London Coliseum
Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre of Varieties, it was designed by the architect Frank Matcham for the impresario Oswald Stoll.After being used for variety shows, musical comedies, and stage plays for many years, then as a cinema screening films in the Cinerama format between 1963 and 1968, the Sadler's Wells Opera Company moved into the building in 1968.[4] Matcham built the theatre for the theatrical impresario Sir Oswald Stoll and had the ambition of it being the largest and finest "People’s palace of entertainment" of the age."[5] The description continues: "Lavish foyer and circulation areas with marble facings, culminating in vast 3-tier auditorium with wealth of eclectic classical detail of Byzantine opulence, some motifs such as the squat columns dividing the lowest tier of slip boxes, backing the stalls, almost Sullivanesque; pairs of 2-tiered bow fronted boxes with domed canopies at gallery level and semi-domed, Ionic-columned pairs of 2 tiered orchestra boxes, contained in arched and pedimented frames surmounted by sculptural groups with lion-drawn chariots.Prior to Sadler's Wells Opera Company taking over the Coliseum in 1968, the house was "fully restored, redecorated, and a large orchestra pit installed".The greatest sensation at this time was the showing of King Kong which ran at the Coliseum for months with 10,000 people seeing the film there every day.Beginning on 16 July 1963, the theatre was renamed the Coliseum Cinerama, with the UK premiere of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.
London ColosseumColiseum Theatre (disambiguation)St Martin's LaneLondonCoordinatesCharing CrossLeicester SquareEnglish National OperaGrade II*CapacityFrank MatchamWestminstervariety theatresarchitectimpresarioOswald Stollmusic hallrevolveCineramaSadler's Wells Opera CompanyEnglish National BalletSir Oswald StollEnglish HeritagevarietyW. S. GilbertThe HooliganWhite Horse InnAnnie Get Your GunKiss Me, KateGuys And DollsThe Pajama GameDamn YankeesBells Are RingingRoyal Variety PerformancesThe Whoproscenium archrevolving stageGrade II* listed buildingKing KongEmpire, Leicester SquareGone With the WindBachelor in ParadiseSamuel BronstonKing of KingsCasino CineramaThe Wonderful World of the Brothers GrimmRoyalty TheatreIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, WorldCircus WorldThe Great RaceThe BibleThe ComediansAround the World in 80 DaysWayback MachineHistoric EnglandNational Heritage List for EnglandThe GuardianWest EndATG EntertainmentAmbassadorsApollo VictoriaDuke of York'sFortuneHarold PinterLyceumPhoenixPiccadillyPlayhouseDelfont Mackintosh TheatresGielgudNoël CowardNovelloPrince EdwardPrince of WalesSondheimVictoria PalaceWyndham'sAdelphiCambridgeDrury LaneGillian LynneHis Majesty'sLondon PalladiumNederlander OrganizationAldwychDominionNimax TheatresApolloDuchessGarrickPalace@sohoplaceVaudevilleCriterionHaymarketSt Martin'sShaftesburyTrafalgarBarbican CentreNationalThe Old VicOpen AirPeacockRoyal Opera HouseSadler's WellsShakespeare's GlobeOff West EndAlmeidaArcolaBridgeDonmar WarehouseHampsteadLyric HammersmithMarylebone TheatreMenier Chocolate FactoryThe Other PalaceRayne TheatreRoyal CourtYoung VicAlexandra PalaceChickenShed's AmphitheatreartsdepotAshcroftBarons CourtBattersea Arts CentreBloomsbury