Theatre in Camden, London, England
This article is about the theatre in London. For other uses, see
Embassy Theatre .
The Embassy Theatre is a theatre at 64
Eton Avenue ,
Swiss Cottage , in the
London Borough of Camden , England.
[2]
Early years
The Embassy Theatre was opened as a
repertory company in September 1928 on the initiative of
Sybil Arundale and Herbert Jay.,
[3] when the premises of
Hampstead Conservatoire of Music were adapted by architect
Andrew Mather .
[4] The following were some of its productions:
From September 1930 to March 1932 the theatre was directed by Alec L. Rea
[10] and
A. R. Whatmore .
[11] Productions included:
Black Coffee (premiere), by
Agatha Christie (her first play), December 1930, produced by
André van Gyseghem ,
[12] with
Francis L. Sullivan as
Poirot and also featuring
Donald Wolfit .
[13]
Carpet Slippers , December 1930, with
Griffith Jones (his debut)
[14] and
Sebastian Shaw
[15]
Mary Broome , by
Allan Monkhouse , December 1931. with
Robert Donat
[16] and
Herbert Lomas .
[17] This was a sudden and (still) unexplained substitution for the play originally announced, namely
Chimneys , by
Agatha Christie
[18]
Romeo and Juliet , February 1932, produced by
A. R. Whatmore ,
[11] with
Sebastian Shaw as Romeo,
[15]
Cecil Parker as Mercutio
[7] and
George Coulouris as Tybalt
[19]
Ronald Adam years
Control then passed to
Ronald Adam (also known as Ronald Adams),
[4] who remained at the helm until 1939. During that time he made over 150 new productions and revivals, of which over thirty were then transferred to various theatres in the
West End .
[20] The Embassy school of acting was opened in the theatre in 1932.
[21] Some of the more notable productions at the theatre were:
Miracle at Verdun by Hans Chlumberg
[22] (translated by
Edward Crankshaw ), September 1932, produced by
André van Gyseghem ,
[12] with
Derrick de Marney ,
[23]
George Howe ,
[24]
Alan Wheatley .
[25] The production was then transferred to the
Comedy .
Ten Minute Alibi (premiere), by
Anthony Armstrong , January 1933, with
Robert Douglas
[26]
[27] and
Celia Johnson .
[28] The production then transferred to the
Haymarket .
The Glass Wall (premiere), by
E. M. Delafield , February 1933, produced by
André van Gyseghem ,
[12] with
Max Adrian .
[29]
All God's Chillun Got Wings ,
[22] March 1933, produced by
André van Gyseghem ,
[12] with
Paul Robeson and
Flora Robson .
[30]
Sometimes Even Now (premiere), by
Warren Chetham-Strode , May 1933, with
Jack Hawkins ,
[31]
Celia Johnson ,
[28]
Marie Lohr
[32]
Napoleon , September 1934, produced by
André van Gyseghem ,
[12] with
Edward Chapman ,
[33]
John Clements ,
[34]
Violet Farebrother ,
[35]
Eric Portman ,
[36]
Margaret Rawlings .
[9]
The Dominant Sex (premiere), by Michael Egan,
[37] December 1934, with
Diana Churchill ,
[38]
Richard Bird ,
[39]
René Ray .
[40] The production then transferred to the
Shaftesbury .
Stevedore ,
[22] by Paul Peters and
George Sklar , May 1935, produced by
André van Gyseghem ,
[12] with
Paul Robeson ,
Robert Adams ,
Kathleen Davis .
[41]
This Desirable Residence , by
A. R. Rawlinson , May 1935, with
Coral Browne .
[42]
[43]
Close Quarters (premiere), by W. O. Somin and Gilbert Lennox, June 1935, with
Oskar Homolka (London debut),
[44]
Flora Robson .
[45] The production then transferred to the
Haymarket .
Rivals! (premiere), by
Herbert Hughes and
John Robert Monsell , September 1935, with Winifred Campbell, Frederick Ranalow, Bruce Carfax, and Elsie French. Staged by
Vladimir Rosing .
Professor Bernhardi , June 1936, with
Abraham Sofaer in the title role.
