Saville Theatre

The tradition of theatre is centuries old and plays an important role in British culture to this day.

Our next film looks at The Saville Theatre in the heart of London’s West End, designed by tp bennett in the late 1920s with theatre architect Bertie Crewe.

Significantly the theatre had no pillars, giving an uninterrupted view of the stage from every level. A saloon bar occupied the entire space under the front of house, the first time an arrangement like this had been designed in a theatre.

The Stage’s opening review warned “so comfortable, indeed, are the lounge and the bar at the Saville, that it is to be feared that something more than a warning bell will be necessary to clear them!”

It is not only actors who have performed here over the years, but also huge music acts including Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd and the Beatles.

Today, the Saville Theatre is operating as a cinema, preserving its cultural use, and it is hoped that live performance will return in the future.