89-618: Trafalgar Theatre is a West End theatre in Whitehall , near Trafalgar Square , in the City of Westminster , London . The Grade II listed building was built in 1930 with interiors in the Art Deco style as the Whitehall Theatre ; it regularly staged comedies and revues. It was converted into a television and radio studio in the 1990s, before returning to theatrical use in 2004 as Trafalgar Studios ,
178-576: A Woman by Walter Hackett , who was the theatre's licensee. In November 1933 Henry Daniell appeared there as Portman in Afterwards . Hackett presented several other plays of his own before leaving in 1934, and the theatre built its reputation for modern comedies throughout the rest of the decade. During World War II it housed revues , which had become commonplace entertainment throughout the West End. In 1942, The Whitehall Follies , featuring Phyllis Dixey ,
267-469: A comedic live performance-art show featuring a series of genital contortions . The show was initially conceived as the title of a highbrow art calendar released by Australian Simon Morley in 1996. The calendar showcased twelve penis "installations" (the manipulation of male genitalia into a variety of recognisable forms). In response to increasing requests for live demonstrations, in 1997 Morley enlisted fellow Australian, David "Friendy" Friend, to devise
356-449: A complaint from a viewer and launched an investigation into alleged television broadcast indecency. The FCC concluded that Young Broadcasting of San Francisco, KRON-TV's proprietor, was liable for a fine of $ 27,000 for violating federal restrictions regarding the broadcast of indecent material. This was the maximum fine for a breach of this nature. The Commission rejected Young Broadcasting's claims of bona-fide news coverage immunity, on
445-522: A high proportion of straight drama, Shakespeare , other classic plays and premieres of new plays by leading playwrights—for example David Hare 's play Pravda starring Anthony Hopkins which was described by The Telegraph as "one of the biggest hits in the history of the National Theatre." Successful productions from the non-commercial theatres sometimes transfer to one of the commercial West End houses for an extended run. The Royal Opera House
534-609: A new name. The current building contains two intimate theatres designed by architects Tim Foster and John Muir. Studio 1, the larger of the two spaces with 380 seats, opened on 3 June 2004 with the Royal Shakespeare Company 's production of Othello . Studio 2, with 100 seats, opened in October 2005 with the play Cyprus . Since 2004, Trafalgar Studios has presented short runs of revivals of classic plays and musicals, including Sweeney Todd (2004); Losing Louis (2005);
623-455: A performance show consisting of body-based genital comedy. The show involves two nude men who bend, twist, and fold their penises and scrotums into various shapes. The theatrical contortion of the male genitalia accompanied by comedic narration has since spread internationally. It is humorously termed "dick trick" or "genital origami ." Puppetry of the Penis was first performed on stage at
712-621: A record-breaking nine Olivier Awards in 2017. "Theatre is such an important part of British history and British culture" —Dame Helen Mirren after receiving the Evening Standard Award in 2013 for her performance as the Queen in The Audience . The following shows are confirmed as future West End productions. The theatre in which they will run is either not yet known or currently occupied by another show. The term "West End theatre"
801-623: A review of the production at the Whitehall Theatre in London, published in The Independent , Sarah Barrell said "[the show] is certainly one of the more playfully subversive pieces of theatre to come within reach of the capital's centres of power". The show has received positive reviews from major international news outlets. Lyn Gardner of The Guardian called the production a "gently witty, surprisingly charming little show", and remarked that
890-602: A season by the RSC repertory season, from December 2005 to February 2006, of plays including Sir Thomas More , Sejanus: His Fall and Believe What You Will ; an adaptation of Jane Eyre by Polly Teale (2006); Bent (2006–07); Elling (2007); Dealer's Choice (2007–08); Fat Pig (2008, transferring to the Comedy Theatre ); Entertaining Mr Sloane (2009) and A Christmas Carol (2010–11). Three Days in May showed at
979-445: A source of amusement. Academic Elizabeth Stephens notes that Puppetry of the Penis represents a change in the "representability" of the penis, with its contortions rendering the organ as "humiliated, tortured or laughed at". She writes that while the penis is noticeably visible in the show, the phallus appears only in a distorted form, making it unrecognisable as a penis. According to Stephens, "this freakshow spectacularization of
