The Changing Fortunes of the West End’s Fortune Theatre

Take a walk down Russell Street in Covent Garden and you’ll see one of the saddest looking theatre façades in London. But major plans are afoot to renovate the Fortune Theatre.

The years since 1924 have not been kind to the Fortune Theatre, the 400-odd seat theatre in Russell Street that is dwarfed by its neighbour, the giant Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Home to successful thriller The Woman in Black for the last 21 years, the Fortune was one of the first buildings in London to experiment with concrete and, since the demolition of Wembley Stadium, is now the oldest remaining public building to be designed using concrete as a textured and exposed façade.

And it’s the concrete that is the problem. Last winter’s bad weather has led to the concrete façade becoming pot-marked and eroded, which is why David Blyth, who was upped last month to Property Director of Ambassador Theatre Group, owner of the Fortune, is planning a major renovation of the theatre.

Work is timed to start in June this year and completed at the beginning of September, ready for the winter onslaught.

“We plan to completely strip both the front and side façades of the theatre”, he told Westendtheatre.com, “and put a replica of the original canopy back over the front of the theatre”. The theatre will also see new display boards, signage and a brand new lighting system.

Originally designed by Ernest Schaufelberg, who also rebuilt the Adelphi Theatre in 1930, the Fortune was the first theatre in London to be built after the First World War and opened, suitably enough given The Woman in Black’s long residency, as the Fortune Thriller Theatre on 8 August 1924.

Owning West End theatres is not for the faint-hearted, with significant investment required in continually renovating these historic, often listed buildings. The Theatre’s Trust warned this week that recent Arts Council cuts will have an adverse effect on the protection of theatres, and even multi-millionaire Andrew Lloyd Webber, who owns a number of West End venues including the London Palladium and Her Majesty’s Theatre, admitted recently that the enormous investment required to continually redevelop West End theatres was “simply beyond me”.

Ambassador Theatre Group, now by far the largest theatre owner in the West End (and, according to their press, the world), will carry enormous responsibility in preserving West End theatres and continually investing in their upkeep.

David Blyth’s team seem up for the challenge, and are currently renovating the Phoenix Theatre, home to Blood Brothers, to be ready by the end of May. As David says, “both theatres will look quite smart when they are finished”.

GALLERY

The planned renovations for the Fortune Theatre

Photos: Natasha Hamilton in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre

Production photos of Natasha Hamilton in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre

Former Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton has followed follow Spice Girl Melanie C into the West End playing the lead role in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre.

Hamilton, 28, is the youngest actress to play the lead role of Mrs Johnstone at the Phoenix Theatre in London. She told the Liverpool Echo that by the end of the show “I’ve been sobbing, crying my eyes out when my sons are dead on the floor. It’s just hard not to feel that emotion. The play’s so powerful and it tugs at those heart strings so much.”

Natasha joins a roll call of famous theatrical ladies who have played the part of Mrs Johnstone including Mel C, Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Kiki Dee, X-Factor runner-up Nikki Evans and most recently Maureen Noaln.

Photos by Roy Tan

LINKS

SPECIAL OFFER: Enjoy Half Price tickets to see Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre

Natasha Hamilton in Blood Brothers tonight

This week in the West End two big shows see a change of stars as Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton joins the cast of Blood Brothers, and Carina Gillespie replaces Lauren Samuels as Sandy in Grease.

Natasha Hamilton in Blood Brothers

Former Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton is to follow Spice Girl Melanie C into the West End tonight playing the lead role in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre.

Mel C scored a huge hit with the show, making the transition from pop star to stage star, and Hamilton will be hoping for more of the same.

Natasha said on her Twitter page last week that she “can’t begin to describe how tired I am” but that she had been loving every minute of the rehearsals and preparation for tonight’s first show.

Hamilton, 28, is the youngest actress to play the lead role of Mrs Johnstone at the Phoenix Theatre in London. She told the Liverpool Echo today that by the end of the show “I’ve been sobbing, crying my eyes out when my sons are dead on the floor. It’s just hard not to feel that emotion. The play’s so powerful and it tugs at those heart strings so much.”

Her husband Riad and sons Josh, Harry and baby Alfie will all be there tonight to support her in her first big acting role in the West End.

Natasha joins a roll call of famous theatrical ladies who have played the part of Mrs Johnstone including Mel C, Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Kiki Dee, X-Factor runner-up Nikki Evans and most recently Maureen Noaln.