[46] and
Max Adrian ,
[47]
Noel Howlett
[48] The production then transferred to the
Phoenix .
Judgment Day (London premiere), by
Elmer Rice , May 1937, with
Glynis Johns ,
[49]
Catherine Lacey ,
[50]
George Woodbridge
[51] The production then transferred to the
Strand .
Three Set Out , by Philip Leaver,
[52] June 1937, directed by
Margaret Webster , with
Constance Cummings and
Michael Redgrave
[53]
Profit and Loss , May 1938, produced by
André van Gyseghem ,
[12] with
Mabel Love (final appearance)
[54]
Julius Caesar , November 1939, in modern dress, with
Joseph O'Conor (debut),
[55]
Peter Copley ,
Hugh Griffith ,
Eric Portman
[36]
Ronald Adam's own list of significant transfers in that period was Ten Minute Alibi , Close Quarters , The Dominant Sex ,
Professor Bernhardi , Judgment Day .
[20]
Post-war period
After war damage, the building was reopened in 1945, with a capacity of 678.
[21]
It was then run until 1954 by
Anthony Hawtrey .
[22] Notable productions included:
Quality Street , February 1945, directed by
Anthony Hawtrey , with
Joyce Blair (making her debut, aged 13),
[56]
Ursula Howells (making her London debut),
Geoffrey Toone ,
[57]
Bryan Forbes ,
Gwendoline Watford ,
Linden Travers
[58]
Myself a Stranger , August 1945, with
Jack Allen ,
[59]
Hugh Burden ,
[60]
Cecil Ramage
[61]
Fit for Heroes , September 1945, directed by
Henry Kendall , with
Irene Vanbrugh ,
Helen Cherry ,
Jack Allen ,
Raymond Lovell ,
Olaf Pooley .
The Gambler , adapted by
Norman Ginsbury from
Dostoevsky , November 1945, directed by
Sebastian Shaw , with
Hugh Burden ,
Ferdy Mayne ,
Gwendoline Watford .
Red Roses for Me , by
Seán O'Casey ,
[22] February 1946, with
Kieron O'Hanrahan ,
[62]
Eddie Byrne
[63]
National Velvet , 1946.
Sense and Sensibility , 1946.
Mrs Dane's Defence , 1946, with
Mary Ellis .
[64]
Hattie Stowe , February 1947
Miranda , June 1947, directed by
Richard Bird , with
Nora Swinburne ,
Ronald Ward ,
Diane Hart
Torwatletie , 1948, by
Robert McLellan , with
Roddy McMillan in the title role, production by
Unity Players touring from
Glasgow
Portrait of Hickory , April 1948, with
Judy Campbell .
The Father (
August Strindberg ), November 1948, with
Michael Redgrave
[65]
A Woman in Love ("Amoureuse"), April 1949, adapted and directed by
Michael Redgrave , with
Margaret Rawlings
On Monday Next (premiere), by
Philip King , April 1949, with
Henry Kendall , directed by him and
Shaun Sutton , also with
Leslie Phillips
[66]
Othello , July 1949, produced by
André van Gyseghem , with
Michael Aldridge in the title role, and
Peter Wyngarde ,
Maxine Audley .
[63]
Caro William , premiere 1952, with
Robert Shaw (London debut),
Rachel Gurney .
The Merchant of Yonkers , 1952, directed by
André van Gyseghem , with
Robert Eddison ,
Raymond Lovell ,
Sophie Stewart ,
Alfie Bass ,
Esma Cannon ,
Peter Baylis ,
Nigel Hawthorne
[67]
Uranium 235 , by
Ewan MacColl , May 1952, produced by
Joan Littlewood with
Harry H. Corbett ,
George A. Cooper ,
Avis Bunnage .
[63]
Hamlet , March 1953 with
Laurence Payne in the title role,
[68]
George Coulouris ,
[19]
Christine Finn
Twelfth Night 1953 with
George Coulouris ,
[19]
Christine Finn
The Boy Friend (premiere for full version) 1953 with
Hugh Paddick .