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#17328521049921068-612: A subsequent 8 week run of the show from 13 July 2010 to 4 September 2010. The production has also established a flagship show in Las Vegas , which runs up to five nights a week at the Erotic Heritage Museum . At one stage, the Puppetry of the Penis production managed eight franchises across the globe. The show has performed in a diverse range of venues during the course of its international tours. The UK tour included performances at
1157-516: A successful revival of J.B. Priestley 's When We Are Married . Subsequent productions included When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout by Sharman Macdonald , The Importance of Being Earnest , The Foreigner , Run For Your Wife , Absurd Person Singular , Travels with My Aunt , tributes to Patsy Cline , Roy Orbison and the Blues Brothers , and solo performances by Ennio Marchetto and Maria Friedman . Between 1997 and 1999,
1246-556: Is Les Misérables , produced by Cameron Mackintosh , which has been running in London since October 1985. It overtook Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Cats , which closed in 2002 after running for 8,949 performances and 21 years, as the longest-running West End musical of all time on 9 October 2006. Other long-runners include Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera , Willy Russell 's Blood Brothers , and Abba jukebox musical Mamma Mia! which have also subsequently overtaken Cats . However,
1335-754: Is generally used to refer specifically to commercial productions in Theatreland. However, the leading non-commercial theatres in London enjoy great artistic prestige. These include the National Theatre , the Barbican Centre , Shakespeare's Globe (including the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse ), the Old Vic , Royal Court Theatre , Sadler's Wells Theatre , and the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre . These theatres stage
1424-501: Is used to allow audiences to view the acts close-up. The installations are projected, 20 times life size, onto an upstage screen for audience viewing. The show also includes a brief instructional demonstration for audiences to replicate the contortions, as well as an audience participation segment. The show debuted in 1998 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to sold-out audiences, where it won
1513-680: Is widely regarded as one of the greatest opera houses in the world, comparable with the Palais Garnier and La Scala . Commonly known simply as Covent Garden due to its location, it is home to the Royal Opera , Royal Ballet and a resident symphony orchestra, and hosts guest performances from other leading opera, ballet and performance companies from around the world. In 1735 its first season of operas, by George Frideric Handel , began and many of his English oratorios were specifically written for Covent Garden and had their premieres here. Likewise,
1602-454: The New Criterion magazine called the production as "a juvenile example of the normalisation of deviance", likening it to toilet humour. Kimball said that the show was nothing more than a repulsive "publicity stunt". Performance shows outside the pornography industry that feature genitalia risk breaching obscenity laws , even when legitimatised as genuine works of art. The Puppetry of
1691-456: The COVID-19 pandemic , all theatres in the West End were closed until further notice. Theatres in London were allowed to re-open (with social distancing) on 17 May 2021, with full capacity permitted from 19 July. Opening in October 2022, @sohoplace is the first new West End theatre in 50 years. The length of West End shows depends on ticket sales. The longest-running musical in West End history
1780-715: The Comedy Theatre opened as the Royal Comedy Theatre on Panton Street in Leicester Square . It abbreviated its name three years later. On 23 December 1886, Alice in Wonderland (the first major production of the Alice books ) debuted at the Prince of Wales Theatre . Its author Lewis Carroll was involved in the stage adaptation, and he attended a performance seven days later. The Palace Theatre opened in 1891. Opened in 1892,
1869-462: The Duke of York's Theatre debuted J. M. Barrie 's play, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up , on 27 December 1904. One of the most popular playwrights in London in the 1890s, Oscar Wilde , premiered his second comedy, A Woman of No Importance , at Haymarket Theatre in 1893. The subject of widespread public and media interest, Lillie Langtry (an associate of Wilde) made her West End debut in
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#17328521049921958-575: The English Reformation . The first permanent public playhouse, known as The Theatre , was constructed in 1576 in Shoreditch by James Burbage . It was soon joined by The Curtain . Both are known to have been used by William Shakespeare 's company. In 1599, the timber from The Theatre was moved to Southwark , where it was used in building the Globe Theatre in a new theatre district formed beyond
