Sunday 9 June 2019

Sunday Snap – Her Majesty's Theatre

We were in North London for last week's Sunday Snap of the Football Ground. I asked which football team plays there and the answer is

Tottenham Hotspur

Scoring the winner with the right answer were Sarah, Kara and Minoru.

This week we are off for a night out this week with a trip to the theatre. Just down from Piccadilly Circus on Haymarket is Her Majesty's Theatre. The original theatre was established in 1705. It was named as the Queen's Theatre after the then monarch Queen Anne. When George I ascended to the throne in 1714 it was renamed King's Theatre. The name changed to Her Majesty's Theatre in 1837 when Queen Victoria succeeded her uncle William IV. Through two Edwards and two Georges it was His Majesty's Theatre but of course has been Her Majesty's Theatre since 1952.

The first building that housed the theatre was destroyed in an arson attack in 1789. A fire was started deliberately on the roof. At the time rehearsals were taking place and the dancers had to flee from falling beams. The new, much larger theatre opened in 1793. This was also destroyed by fire in December 1867 when it is thought a stove overheated. By the next year a third theatre had been built within the shell of the old one. Measures were taken to make the new building more fire-proof. Although it included some more modern features advances in design and technology quickly made that theatre out-dated. The fourth and current theatre opened in 1897.

At first a string of plays were staged at the theatre. Its layout was particularly suited to musicals and large casts. In the 20th century Brigadoon, West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof have all been performed here. However it is one musical that the theatre is synonymous with.

On 27th September 1986 Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman starred as Raoul and Christine in the previews of a new musical debuting in London. It was based on the book by Gaston Leroux and was put to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Famous scenes in the musical include an elaborate masquerade ball, a falling chandelier plus boat rides in the sewers under Paris. For the last 33 years the musical has played continuously at this theatre. This week's question is

Which musical has been running at Her Majesty's Theatre since 1986?

We were joined last week by Susan who was getting dressed up for a wedding. Sarah captured a leap of faith. In France Kara had a stork watching over here and paid a visit to Futuroscope. On a mountain trail Soma has been admiring the wild flowers. In Australia Minoru visited Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Sarah had a dog loving beach life. The fire had got going for Jenna.

Finally, Jesh has been thinking about the best things about living in California.

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Sunday Snap

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9 comments:

  1. I think it’s Phantom of the opera x

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  2. It's definitely Phantom of the Opera! It sounds like a very fitting place for it after all the drama during the theatre's history.

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  3. Can only be Phantom of the Opera!

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  4. It has to be Phantom of the Opera. What a lot of trouble has been taken to keep the theatre running after all those fires. Thanks for hosting.

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  5. Definitely Phantom Of The Opera!

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  6. It's Phantom of the Opera = hope you enjoyed. My daughter took part in a dance show here recently on a Sunday - they were in a dressing room set up for Phantom with all the costumes ready for the next day - she was so excited! Lovely theatre, hope you were sat underneath the chandelier!

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  7. That's Phantom of the Opera, it's a magical musical imo

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  8. Phantom of the Opera. I've never seen it but Id love to. Thank you for hosting xxx

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  9. What - I quess arson is not a new thing! Great capture, Ness, and I like it that you give the history when it's available. Thank you for hosting!

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