Stories Of London

At about the same time Sidney Bernstein was having the Granada Theatre Walthamstow built, he became involved in the construction of the Phoenix Theatre in London.  Apparently Bovis Ltd., the construction company that built both the Granada Theatres Dover and Walthamstow for him, were now involved in the building of a new London theatre in Phoenix Street, just off the Charing Cross Road.  The theatre was built on the site of a factory and later the Alcazar Music Hall.  Apparently, this project was not going well and Sidney Bernstein was asked to take it over.  He agreed and did so together with Victor Luxembourg.

Sidney Bernstein asked Cecil Audrey Massey together with Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and Bertie Crewe to work on the exterior and auditorium shell and Theodore Komisarjevsky to design the interior decor.

The Phoenix Theatre has two entrances: the main one on Phoenix Street and the second, on Charing Cross Road.

Although there are two glass-paneled wooden doors at the entrance on Charing Cross Road, I can honestly say that I have never noticed them being used.  However, I have been assured that they are.  Obviously, I have been less observant than I thought.

Doors of the entrance on Charing Cross Road

Apparently Sidney Bernstein had to reject Bertie Crewe’s original design for the theatre entrance on Charing Cross Road and asked Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to design another.   Mr. Scott was an architect of merit who designed the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool, Battersea Power Station, Waterloo Bridge and the London red telephone box.  He also designed the William Booth Memorial Training College in Camberwell (this will be part of a future story on The Salvation Army).

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960)
Middle: Top, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral; Bottom, Aerial view of Waterloo Brige
Left: Top, Battersea Power Station; Bottom: London telephone box

Bertie Crewe’s design for the entrance included a campanile with a beacon at the top to advertise the theatre’s presence.  The design was not appreciated by the authorities and caused Mr. Bernstein to seek help elsewhere.  A campanile is an Italian free-standing bell tower associated with a church and first appeared between the 7th and 10th Century.  Elaborate examples of this architectural form are the Leaning Tower of Pisa and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Examples of Campaniles at Pisa (Left) and Venice (Right)

The entrance proposed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott was of a much more elegant design.  It consisted on a curved facade with a recess and four Corinthian columns supporting an entablature.  An entablature is a superstructure of moldings and bands, which lie horizontally above columns and rest on their capitals. Above this, on a area of the facade, was once displayed the name of the theatre.  Above this is an balcony with a number of upright supports helping to support a small projecting roof.  The entrance is especially attractive at night when the recesses of the balcony and area behind the columns are illuminated.

The theatre entrance on Charing Cross Road designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott

There is a small canopy projecting from the facade above the entrance.  It sweeps over the entrance and continues across the adjacent building on Charing Cross Road and eventually stretches around the corner to join the canopy extending over the Phoenix Street entrance.  Recently, the advertisement on the canopy over the Charing Cross Road entrance have been removed and  reveals the name of the theatre spelt out on glass plates, which is illuminated at night.

The Theatre Canopy stretching along Charing Cross Road and into Phoenix Street

I have to confess that I did not realise that the Charing Cross Road entrance was actually in use.  As a child, I can not ever remember seeing anyone use it.  I recently learned that the entrance leads into a small rotunda where there is a box office.  Seemingly, the entrance is considered too small by the Fire Services for audiences to use and it closes once the auditorium doors open prior to a performance.  Meanwhile the box office at the Phoenix Street entrance remains open until shortly after the start of the evening performance.

I have read that the entrance on Charing Cross Road opens into a small rotunda with the box office on one wall.  The rotunda is supported by a series of red and gold Corinthian columns with a frieze around it with the names, in Latin, of those responsible for constructing the theatre.  I intend to final use this entrance and see the inscription during my next visit to London!

The façade of the main entrance of the theatre on Phoenix Street is lined with white glazed tiles with three rounded-top windows separated by spiral Corinthian columns and with pilasters at either side.  There is a frieze above  the windows separating them from a small projecting decorative roof.  Above the canopy is the illuminated name of the theatre in a semi-circle along with a series of small phoenix rising from the ashes.  There are three pairs of glass-paneled wooden doors that lead into the entrance area and box office.