2047-761: The Grand Opera House in Belfast and the Arts Centre in New Milton. As of 2003 , the show had played in over 15 private venues in the U.S., with the country-run theatre in Rosslyn being the first public arts facility in the country to host the show. Puppetry of the Penis has grossed over fifty million dollars, and performed in 35 countries in six different languages. Puppetry of the Penis has been noted for its controversial material amongst theatre critics and journalists. In
2136-690: The London Coliseum is the resident home to the English National Opera . The theatre is also the London base for performances by the English National Ballet , who perform regular seasons throughout the year when not on tour. The Peacock Theatre is located on the edge of the Theatreland area. Now owned by the London School of Economics and Political Science , it is used in the evenings for dance performances by Sadler's Wells , who manage
2225-1002: The Lyric Hammersmith , Theatre Royal Stratford East , Rose Theatre, Kingston , New Wimbledon Theatre , the Rudolph Steiner Theatre in Westminster , the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon , Secombe Theatre in Sutton , the Churchill Theatre in Bromley and the Hackney Empire in Hackney . London theatres outside the West End also played an important role in the early history of drama schools . In 1833, actress Frances Maria Kelly managed
2314-727: The Royal Strand Theatre in Westminster where she funded and operated a dramatic school, the earliest record of a drama school in England. In 1840 she financed the Royalty Theatre in Soho which opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School. There are a number of annual awards for outstanding achievements in London theatre: Puppetry of the Penis Puppetry of the Penis is
2403-634: The Royal Wanganui Opera House , New Zealand. The mayor, Chas Poynter , said "the community is aghast and upset about this show". While the council was not able to prohibit performances of the show in other venues in the municipal, city authorities retained the power to ban the production at the civic opera house. In June 2002, the show was barred from being staged in civic theatres in the Cairns and Bundaberg Councils in Queensland. Despite reviewing
2492-521: The Savoy Theatre in The Strand, built by Richard D'Oyly Carte specifically to showcase the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan , opened in October (the first theatre and public building to be lit by electric lights, with The Times recording, "the success of the new mode of illumination was complete, and its importance for the development of scenic art can scarcely be overrated"), and five days later
2581-562: The Twelfth Night Theatre in Bowen Hills, Brisbane. While the ad featured no nudity, the complainant protested the "thrusting of the male genital part into the public area". The ASB deemed the use of anatomical words acceptable in the context and the complaint was dismissed. The use of comedy as a method of subverting or critiquing traditional assumptions and social dynamics has been commented on by several theorists. Puppetry of
2670-453: The "Outright Best Show" award. The success of the initial performance prompted an eight-month tour of Australia that covered 20,000 kilometres. The national tour was captured in the 2000 documentary Tackle Happy , directed by comedian Mick Molloy. Puppetry of the Penis returned to tour Australia in March 2001, with a new cast consisting of Daniel Lewry, Steve Harrison and Jim MacGregor, under
2759-712: The 1998 Melbourne International Comedy Festival in Australia , featuring the creators, Morley and Friend, as the premiere cast. The show has since appeared on the international stage, featuring productions in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Europe, Canada, the United States, South Africa and Argentina. The initial Australian tour was the subject of Australian comedian Mick Molloy 's 2000 documentary Tackle Happy . The duo has recruited supporting production teams and actors across Australia,
Trafalgar Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
2848-570: The Big Mac, the Loch Ness Monster, the wristwatch, the pelican, the Eiffel Tower, the hamburger, the bulldog, the windsurfer and others. The show consists of approximately 45 genital manipulations, accompanied by sound effects and comedic narration. The performers wear only sneakers and velvet magician's capes and stand with their backs to the audience. A large-screen live-action projection
2937-818: The Canberra Theatre in Canberra and in March 2007 at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. The show continued to perform each year at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, hosted at the Athenaeum Theatre , produced by A-List Entertainment production company. In 2008 Puppetry of the Penis premiered at the Adelaide Fringe Festival at the Royalty Theatre, which has hosted the show in subsequent years. In 2000,
3026-770: The IMB Theatre in Wollongong, Tivoli Theatre in Bowen Hills, Brolga Theatre in Maryborough, Pilbeam Theatre in Rockhampton and Enmore Theatre in Sydney. The show appeared again at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April 2002, with performers Brett Hartin and Richard Sutherland. In 2003 Puppetry of the Penis was hosted in Armidale at the University of New England Arts Theatre and
