Theatres in Wembley, Middlesex (original) (raw)
The Majestic Theatre / Odeon - The Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
The Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, 3 Fulton Road, Wembley
Above - A Google StreetView image showing The Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in October 2022 - Click to Interact.
The Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre is a modern purpose built Theatre with a flexible auditorium space capable of seating up to 2,000 people. The Theatre is situated on the site of the former Fountain Studios and opened in 2019. The Theatre forms part of a 'cultural hub' and whilst it has its own bar and on site restaurant called Studio Five, there are many places to eat and drink around the Theatre including 'Boxpark' next door which has a large selection of street food vendors. Some shows that have already been staged in the Theatre include 'War Horse' in 2019, 'Dinosaur World Live' in 2019, 'Fame The Musical' in 2019 and 2020, 'The Wedding Singer' in 2020, 'Sleepless' in 2020, 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' in 2021 and 2022, 'Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby' in 2022, and 'Newsies' in 2022 and 2023.
In June 2024 the Theatre became host to a revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Starlight Express' which was first staged at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London from 1984 and ran for 18 years before going on tour, entertaining some 20 million people across the world over the years.
You may like to visit the Theatre's own Website here.
If you have any more information or Images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me.
The Majestic Theatre, 47 High Road, Wembley
Later - Odeon Cinema
See also - The Majestic Theatre, Staines - The Majestic Theatre, High Wycombe - The Majestic Theatre, Mitcham - The Majestic Theatre, Woodford
Above - An aerial view of the Majestic Theatre, Wembley in January 1938 - With permission from Historic England's Britain From Above.
The Majestic Theatre was situated on the High Road in Wembley, backing on to Rosemead Avenue, and was the first of five Theatres to be built for the Majestic Theatres Corporation, Ltd., chain of Theatres, all in the London Suburbs and the South East. The Wembley Majestic Theatre opened on Friday the 11th of January 1929.
Right - The Cafe of the Majestic Theatre, Wembley - From the Kinematograph Weekly, 31st of January 1929.
The Wembley Majestic was designed by the architects J. Field and H. J. Stewart with interior designs by W. E. Greenwood who was one of the Company Directors and also designed the interiors of all five of their Theatres. He designed the Majestic Wembley's large auditorium in an Italian Renaissance Atmospheric Style with seating for 1,513 people on two levels, Stalls and one Balcony.
The Theatre also had a fully equipped stage with a 50 foot wide proscenium opening, twelve dressing rooms for artists and an Orchestra Room and Orchestra Pit with a John Compton Kinestra organ and Console, and FOH the Theatre had a large cafe and even included a large Ballroom with accommodation for 500 people.
Above - The Auditorium of the Majestic Theatre, Wembley when it first opened in 1929 - From The Bioscope, 12th of June 1929.
The Kinematograph Weekly reported on the new Theatre in their 17th of January 1929 edition saying:- 'In the Majestic Theatre, Wembley, which was opened on Friday, local enterprise has built a remarkable picture theatre, which compares favourably in all respects with any provincial theatre, and in one respect it is unique.
Right - The exterior of the Majestic Theatre, Wembley - From the Kinematograph Weekly, 17th of January 1929.
This is the beautiful decorative scheme, which has been carried out by John Bull, the famous decorative artist, upon atmospheric lines conceived by W. E. Greenwood, an authority on mural decoration.
The general decorative scheme is in the Italian renaissance style, and in [the] auditorium Mr. Greenwood has carried out the idea of an Italian interior, from which the patron looks out on to a beautiful Italian garden. It is the first occasion upon which the whole of an interior has been carried out in this style, and the directors are to be congratulated upon the very beautiful effect achieved by decorator and the plaster craftsman.
The rich colour-scheme employed is at once restful and pleasing to the eye. The views of mountains, trees and temples on the side walls are in relief, and their application is remarkable for the sense of real depth conveyed to the patron. The various effects achieved by Mr. Greenwood called for much ingenuity and imagination. The whole of the ceiling is made to represent an Italian sky, and is unbroken by ventilating grids or lighting fixtures.