The Phoenix Theatre – The main entrance on Phoenix Street
Left: rounded-topped windows & columns and theatre name;
Right, Top: frieze and roof;
Right, Middle: one of a number of decorative phoenix rising from ashes;
Right, Bottom: three pairs of outer glass-paneled wooden doors

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Mr. Komisarjevsky chose Italian Renasissance as the decorative style for the theatre and wrote that he chose it because it was lighter than Baroque and more suitable for theatres and other places of entertainment.  He also wrote that he based his design on the courtyard of the Palazzo Boncompagni built in 1538 in Bologna, which is the birth place of Pope Gregorio (Gregory) XIII.  Pope Gregory XIII was responsible together with Christopher Clavius, a Jesuit Priest and astronomer for reforming the calendar.  The Gregorian Calender replaced the Julian Calender in 1582 and has become the internationally accepted civil calender being recognised by the United Nations and the Universal Postal Union.

Pope Gregory XIII

The wooden doors open into a small entrance area with the box office on the right, as with the Granada Theatre Walthamstow, and a cloak room on the right.  The box office is surrounded by highly decorative pilasters in gold including a phoenix motif and a coffered ceiling with concealed lighting around the rim.  The entrance area is separated from the foyer by a second set of glass-paneled wooden doors.

Box Office & Cloak Room in the entrance area

Although the rectangular foyer is small, it has been decorated in spectacular fashion.  The ceiling is elaborate and consists of alternate rows of highly decorated sunken octagonal panels or coffers in green, gold and red with a central gold motif and small diamond coffers in green and gold.  When first seen, the ceiling makes for a breathtaking sight and when seen a second, and third time, proves to be equally as impressive.

The Foyer Ceiling
Right: decorative frieze between the heavy wooden doors and coffered ceiling

The foyer extends into an atrium that leads to the auditorium, stairs to the upper levels and to the bar.  Here the ceiling displays a sun-like centre piece with mirrors placed between the rays.  A chandelier extends down from the centre of the ceiling elaborately decorated  golden chain to support the fixture.  The chandeliers of the Foyer are remarkably similar in design to those that were found in many of the later Granada Theatres.

The decor of the foyer is, to say the least, remarkable and I defy anyone not to gasp when they see this site for the first time.

Ceiling with a stunning sun-like centre piece and mirrors between the rays

Decorative walls beneath the mirrored ceiling.  Note the round-headed mirrors.

The Plushy Phoenix & Noel Coward Bar
Left: entrance to the Plushy Phoenix Bar;
Right: the Noel Coward Bar with coffered ceiling and decorative floor.
This bar was opened in 1969 by Noel Coward.

Left & Right: Details of the decoration of the pilasters found throughout the theatre
Centre: motif of the mat at the entrance to the theatre

Top Left:  stairs in the Foyer leading to the Dress Circle;
Right: entrance to Dress Circle
Bottom Left: sink with golden taps
The background shows details of the carpet found throughout the theatre.The walls of the stairways leading to the upper levels are decorated
with round-headed mirrors, which became a feature of the Foyers of a number of the later Granada Theatres.

——oooOOOooo——

The auditorium of the Phoenix Theatre is as gloriously decorated as the Foyer in gold and magenta.  It is very tall with both a Dress Circle and Balcony, but is relatively narrow and has a seating capacity for 1,028.  The Proscenium Arch together with the frieze above it, which here extends across to the side walls of the stalls together with the three round-headed arches containing the Box seats on either side of the stage became the basic design followed in the auditoria of later Granada Theatres.  At the time of opening, the Boxes were draped with red velvet curtain.  In the later Cinemas/Theatres, the Boxes with their round-headed arches became covered with decorative grille work and the frieze was often reduced in width and not always extended to the side walls.

The Boxes were draped with red velvet curtain at the time of the opening
Left: the Boxes on the left-hand side of the auditorium
showing the freizes and some of the reproductions
Right: right-hand side Boxes

The ceiling above the front stalls is in the form of a dome, which has a chandelier hanging from its centre.  In later Granada Theatres, the same design of chandelier was regularly seen while the dome became flattened and a decorative centre piece added.

Central Dome and Chandelier over the Stalls

The side walls of the Upper Circle are remarkably plain with no decoration, which allows the eye to concentrate on the stage area.