3115-699: The Orange Civic Theatre in Orange before returning to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March 2003, with a new Director's Cut version of the production, featuring performers Brett Hartin and Aaron Bloomfield. The Puppetry of the Penis Director's Cut tour continued in Australia throughout 2003 and 2004, adding to the cast performer Barry Brisco from New York and featuring the return of Morley and Friend from their U.S. tour. The show briefly halted touring in Australia, temporarily reopening in April 2006 at
3204-411: The Patent Acts, as it was accompanied by music. Initially, these entertainments were presented in large halls, attached to public houses , but purpose-built theatres began to appear in the East End , such as the Pavilion Theatre in Whitechapel . The comic theatrical genre the harlequinade was also popular among London audiences. Its most famous performer, Joseph Grimaldi , best known for developing
3293-490: The Penis possesses a cultural value beyond its outwardly superficial subject matter. The show demystifies and demythologises the male sexual organ by displaying it with hyper-visibility and boldness. In her book, Maria San Filippo states that displaying the penis "to spectacular effect ultimately renders it de-fetishized". She comments that in Puppetry of the Penis , the phallus is desexualised and separated from its traditional symbolic connotations, instead becoming purely
3382-406: The Penis presents in its performances. She comments that conventional representations of the penis allude to power, dominance and violence, and states that the show "challenges preconceived notions of the penis and its function as an object of sexuality and symbol of power". According to Kovacs, audiences are drawn to such productions as they challenge social norms and transfer taboo subjects from
3471-421: The Penis production employs practical measures, such as having performers stand with their backs to the audience, in order to avoid claims of public obscenity, and to enable the show to be performed in mainstream and civic theatres. In its production history, the show has faced bans from several international venues on the grounds of indecency . In May 2002, Puppetry of the Penis was banned from performing at
3560-448: The Penis uses theatrical and absurdist humour to deconstruct conventional representations of male genitalia. The show reduces the penis to a malleable object for the purposes of comedy, disassociating it from the taboo of sex and masculinity . Theatre critic Joe Adcock wrote in his review of the performance, "The strictures of genteel decorum are violated. And so are the dogmas of smut." Critics and academics note that Puppetry of
3649-606: The Penis', was the inspiration for the title of the subsequent performance show, which featured a repertoire of similar contortions. The run-time for the performance is approximately one hour. The main acts are preceded by a 25-minute stand-up comedy act, with varying comedians in different productions. The majority of the show features a series of 'tricks', which are manipulations of the actors' penises into various forms. The creators describe this as "genital origami". The contortions simulate commonly identifiable shapes, such as objects, architecture and people. The tricks include
Trafalgar Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
3738-417: The Pot , by Ray Cooney and Tony Hilton (1961–64); and Chase Me, Comrade , by Cooney (1964–66). Excerpts from the shows were televised by the BBC. The building was acquired in 1971 by Paul Raymond who was producer of a nude review that had opened there in 1969 called Pyjama Tops , it ran for five years after which productions including Ipi Tombi and Anyone for Denis? had successful runs. The building
3827-399: The Restoration (1660), Puritan legislation was declared null and void, and theatre (among other arts) exploded. Two companies were licensed to perform, the Duke's Company and the King's Company . Performances were held in converted buildings, such as Lisle's Tennis Court . The first West End theatre, known as Theatre Royal in Bridges Street, was designed by Thomas Killigrew and built on
3916-455: The Second World War, including John Gielgud , Alec Guinness , Vivien Leigh and Rex Harrison ; the latter's performance in Terence Rattigan 's 1936 comedy French Without Tears at the Criterion Theatre established him a leading light comedian. During the 1950s and 1960s, many plays were produced in theatre clubs, to evade the censorship then exercised by the Lord Chamberlain's Office . The Theatres Act 1968 finally abolished censorship of
4005-399: The UK and the U.S., allowing international performance demands to be met. Due to the success of the show, the business was expanded to cater for private parties around Australia. A Puppetry of the Penis TV special has aired in Australia on One . In 1996, Australian comedian Simon Morley created an art calendar that showcased close-up images of twelve penis 'installations'. The concept
