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The Alhambra Theatre was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End of London. It was built as the Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts, opening on 18 March 1854. It was closed after two years for a circus ring to be added, and reopened in April 1858 as the Alhambra.
The name was also adopted by many other British music hall theatres located elsewhere: the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, the Alhambra Theatre Glasgow, etc. The name comes from association with the Moorish splendour of the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. The building was demolished in 1936.
The 1858 conversion to the Alhambra Circus, was also by T. Hayter Lewis. It had a frontage and was very tall for the time. It was built in a Moorish style, with lavish fenestration, two towers and a dome, similar to the eponymous Bradford theatre in architectural style, and was a complete contrast with the neighbouring buildings. Inside there was a central rotunda in diameter and high. There was a secondary entrance to the rear, on Charing Cross Road. Alhambra Theatre (Arthur Lloyd) accessed 23 Oct 2007
The name of the theatre was amended frequently, but usually reflected the building's (very loose) stylistic associations with the celebrated Alhambra in Granada, Spain. By 1864, the circus had become the Alhambra Music Hall. Rebuilding by Perry and Reed occurred in 1866 and 1881. From 1871, when it obtained a licence, an equestrianism ballet was performed. From 1872 to 1898 (except for 1883–84), Georges Jacobi was musical director of the Alhambra. Over the years he composed more than 100 works for ballet; many of them performed at the Alhambra where for some years the prima ballerina was Emma Palladino.
The Alhambra was destroyed by fire in 1882, and was rebuilt in a more restrained style by Reed, reopening in 1884 as the Alhambra Theatre. Further rebuilding took place, in 1888 by Edward Clark, in 1892 by Clark and Pollard, in 1897 by W. M. Brutton, and in 1912 by the prolific theatre architect, Frank Matcham. Other names used during the life of the theatre were the Royal Alhambra Palace; Alhambra Theatre of Varieties; Theatre Royal, Alhambra; Great United States Circus and New Alhambra Theatre.
In the 1860s, John Hollingshead took over management at the Alhambra and made it famous for its sumptuous staging, alluring corps de ballet and the notorious front-of-house Promenade bar.Stewart, Maurice. "The spark that lit the bonfire", in Gilbert and Sullivan News (London), Spring 2003. At its bars, the attractions of the Alhambra's ballet were not merely artistic:
The Can-Can as presented at the Alhambra by the 'Parisian Colonna' troupe proved so sexually provocative that in October 1870 the Alhambra was deprived of its dancing licence. The musical director of the theatre from 1872 to 1898 was Georges Jacobi, and from 1898 to 1913 was George W. Byng, who composed and conducted the music for many of the ballets and other pieces."Alhambra Theatre", The Morning Post, 24 August 1899, p. 6, accessed 4 July 2020; "The Gay City", The Era, 22 December 1900, p. 20, accessed 4 July 2020; "Players and Playthings", Judy: or The London serio-comic journal, 29 July 1903, pp. 356–357; "The Mad Pierrot", The Observer, 19 March 1911, p. 7; and "The Variety Theatres", The Times, 27 May 1912, p. 8
Another example of the fare on offer was this 1882 production, written by Dion Boucicault and James Planche:
Early films were also a part of the entertainment, with Robert W. Paul, a former collaborator of Birt Acres, presenting his first theatrical programme on 25 March 1896. It included films featuring cartoonist William Mecham drawing caricatures of the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II (1895), Tom Merry Lightning Cartoonist, sketching Kaiser Wilhelm II, Birt Acres (1895) (BFI) accessed 3 Nov 2007 and Prince Bismarck (1895). Tom Merry Lightning Cartoonist, sketching Bismarck, Birt Acres (1895) (BFI) accessed 3 Nov 2007 Merry had previously performed his lightning fast drawing as part of a music hall stage act.
During World War I, a series of hit revues played at the Alhambra, including The Bing Boys Are Here (1916), which featured the first performances of the song If You Were The Only Girl In The World, performed by Violet Lorraine and George Robey [4]. That was followed by The Bing Boys on Broadway (1917) and The Bing Boys are There (1918). The music for the revues was written by Nat D. Ayer with lyrics by Clifford Grey, and the text was by George Grossmith Jr. If You Were The Only Girl In The World (First World War) accessed 24 Oct 2007
Like many other theatres, the Alhambra went into decline after World War I owing to the increasing popularity of cinema and radio. It was demolished in 1936 to make way for the Odeon Leicester Square, which remains on the site. The entrance on Charing Cross Road has also been demolished and is now a modern office block.
Entertainments
London's Alhambra was predominantly used for music hall, the popular entertainment of the day. The usual music hall acts were performed, as well as the début of Jules Léotard performing his aerial act above the heads of diners in May 1861. Other entertainments included "patriotic demonstrations" celebrating the British Empire and British military successes. The theatre also staged ballet and light opera.
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Categories: Theatres Completed In 1858, 1936 Disestablishments In England, Former Music Hall Venues In The United Kingdom, 19th-century Fires In The United Kingdom, 1880s Disasters In The United Kingdom, 1882 Fires, Leicester Square, 1858 Establishments In The United Kingdom, Buildings And Structures Demolished In 1936, Demolished Theatres In London, Demolished Buildings And Structures In The City Of Westminster
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