The Upper Circle – note the undulating rows, a feature of Cecil A. Massey

In contrast to the side walls of the Circle, the side walls of the Stalls and the area above the Proscenium Arch are decorated with two friezes and nine reproductions of famous Venetian paintings, which was the work of Vladimir Polunin.

Friezes & Reproductions of Venetian Paintings
Top: those over the Proscenium Arch; Left: those over the left Boxes;
Right: those over the right Boxes.

Vladimir Jacolievitch Polunin (1880–1957), who like Theodore Komisarjevsky, was a Russian emigré, and first came to England as the main scene designer of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.  Together with his English wife, Elizabeth Violet Hart, they had a studio at 48 Floral Street, Covent Garden.  It is of interest to note that in 1919, Picasso worked here to produce the set and stage curtain for Diaghilev’s production of The Three-Cornered Hat, which helped revive the fortunes of the Ballets Russes.

At the studio at 48 Floral Street, Covent Garden in 1919
Left, Serge Diaghilev; Middle, Vladamir Polunin; & Right, Pablo Picasso

Mr. Polunin became a lecturer in Decorative Design at the Slade School of Fine Art.  In addition to producing the reproductions at the Phoenix Theatre, he was responsible for the painted panels present on the main staircase up to the Balcony of the Granda Theatre Woolwich.

Painted panels by Vladamir Polunin
at the Granada Theatre Woolwich

To produce his reproductions at the Phoenix Theatre, Mr. Polunin worked from black and white photographs of the originals.  He produced three paintings each for the side walls and for the area above the Proscenium Arch plus another on the Safety Curtain.  He reproduced three paintings by Tintoretto (1518-1594), two by Titian (1488 or 1490-1576) and one each from the works of Giorgione (1477 or 1478-1510), Pinturicchio (1454-1513) and Filippo orbizzin (which makes eight reproductions; I am unable to learn whose work forms the basis of the ninth reproduction).

Unfortunately I can find no information about Filippo Corbizzin and no photographs of his work at the present time.  I can also find no information readily as to which reproduction is which at the Phoenix Theatre.  I will endeavor to find out and when I do, be sure that I will introduce the information here.  In the meantime, I am adding some examples of the work of as many of these Masters as I can in order to give the reader some indication of their remarkable talents.

The Masters
Top left: Self-Portrait by Tintoretto; Top Right: The Miracle of Love & Fishes by Tintoretto;
Bottom, from left to right: Venus & Adonis by Titan; Assumption of the Virgin by Titan;
The Crucifixion with St. Jerome & St. Christopher by Pinturicchio; &
Self-Portrait as David by Giorgione

Vladamir Polunin also painted a reproduction on the Safety Curtain at the Phoenix Theatre.  This is a somewhat unusual situation since most theatres did not have this feature.  Many theatres used the Curtain at one time, as a screen for advertisements during the interval.  Mr. Polunin reproduced The Triumph of Love by the Florentine artist, Jacopo del Sellaio (1441-1493) on the Curtain.

The Triumph of Love
Left: reproduction on the Safety Curtain; Right: the original painting

  ——oooOOOooo——

This glorious theatre opened in September 1930, just two weeks after the Granada Walthamstow, with the original production of Noel Coward’s play, Private Lives.  Since then, a variety of plays and musicals have found a home at the theatre.  In addition, the theatre was  used as a cinema with the showing of Rene Clair’s Le Million and for cinema trade shows.

Top Left: Gertrude Lawrance; Top Right: Noel Coward

The theatre proved not to be a financial success for Mr. Bernstein and he sold it in March 1932 to Victor Luxemburg. Mr. Luxemburg did not do well as owner and unfortunately it had passed to the Receiver by December 1933.

The theatre is a Grade II listed building and today remains essentially unaltered in design.  It is currently owned and operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and remains, without doubt, one of London’s most glorious theatres.

Please allow me to offer my opinion here …….. I think that, without question, the Phoenix Theatre IS the most glorious theatre in London and is a suitable memorial to the memory of the great Theodore Komisarjevsky and also allows the talents of Validmir Polunin not to be forgotten.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Some of the history of the theatre presented here came from
The Granada Theatres by Allen Eyles.  I am grateful to Mr. Eyles for this great book.

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I would like to draw the reader’s attention to the terrific website maintained by
Clair Sedore,
world theatres.com