Daly's was owned by and named after the US producer Augustine Daly (1838-1899). The theatre opened with a production of The Taming of the Shrew featuring the stars of Daly's US repertory company, Ada Rehan and John Drew.
In 1895, discouraged that his British venture was not as successful as its New York counterpart, Daly sold the theatre to it's manager, George Edwardes, who made it a fashionable venue for musical comedy. This tradition continued after Edwardes's death in 1915.
In 1927 the theatre witnessed scenes of uproar on the first night of Noel Coward's Sirocco. After this failure Daly's quickly returned to musical comedies but fount little further success. The theatre eventually closed and was demolished in 1937. Replaced by a Warner Cinema, now the 9 screen, 2475 seat, Warner Village cinema.
 Daly's Theatre. | |
 Leicester Square, London, with Daly's Theatre in far corner. |
 Box plan. |
 Empire Theatre, with Daly's beyond. | Close up of Daly's Theatre. |
Leicester Square today.
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The first Strand Theatre stood in the Strand itself, opening in 1832 to stage burlesque and melodrama, reopening the next year as a theatre school, then becoming a theatre again in 1836. In 1850 it was renamed Punch's Playhouse, becoming associated in 1858 with H.J. Byron's burlesques. In 1905 it closed and was demolished to build Aldwych tube station (now closed).
The later Strand Theatre was built in the fashionable Louis XIV style by William Sprague as one of a pair with the Aldwych theatre. A special feature was the circular ceiling with its grand picture of Apollo in his chariot. The 925-seat theatre was opened in 1905 as the Waldorf Theatre under the Schubert Brothers, who began with a season in which Italian opera alternated with plays starring Eleonora Duse. The present name was adopted in 1909 (although it was known as the Whitney Theatre between 1911 and 1913).
In 1930 the Strand was refurbished and opened with the play It's A Boy. Donald Wolfit presented lunch-time performances of Shakespeare during the blitz.
First theatre on site built in 1704. Present building dates from 1897, re-named 'His Majesty's' in 1901. Since 1953 known as 'Her Majesty's', with 1210 seats.
Originally named, 'The Prince's Theatre', and noted for it's foyer decorated in the Moorish style and a circular Moorish 'grotto' under the street (used as a smoking room). The name was changed to Prince of Wales' in 1886.
The theatre was rebuilt in 1936, the interior being redesigned in a stark simple style by Robert Cromie.
Owned by Jack Jacobs and built by Charles Frohman and Seymore Hicks the theatre opened in 1906. It was renamed the Globe in 1909, although it bore no resemblance to the original Globe. See below.
Mr Seymour Hicks.
Formally 'Hick's Theatre'. See above. Success led to the remodeling of the theatre in 1930, and it continued to thrive for many years therafter. In 1928 admission prices ranged from 1/8 (9p) for the gallery to £4-4-0 (£4.20) for the best private boxes. A curious note in the program states, THE THEATRE IS DISINFECTED THROUGHOUT WITH JEYES' FLUID.
Opened in 1864 as the Strand Music Hall, rebuilt in 1868, later becoming the first theatre to be lit by electricity on the outside. The theatre was demolished in 1903 to accommodate the widening of The Strand. A new Gaiety theatre was built in Aldwych and opened in the same year. It closed in 1939 and was finally demolished in 1957.
Opened in 1891 by Richard D'Oyly Carte as the Royal English Opera House. Renamed the Palace in 1892. This is still a major London venue for musicals.
Opened in 1899, this 759 seat venue was designed by Sprague in Louis XVI style.