SPECIAL OFFER: Half-price tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre

Carina Gillespie in Grease

Another West End debut is also made tonight by another Liverpudlian actress: Carina Gillespie will replace Over The Rainbow finalist Lauren Samuels this evening as Sandy in Grease. She will be joined by Matthew Goodgame as Danny.

Carina Gillespie trained at the Liverpool Theatre School and has appeared in Buddy- The Buddy Holly Story, Bloodbath- The Musical and Jack in the Beanstalk.

Also joining the cast will be Michael Pickering as Doody, who recently starred in All The Fun of the Fair at the Garrick Theatre.

SPECIAL OFFER: Save £23.50 on tickets to Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre

NATASHA HAMILTON in Blood Brothers

From pop star to West End star, Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton to make her London theatre debut

You know that the West End has become a trendy place to be when pop stars are queuing up to tread the boards in a London show.

Duncan James and Simon Webb from Blue in Legally Blonde and Sister Act respectively, Jason Donovan in Priscilla, the Spice Girls’ Melanie C in Blood Brothers, Destiny’s Child’s Michelle Williams in Chicago, Matt Willis from Busted in Flashdance, Gareth Gates in Les Miserables, Noel from Hear’Say in Grease… the list goes on and on.

And now it’s the turn of sexy Atomic Kitten Natasha Hamilton to make her way to the backstage door of the Phoenix Theatre to star in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers.

Natasha will be making her West End debut in the show, starring as lead character Mrs Johnstone, from 24 January 2011. She joins a roll call of famous theatrical ladies who have played the part of Mrs Johnstone including Mel C, Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Kiki Dee, X-Factor runner-up Nikki Evans and currently 70′s pop star Lyn Paul. Maureen Nolan will play the part from 22 November to 22 January.

Willy Russell’s dramatic musical about a pair of twins from Liverpool who are separated at birth only to cross paths later in life, has run successfully at the Phoenix Theatre since 1991 and remains one of London’s most popular and successful shows.

Hamilton is a relative newcomer to the stage, having only had one other big show under her belt: Peter Pan last year at the Liverpool Empire alongside Les Denis and Henry Winkler. Here’s hoping she follows Mel C’s success, and makes Blood Brothers the start of the next exciting chapter in her career.

Special Offer: Enjoy half-price tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London

Atomic Kitten to join Blood Brothers

Former Atomic Kitten band member Natasha Hamilton is to star in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers

Hot on the heels of Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, another former girl band star is to join the cast of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London.

Natasha Hamilton of Liverpool girl band Atomic Kitten will be making her West End debut in the show, starring as lead character Mrs Johnstone, from 24 January 2011.

Natasha joins a roll call of famous theatrical ladies who have played the part of Mrs Johnstone including Mel C, Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Kiki Dee, X-Factor runner-up Nikki Evans and currently 70′s pop star Lyn Paul.

Willy Russell’s dramatic musical about a pair of twins from Liverpool who are separated at birth only to cross paths later in life, has run successfully at the Phoenix Theatre since 1991 and remains one of London’s most popular and successful shows.

Hamilton’s past stage roles include Peter Pan last year at the Liverpool Empire alongside Les Denis and Henry Winkler.

Special Offer: Enjoy half-price tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London

Phoenix Theatre in London – Map

A London map highlighting the location of the Phoenix Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0JP

Read more about the theatre, including What’s On, Journey Planner, Seating Plan, Parking and Transport

Back to all London Maps of Theatres

View westendtheatre.com – West End Theatres in a larger map

Anniversaries: Phoenix, Wicked, Stomp

A number of West End anniversaries are celebrated in London this week, including the 80th birthday of the Phoenix Theatre.

Phoenix Theatre

Today, 24 September 2010, marks the 80th anniversary of London’s Phoenix Theatre. Commissioned by Sidney Bernstein, who started Granada television, the Charing Cross Road theatre opened in 1930 with Noel Coward’s classic play Private Lives, staring Coward, Gertrude Lawrence, Laurence Olivier and Adrianne Allen.

Other notable successes for the theatre included Noel Coward again, this time with his Tonight at 8.30 one-act plays in 1936, Canterbury Tales in 1968, Night and Day in 1978 and a long list of famous players including John Gielgud, Vivien Leigh, Paul Scofield and Vanessa Redgrave. The Phoenix Theatre currently hosts Willy Russell’s musical Blood Brothers, which opened at the venue in November 1991.

The Phoenix theatre was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Bertie Crew and Cecil Masey with Theodore Komisarjevsky.

