History
The theatre was built on the site of a wheelwright's shop at the junction of Salway Road and Angel Lane, designed by architect James George Buckle, who was commissioned by the actor-manager Charles Dillon (formerly Silver, the son of Charles Dillon) in 1884. It opened on 17 December 1884 with a revival of Richelieu by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Two years later, Dillon sold it to Albert O'Leary Fredericks, his sister's brother-in-law and one of the original backers of the scheme. Side extensions were added in 1887, and the stage enlarged in 1891, by the original architect. In 1902, Frank Matcham undertook minor improvements to the entrance and foyer. The Fredericks family continued to manage the theatre until 1932, although after the World War I, the theatre fell into financial difficulties, opening only irregularly after 1926.
About 1950, a touring company presented the Christmas pantomime, Alice in Wonderland. The company were to return, as the Theatre Workshop in 1953, with artistic director Joan Littlewood and take over the theatre.
The theatre came under threat with the construction of the Stratford shopping centre in the 1970s, but was saved by a public campaign and protected in June 1972 by English Heritage with a Grade II* listing. Money remained short, and the manager, Gerry Raffles only managed redecoration and replacements as cash became available. In 1984, the front of house was refurbished and in 2001, following a successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid, it completed the redevelopment of all of its front of house and backstage areas as part of a project to create the Stratford Cultural Quarter.
In 2005 the Theatre Royal Stratford East made history by having the first British Black musical to transfer to London's West End, where it played at the Apollo Theatre. Recently the theatre produced a musical version of the cult Jamaican film The Harder They Come. This production was written by the film director Perry Henzel and was one of the most successful productions in the theatre's history.
In June 2011, Olympic news outlet Around the Rings reported that the Nigeria Olympic Committee had chosen Theatre Royal Stratford East as its hospitality house for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Read more about this topic: Theatre Royal Stratford East
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