4094-484: The United States tour of the production. Subsequent performances began with a multi-media presentation of the show's development over the previous decade. They included video footage of original creators Morley and Friend on tour, performance highlights, and audience reactions. The initial Australian national tour of Puppetry of the Penis was the subject of the documentary Tackle Happy , directed and produced by Australian comedian Mick Molloy. The documentary focuses on
4183-407: The West End, with the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , opened in May 1663, the oldest theatre in London. The Savoy Theatre —built as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan —was entirely lit by electricity in 1881. The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) announced that 2018 was a record year for the capital's theatre industry with attendances topping 15.5 million for
4272-403: The act alongside him, however he had already committed to a part on the Australian TV show Neighbours. Morley enlisted David "Friendy" Friend, a Melbourne resident who had previously run a small entertainment business that catered to bachelorette parties, as his stage partner, and together they developed a comedy routine based on Morley's original concept. The title of the calendar, 'Puppetry of
4361-424: The area proper; an example is The Apollo Victoria Theatre , in Westminster . Prominent theatre streets include Drury Lane , Shaftesbury Avenue and the Strand. The works staged are predominantly musicals, classic and modern straight plays , and comedy performances. Many theatres in the West End are of late Victorian or Edwardian construction and are privately owned. Many are architecturally impressive, and
4450-427: The ban at the request of Executive Producer Thomas Milazzo, the councils ultimately refused to allow the show to use their facilities. In regard to the decision, Bundaberg mayor Kay McDuff said the show was not "appropriate" for the Bundaberg civic theatres. In October 2002, Friend and Morley appeared as guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote their U.S. tour. The U.S. television network NBC permitted
4539-478: The broadcast despite protests from religious groups. Due to controversies surrounding the show, Salt Lake City's NBC affiliate station , which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , refused to broadcast the program. In August 2004, during a U.S. tour of the production, Chicago Citizens for Community advocacy group filed a complaint, claiming that the show was "illegal and subject to law enforcement". The Chicago Police ignored protests to ban
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#17328521049924628-415: The comedy She Stoops to Conquer in 1881. In 1878, Ellen Terry joined Henry Irving 's company as his leading lady, and for more than the next two decades she was considered the leading Shakespearean and comic actress in Britain. Opened in 1903, the New Theatre debuted The Scarlet Pimpernel in 1905, a play that introduced a heroic figure with an alter ego into the public consciousness. The theatre
4717-599: The conditions for the performance of plays, and The Strand gained another venue when the Vaudeville opened on 16 April 1870. The next few decades saw the opening of many new theatres in the West End. The Adelphi hosted A Christmas Carol; or, Past, Present, and Future in 1844, a play adapted from the novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens —who came to several stage rehearsals during which he made suggestions—with his book published weeks earlier in December 1843. The Criterion Theatre opened on Piccadilly Circus on 21 March 1874, and in 1881, two more houses appeared:
4806-401: The controls of the City corporation. Regarding theatre as sinful, these theatres were closed in 1642 due to the Puritans who would later influence the interregnum of 1649. On 24 January 1643, the actors protested against the ban by writing a pamphlet titled The Actors remonstrance or complaint for the silencing of their profession, and banishment from their severall play-houses . After
4895-537: The creators performed the show at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, which was positively received by audiences. The show was then booked by a West End producer for a five-week run at London's Whitehall Theatre , but numerous extensions led to the completion of a six-month tour in London's West End . This was followed by performances in New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Norway, The Netherlands, Argentina, Switzerland and Iceland. In 2001, Morley and Friend licensed
4984-402: The episode did not contravene its policies around nudity, as it was relevant and appropriate within the narrative context, but it found The Comedy Network culpable for not running a viewer advisory around the use of four-letter words in the dialogue. In February 2012, the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau received a complaint regarding a billboard advertising Puppetry of the Penis at
