Origin
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| Novello Theatre |
Novello Theatre London is one of the most remarkable theatres of London. Initially the theatre
was built as a pair to the neighbouring Aldwych Theatre and services of notable
theatre architect W.G.R. Sprague were hired for the designs of both the houses.
The Waldorf hotel stood between the two venues and initially the building was
named after the same. Today it is one of the prominent landmarks of Aldwych and
is located at the ‘home of theatre’, the City of Westminster, London.
Name changes
The theatre like
most of its counterparts in London has undergone many name changes. The theatre
on its opening day was named the Waldorf Theatre and then the Strand Theatre in
1909. In 1911 it was renamed as the Whitney Theatre before again being known as
the Strand Theatre in 1913. It was called the Strand until 2005, when its
present owners decided to name it after Ivor Novello. The multi talented
Novello resided in one of the flats about the venue from 1913 to his death in
1951.
Remarkable Past
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| Craze of Mamma Mia Show |
Having presence
that span beyond a century now, the house has been the witness to performances
by some notable artists and has been home to some splendid theatricals. The
incredible black comedy Arsenic and Old Lace ran here for 1337 performances in
1940s, an outstanding number in comparison to the time. Sailor, Beware! also
enjoyed a successful run here and staged 1231 performances in 1955. On the
ill-fated day of American president Kennedy’s assassination, A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum debuted here and went to keep the auditorium
booked for the following two years.
The incredible
comical play by Alistair Foot and Anthony Marriott made its London debut here
in 1971 and went on to play for full houses for over a decade before being
transferred to the Garrick where it continued for another six years.
It has undergone
refurbishment many a times in its history, for the first time 1930 and then
again towards the beginning of 1970s. 2005 marked its centenary year and the
celebrations were marked with the extensive refurbishment of the house that
elevated the seating capacity, taking it to 1,105. When the venue opened on 8th
December 2005, it hosted performances of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s annual
season that went on for 4-weeks run and included performances of Twelfth Night,
The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It.
Currently running show
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| muiscal Mamma mia show |
The theater is
currently staging performances of the super-hit musical, the Mamma Mia Show . Watch
the show to step into to the picturesque serene of Greece. The piece includes
some smashing back catalogue numbers from ABBA and is suitable for audiences of
all genres. The story features a mother daughter duo that is caught in past
events and the girl’s search for her father. The serious plot has been
brilliantly woven into a humorous one and the audience find it extremely
difficult to control their laughter while watching the show.
Splendid cast, hilarious
story, mesmerizing numbers, immensely talented creative team and the spell
bounding charms of the Novello Theatre London, reasons are simply many to
instigate you to visit the venue.
