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Garrick Theatre
Théâtre à l'italienne
The Garrick Theatre was financed in 1889 by the playwright W. S. Gilbert, the author
of over 75 plays, including the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. It was designed by
Walter Emden, with C. J. Phipps brought in as a consultant to help with the planning on
the difficult site, which included an underground river. Originally the theatre had 800
seats on 4 levels, but the gallery (top) level has since been closed and the seating
capacity reduced to 656.
A proposed redevelopment of Covent Garden by the GLC
in 1968 saw the theatre under threat, together with the nearby Vaudeville, Adelphi,
Lyceum and Duchess theatres. An active campaign by Equity, the Musicians' Union, and
theatre owners under the auspices of the Save London Theatres Campaign led to the
abandonment of the scheme.
The gold leaf auditorium was restored in 1986 by
the stage designer Carl Toms, and in 1997 the front façade was renovated. The
theatre has mostly been associated with comedies or comedy-dramas.