A number of West End venues are celebrating their 80th birthdays this year,  following a boom in theatre building in the Art Deco 1930′s, including the Prince Edward, Cambridge, Trafalgar Studios, Apollo Victoria and Adelphi theatres.

Stomp and Wicked

Long-running West End shows Stomp at the Ambassadors Theatre and Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre also celebrate birthdays this month. Stomp celebrates its 8th birthday tomorrow, having opened at the Vaudeville Theatre on 25 September 2002. The high-energy show, which combines theatre, dance, comedy and percussion, moved to its current home at the Ambassadors in 2007.

On Monday 27 September big-budget Broadway musical Wicked celebrates its 4th birthday at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London. Currently starring Lee Mead, Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman, Wicked remains one of the most successful shows on both sides of the Atlantic. The Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman musical is based on the best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, a companion novel to L. Frank Baum’s classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

PHOENIX THEATRE QUICK FACTS

Hard to now imagine but the original site had been a factory, before becoming a Music Hall called the Alcazar.

In 1969 the owners of the Phoenix, Gerald and Veronica Flint-Shipman, organised a midnight matinee for Noel Coward’s 70th birthday, attended by Princess Margaret. A few days before, he opened the Noel Coward bar in the theatre’s foyer.

In 1976 the Phoenix hosted a Hollywood season of four plays featuring particularly starry names: Rock Hudson and Juliet Prowse in I Do I Do, Glynis Johns and Louis Jordan in 13, Rue De L’Amour, Lee Remick in Bus Stop and Douglas Fairbanks Jr in The Pleasure of His Company.

On reviewing the theatre when it first opened, The Stage newspaper said that, “Each seat has sufficient body and leg room and is provided with its own hat rack”.

LINKS

News: Historic year for West End venues

ArthurLloyd.co.uk: Phoenix history

Blood Brothers – book tickets

Stomp – book tickets

Wicked – book tickets

Phoenix Theatre

QUICK FACTS

Opened: 24 September 1930

Designed by: Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Bertie Crew, and Cecil Masey, with Theodore Komisarjevsky

First production: Noel Coward’s Private Lives

Number of seats: 1,000

Offer Alert: Blood Brothers 75% off

Enjoy Willy Russell’s acclaimed musical Blood Brothers for only £13.50 (normally £55)

SPECIAL OFFER: Save £41.50 on tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London

Valid Monday to Friday evenings until 30 September 2010

Willy Russell’s award-winning musical Blood Brothers celebrates its 22nd birthday this month, and to celebrate we have a very special offer.

Enjoy top price tickets for only £13.50 (usually £55) to see this powerful show about twins separated at birth.

The show currently features Niki Evans as Mrs Johnstone, Philip Stewart as the Narrator, Stephen Palfreman as Mickey, Simon Willmont as Eddie and Vivienne Carlyle as Mrs Lyons.

Liverpudlian playwright Willy Russell is currently enjoying a revival, with two of his plays, Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, running at the Trafalgar Studios in London.

SPECIAL OFFER: Save £41.50 on tickets to Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London

Valid Monday to Friday evenings until 30 September 2010

Blood Brothers celebrates 22nd Birthday

Willy Russell’s award-winning musical Blood Brothers celebrates its 22nd birthday today at the Phoenix Theatre in London.

The powerful show, about twins separated at birth, opened at the Albery Theatre (now the Noel Coward Theatre) on 27 August 1988. It transferred from the Albery to its current home at the Phoenix Theatre in 1991.

The starring role of the mother, Mrs. Johnstone, has been played by countless actresses over the last 22 years in the West End, including Barbara Dickson, Stephanie Lawrence, Clodagh Rodgers, Kiki Dee, Lyn Paul, Siobhan McCarthy, Katie Scott, four of the Nolan sisters (Linda, Bernie, Denise and Maureen), Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm and current star Niki Evans.

Blood Brothers originally ran at the Lyric Theatre in 1983 before its  revival in 1988, and won the Olivier Award for Best Musical and a Best Actress in a Musical gong for the show’s star Barbara Dickson. Also Con O’Neill won Best Actor in a Musical in 1988 and Mel C was nominated this year for Best Actress in a Musical.

The show currently features Niki Evans as Mrs Johnstone, Philip Stewart as the Narrator, Stephen Palfreman as Mickey, Simon Willmont as Eddie and Vivienne Carlyle as Mrs Lyons.

Liverpudlian playwright Willy Russell is currently enjoying a revival, with two of his plays, Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, running at the Trafalgar Studios in London.

SPECIAL OFFER: Save £31.50 on tickets to see Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre in London

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