5073-488: The first stripper to perform in the theatre district, opened with great fanfare and became an immediate success. Dixey leased the theatre and remained in it for the next five years. A series of five long-running farces , presented under the umbrella title " Whitehall farce " by the actor-manager Brian Rix , were staged at the theatre from 1950 to 1966: Reluctant Heroes , by Colin Morris (1950–54); Dry Rot , by John Chapman (1954–58); Simple Spymen (1958–61); One For
5162-454: The first time since the organisation began collecting audience data in 1986. Box office revenues exceeded £765 million. While attendance in 2019 was down 1.4% compared to the previous year, box office revenues reached a record £799 million. The majority of West End theatres are owned by the ATG Entertainment , Delfont Mackintosh Theatres , Nimax Theatres , LW Theatres , and the Nederlander Organization . Theatre in London flourished after
5251-417: The grounds that the puppetry "display was not incidental to the coverage of a news event". The station issued a press release apologising for the incident and paid the fee. An early 2002 appearance by the duo on the Canadian comedy game show Gutterball Alley was also the subject of a complaint to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council that year. The council concluded that the depictions of penises in
5340-415: The large theatres in and near the West End of London . Along with New York City 's Broadway theatre , West End theatre represents the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world . Seeing a West End show is a common tourist activity in London . Famous screen actors, British and international alike, frequently appear on the London stage. There are approximately 40 theatres in
5429-489: The largest and best maintained feature grand neo-classical, Romanesque, or Victorian façades and luxurious, detailed interior design and decoration. However, owing to the age of the buildings, leg room is often cramped, and audience facilities such as bars and toilets are often much smaller than in modern theatres. The protected status of the buildings and their confined urban locations, combined with financial constraints, make it very difficult to make substantial improvements to
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#17328521049925518-529: The level of comfort offered. In 2003, the Theatres Trust estimated that an investment of £250 million over the following 15 years was required for modernisation, and stated that 60% of theatres had seats from which the stage was not fully visible. The theatre owners unsuccessfully requested tax concessions to help them meet the costs. Starting in 2004, there were several incidents of falling plasterwork, or performances being cancelled because of urgent building repairs being required. These events culminated in
5607-431: The management of Ross Mollison Productions. It ran from 30 March 2001 to 20 May 2001 at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne, hosted by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The tour continued in July at Her Majesty's Theatre in Adelaide and in October at the Footbridge Theatre at the University of Sydney . In 2002 Puppetry of the Penis performed at Riverside Theatre in Parramatta, the Playhouse Theatre in Canberra,
5696-464: The material was handled with "a high degree of decorum". British critic Jill Sharp called the show a "theatrical extravaganza, celebrating with tongue-in-cheek innocence the flexibility of the phallus". The Washington Post noted the performers' "irrepressible wit… [they] will leave you laughing ridiculously". Other reviews were less favourable, criticising the show for its sexually graphic subject material. Conservative art critic Roger Kimball of
5785-429: The modern day white-face clown , made his stage debut at Drury Lane in 1780. The West End theatre district became established with the opening of many small theatres and halls, including the Adelphi in The Strand on 17 November 1806. South of the River Thames , the Old Vic , Waterloo Road , opened on 11 May 1818. The expansion of the West End theatre district gained pace with the Theatres Act 1843 , which relaxed
5874-481: The name it bore until 2020, with the auditorium converted to two studio spaces. It re-opened in 2021 following a major multi-million pound project to reinstate it to its original single-auditorium design. The original Whitehall Theatre, built on the site of the 17th century Ye Old Ship Tavern was designed by Edward A. Stone, with interiors in the Art Deco style by Marc-Henri and Laverdet. It had 634 seats. The theatre opened on 29 September 1930 with The Way to Treat
5963-448: The non-musical Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap is the longest-running production in the world, and has been performed continuously since 1952. Running since 2011, Matilda the Musical , an adaptation of Roald Dahl 's Matilda , won a then-record seven Olivier Awards in 2012. Running since 2016, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , a two-part play written by Jack Thorne based on an original story by J. K. Rowling , won