In 1953, it was sold to
Sidney Bernstein ,
[4] with management by screenwriter and playwright
Wolf Mankowitz . Notable productions included:
The Bespoke Overcoat , 1954
The Lion in the Lighthouse , June 1955, with
Henry Kendall (actor)
The World of Sholem Aleichem , ca. 1955
The Boychik , ca. 1956
Central School
The theatre was sold to the
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama , who continue as the resident company, in 1956.
[21]
Notable productions have included the premiere of
Mad Forest in 1990.
References
^
"Facilities" . Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, University of London. Retrieved 23 November 2019 .
^
"remotegoat website" . Archived from
the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2009 .
^
a
b
Who's Who in the Theatre : Arundale, Sybil
^
a
b
c
The Theatres Trust
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : De Casalis, Jeanne
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Hunt, Martita
^
a
b
c
Who's Who in the Theatre : Parker, Cecil
^
"letter to Peggy Kirkcaldy" . Archived from
the original on 19 July 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2009 .
^
a
b
Who's Who in the Theatre : Rawlings, Margaret
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Rea, Alec L.
^
a
b
Who's Who in the Theatre : Whatmore, A. R.
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Who's Who in the Theatre: Van Gyseghem, André
^
"Agatha Christie MysteryNet" . Archived from
the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009 .
^
"Griffith Jones obituary, The Independent " .
Independent.co.uk . Archived from
the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2017 .
^
a
b
Who's Who in the Theatre : Shaw, Sebastian
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Donat, Robert
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Lomas, Herbert
^
Sunday Herald article on rediscovery of Chimneys
^
a
b
c
George Coulouris at filmreferencce.com
^
a
b
Who's Who in the Theatre : Adam, Ronald
^
a
b
c
British History Online: Hampstead Social and Cultural Activities
^
a
b
c
d
e Colin Chambers, ed. (2002).
The Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre .
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : de Marney, Derrick
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Howe, George
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Wheatley, Alan
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Douglas, Robert
^ Tom Vallance,
"Obituary: Robert Douglas"
Archived 2017-04-03 at the
Wayback Machine , The Independent , 23 January 1999.
^
a
b
Who's Who in the Theatre : Johnson, Celia
^
The Glass Wall synopsis and history
^ Chapter by
Marie Seton (1998).
Paul Robeson: the Great Forerunner . International Publishers Co.
ISBN
9780717807246 .
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Hawkins, Jack
^
Who's Who in the Theatre: Lõhr, Marie
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Chapman, Edward
^
John Clements at filmreference.com
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Farebrother, Violet
^
a
b
Who's Who in the Theatre : Portman, Eric
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Egan, Michael
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Churchill, Diana
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Bird, Richard
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Ray, René
^ Nancy Cunard,
"Many Types Seen in London Cast of 'Stevedore' - Could Not Find Enough Americans So Africans Are Used" , The Afro American , 15 June 1935.
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Browne, Coral
^
Sydney Morning Herald , 6 July 1935.
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Homolka, Oscar
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Robson, Flora
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Sofaer, Abraham
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Adrian, Max
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Howlett, Noël
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Johns, Glynis
^
Who's Who in the Theatre: Lacey, Catherine
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Woodbridge, George
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Leaver, Philip
^ Milly S. Barranger (2004).
Margaret Webster: A Life in the Theater . University of Michigan Press.
ISBN
0472113909 .
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Love, Mabel
^ Alan Strachan,
Joseph O'Conor obituary [
dead link ] , The Independent , 2 February 2001.
^
The Times obituary Joyce Blair
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Toone, Geoffrey
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Travers, Linden .
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Allen, Jack
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Burden, Hugh
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Ramage, Cecil R.
^
Kieron Moore obituary, Daily Telegraph
^
a
b
c
Templeman collection of theatre programmes: Embassy Theatre
^
Mary Ellis obituary in The Independent [
dead link ]
^
Who's Who in the Theatre : Redgrave, Michael Scudamore
^ Philip King. On Monday Next . London: Samuel French.
^
Robert Eddison at IMDb
^
Laurence Payne obituary, The Times
General references
External links