willoughby, of Brooke/Broke manor, Heywood, near Westbury, Wiltshire, de jure 9th Baron Latimer...
.
Nurtured at an early age through amateur theatricals at Compton Verney
Compton Verney
Compton Verney is a manor and parish in the county of Warwickshire, England.Compton Verney House is an 18th century country mansion which has been converted into an art gallery....
, the family seat in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, and later developed during the time he spent in London, both as an MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, and as a member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. It was his intention to devote a chapter of his autobiography "The Passing Years" to drama, but he died before its completion. His interest was translated into action when in association with B.A.(Bertie) Meyer, who commissioned theatre architect W.G.R. Sprague to design the St Martin's. Originally intended to be one of a pair with the adjacent Ambassadors which opened in 1913, the St Martin's début was delayed by the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
: the first performance of Houpla took place on 23 November 1916.
Many famous British actors have passed through St Martin's. In April 1923 Basil Rathbone
Basil Rathbone
Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
played Harry Domain in R.U.R. and in June 1927 Henry Daniell
Henry Daniell
Henry Daniell was an English actor, best known for his villainous movie roles, but who had a long and prestigious career on stage as well as in films....
appeared there as Gregory Brown in Meet the Wife.
Bertie Meyer, who was so closely involved in the St Martin's in the early days, ran the theatre intermittently from 1916 to 1967, when his son R.A.(Ricky) took over. Ricky was the administrator for twenty years until his retirement in 1987; he remained as a consultant until his death in 1991.
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's "The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. The Mousetrap opened in the West End of London in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. It has the longest initial run of any play in history, with over 24,500 performances so far. It is the longest running show of the modern...
" transferred in March 1974 where it still remains, holding the record for the longest running show in the world. The theatre was Grade II listed by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
in March 1973.