6052-402: The partial collapse of the ceiling of the Apollo Theatre in December 2013. Of these earlier incidents, only one led to people being hurt, but at the Apollo 76 people needed medical treatment for their injuries. A number of West End theatres have undergone refurbishments, including the Victoria Palace Theatre following the run of Billy Elliot in 2016. The Dominion Theatre refurbishment
6141-417: The penis, in which it becomes visible only to be constituted as an object of ridicule or amusement… represents anxieties about the role of the penis in the construction of masculinity". Stephens states that Puppetry of the Penis deconstructs traditional assumptions about the phallus and its symbolic attachment to masculinity. Kovacs discusses the subversion of traditional phallic symbolism that Puppetry of
6230-399: The performance. On 4 October 2002, Morley and Friend were interviewed on KRON-TV 's Morning News show to promote performances of Puppetry of the Penis in San Francisco. The duo appeared dressed only in capes and during the course of the live broadcast, one of the performers briefly exposed his penis. The Enforcement Bureau of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received
6319-418: The performances range from classic plays, to cabaret, to plays in the languages of London's ethnic minorities . The performers range from emerging young professionals to amateurs. Productions at the Donmar included the 1980 play Educating Rita which starred Julie Walters in the title role before she reprised the role in the 1983 film . There are many theatres located throughout Greater London , such as
6408-593: The private sphere "and into the social realm through the agency of humour". The creators published an instructional book, entitled Puppetry of the Penis: The Ancient Art of Genital Origami , in 2000. It features photographs, accompanied by illustrations and text, demonstrating how to replicate 26 of the installations. A Director's Cut version of the show was introduced at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2003. It featured new performers Brett Hartin and Aaron Bloomfield, and showcased home videos from
6497-841: The production, which featured an opening stand-up comedy act by Wendy Vousden. The production ran successfully for over a year, closing on 3 November 2002. In 2003, the duo licensed the show to Foster Entertainment in the U.S. Puppetry of the Penis , presented by David Foster of Foster Entertainment and Simon Morley, returned to New York's 42nd Street on 4 August 2009 at the Bleecker Street Theatre . The cast consisted of Rich Binning, Chris Cannon, Christopher Goodwin and Gavin Stewart, with opening acts by Rachel Feinstein , Giulia Rozzi and Amy Schumer . The show, originally intending to end on 30 August, extended its Off-Broadway engagement and ran until 4 October 2009. Bleecker Street Theatre hosted
6586-579: The property, it operated as a "Musick House", with performances of opera; as it was not licensed for plays. In the West End, the Theatre Royal Haymarket opened on 29 December 1720 on a site slightly north of its current location, and the Royal Opera House opened in Covent Garden on 7 December 1732. John Gay 's ballad opera The Beggar's Opera ran for 62 performances in 1728, and held
6675-433: The record for London's longest run for nearly a century. It has been called "the most popular play of the eighteenth century." Another musical show, Tom and Jerry, or Life in London (1821), was the first London production to reach 100 consecutive performances . Tom and Jerry' s combination of a tour of London interspersed with song and dance, gave rise to numerous similar, loosely constructed entertainments, and "planted
6764-414: The seeds for later musical comedy and revue". The Patent theatre companies retained their duopoly on drama well into the 19th century, and all other theatres could perform only musical entertainments. By the early 19th century, however, music hall entertainments became popular, and presenters found a loophole in the restrictions on non-patent theatres in the genre of melodrama . Melodrama did not break
6853-507: The show to local production company Mollison Productions, which produced seven supporting companies and a troupe of actors to assist with international performance demands and tours. On 5 October 2001 Puppetry of the Penis made its New York debut at the John Houseman Theatre on New York's 42nd Street . The show was produced Thomas Milazzo and Ross Mollison of Mollison Productions. The original creators, Morley and Friend, starred in
6942-610: The site of the present Theatre Royal, Drury Lane . It opened on 7 May 1663 and was destroyed by a fire nine years later. It was replaced by a new structure designed by Christopher Wren and renamed the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. One of the first actresses on the stage, Nell Gwyn became a star of restoration comedy. Outside the West End, Sadler's Wells Theatre opened in Islington on 3 June 1683. Taking its name from founder Richard Sadler and monastic springs that were discovered on