Air is introduced into the building by a series of louvres, which are practically invisible behind decorative features which harmonise with the surroundings, and is extracted through thousands of minute holes in the barrel roof, which are also invisible.
Mr. Greenwood has availed himself of the decorations to mask the organ grille of the John Compton Kinestra organ behind the foliage, and also to mask the apertures of the projector box, which has been arranged as a castle with loggias.
Proscenium
Above - The Auditorium from the Stage of the Majestic Theatre, Wembley - From the Kinematograph Weekly, 17th of January 1929.
The decorative scheme is carried right on to the stage, with its 50 ft. wide proscenium opening, a prominent feature being the flanking of the proscenium by a set of Corinthian pillars. General house lighting is achieved by means of a series of floods set into the front of the balcony and showing through glass painted in conformity with the general scheme. Similar floods are situated on each side of the rear of the balcony and of the stalls floor.
Right - The Auditorium of the Majestic Theatre, Wembley - From the Kinematograph Weekly, 31st of January 1929.
The site of the Majestic is distinctive, and Field and Stewart, the architects, have erected a handsome frontage carried out with Luton grey facing bricks and Atlas white stone dressings. The whole of the facade is floodlighted and is also picked out with small electric bulbs by the Strand and Interchangeable Sign Company.
Handsome ornamental bronze doors, supplied by Garton and Thorne, Ltd.. lead to the octagonal crush hall, which, with its pay-box equipped with automatic machines and a chocolate kiosk, gives ingress to the cafe and ballroom. The feature of the crush hall is the dome, lit by concealed lights. Walls are treated with "Craftex." The treatment is continued in the foyer, which has a coppered ceiling and a specially installed classic frieze. On each side are handsome staircases leading to the balcony. On the half-landing there is a lounge opening out of which is an octagonal well.
The whole of the seating and furnishing have been carried out by Maples, who are so successfully specialising in kinema work.
Simplex Projectors
Operating-box and rewinding rooms are specially spacious, and have been equipped throughout by J. Frank Brockliss, Ltd. There are three of the latest model Simplex projectors and a Brenkert effects machine.
Above - The Ballroom at the Majestic Theatre, Wembley - From the Kinematograph Weekly, 17th of January 1929.
Across the whole of the frontage extends the Majestic ballroom, which is one of the finest apartments of its kind in the provinces. It is 107 ft. long and 30 ft. wide, and can accommodate 500 dancers. The decorative treatment is carried out on classical lines, the arched cornices, panels, ceiling ribs, and cornice rails being supplied by Paper Stucco Decorations, while the "Pollodium" cane furniture is the product of Edward Light and Co., Ltd. The ballroom is self-contained, with its lounge, retiring-room and dressing-rooms.
Stage Facilities
Full stage accommodation is given for plays and variety. There are six dressing-rooms on each side, and board room, and musical director's room. A full equipment of footlights, batten spots and dimmers, etc., has been installed by the Strand Electric Co., who also made a record job with the stage switchboard.
The whole theatre is a remarkable example of the successful application of the latest developments in theatre design, and is a tribute to the work of L. Morris, the managing director, which illustrates his possession of remarkable theatre sense.'
The above text in quotes was first published in the Kinematograph Weekly, 17th of January 1929.
Above - A Google StreetView Image showing the Site of the former Majestic Theatre, Wembley in July 2017 - Click to Interact.
The Majestic Theatre, Wembley had first opened on the 11th of January 1929 under the ownership of the Majestic Theatres Corporation, Ltd., chain of Theatres but in 1935 it was taken over by County Cinemas, who themselves would be taken over by Oscar Deutsch's Odeon Theatres chain in September 1939. Odeon renamed the Majestic an Odeon Cinema in March 1956 and ran it as such until its final closure on the 27th of May 1961.
The Theatre was subsequently demolished and a C & A Store was then constructed on its site. Today it's in use as a Branch of Wilko on the ground floor, and offices for the London School of Science & Technology above.
Some of the information for this Theatre was gleaned from the excellent Cinema Treasures Website.
If you have any more information or Images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me.