7031-572: The stage in the United Kingdom. "Theatreland", London's main theatre district, contains approximately 40 venues and is located in and near the heart of the West End of London . It is traditionally defined by the Strand to the south, Oxford Street to the north, Regent Street to the west, and Kingsway to the east. However, a few other nearby theatres are also considered "West End" despite being outside
7120-513: The theatre began in the summer. On 27 October, Trafalgar Entertainment announced that the theatre would re-open as Trafalgar Theatre in Spring 2021. The restoration resulted in the restoration of a new single auditorium at an increased capacity and a larger stage, matching other theatre venues such as the Duke of York's and Vaudeville theatres. All seats at Trafalgar Theatre are on just two levels, stalls and dress circle. The redevelopment
7209-654: The theatre from November 2011 to March 2012. The theatre was Grade II listed by English Heritage in December 1996, noting "The auditorium has a decorative cohesion and prettiness rare in theatres of its day, and has the best surviving original fabric of this type of theatre". In May 2016, Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire , founders and former owners of Ambassador Theatre Group , announced they were stepping down from ATG to set up their own production company called Trafalgar Entertainment Group (TEG), which would take control of Trafalgar Studios. In May 2020, planning permission
7298-631: The theatre on behalf of the school. There is a great number of stage productions in London outside the West End. Much of this is known as fringe theatre (referred to as Off West End ) which is the equivalent of off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway theatre in New York City. Among these are the Menier Chocolate Factory , Bush Theatre and the Donmar Warehouse . Fringe venues range from well-equipped small theatres to rooms above pubs, and
7387-499: The theatre was converted into a television and radio studio used primarily to broadcast Jack Docherty 's talk show and BBC Radio 4 's Live from London . It returned to theatrical use, with such productions as Three Sisters , Puppetry of the Penis , "Art" , Rat Pack Confidential , and Sing-a-Long-a- ABBA , before its owner, the Ambassador Theatre Group , announced the building would be reconfigured and reopen with
7476-449: Was based on Morley and his youngest brother's creation of a series of party tricks involving various contortions of their genitalia. In order to market the calendars, Morley devised a live routine. Morley's first demonstration, held in a garage in 1997, was received well by audience members, and encouraged him to pursue the creation of a stage show in which to showcase the tricks. Morley originally intended to recruit his brother to perform
7565-507: Was completed in 2017 with the unveiling of a new double-sided LED screen, the largest and highest resolution projecting screen on the exterior of a West End theatre. In 2012, gross sales of £529,787,692 were up 0.27% and attendances also increased 0.56% to 13,992,773-year-on-year. In 2013, sales again rose this time by 11% to £585,506,455, with attendances rising to 14,587,276. This was despite slightly fewer performances occurring in 2013. On 16 March 2020, following government advice due to
7654-433: Was granted to return the premises to a 630-seat theatre. Since the building's listed status meant the 2004 changes had to be reversible, it was possible for the theatre to be restored to its previous form. Westminster City Council granted the necessary planning permission and listed building consents to carry out the work. The venue closed earlier than expected in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and building work on
7743-401: Was overseen by Foster Wilson Architects. On 30 October, it was announced that Jersey Boys would be opening the new Trafalgar Theatre in April 2021. However, its opening was delayed to July 2021. 51°30′24″N 0°07′39″W / 51.5066°N 0.1275°W / 51.5066; -0.1275 West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in
7832-625: Was renamed the Noël Coward Theatre in 2006 after the playwright Noël Coward . Constructed in 1897, Her Majesty's Theatre hosted a number of premieres, including George Bernard Shaw 's Pygmalion in 1914. The theatre building boom continued until about the First World War . In 1930, Laurence Olivier had his first important West End success in Noël Coward's Private Lives . A number of other actors made their West End debut prior to
7921-572: Was shuttered until July 1982 when a production of Private Dick starring Robert Powell ran for 16 weeks. It then briefly housed an exhibition of World War II memorabilia known as The Whitehall Theatre of War . Acquired from the Paul Raymond Organisation in 1985 by Maybox Theatres the Theatre came under the direction of Ian Albery . After considerable refurbishment that retained most of its Art Deco features, it reopened on 5 March 1986 with
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