Sondheim Theatre

That's one of those contemporary nursery rhymes!

I periodically look at the Camden website to see if there have been any developments in the Ambassadors/Sondheim saga. It seems the latest stumbling block is concern about the route the big Paul Mathew trucks will take to and from the theatre, even though it is anticipated there will only be three or four get-ins/outs each year.

Cam Mack does seem to be showing remarkable patience, when he could have appealed months ago. Perhaps he has gambled that jaw-jaw is better than war-war.

It could start a new trend. For example, only patrons wearing a smoking jacket will, in future, be admitted to the Noel Coward, and the bar will only serve dry martinis. I'm all for it.

The interesting thing about the Sondheim application is that the other venues that were considered like converting the Theatre Museum, the former Astoria which Nimax is going to run, The Duchess, the Hippodrome, above the Queens and Gielgud, Bow Street Court, The Empire Haymarket and the Rialto before Cameron bought the Ambassadors.

Visited the Ambassadors Theatre for the first time last night for "Pressure". Wow, what a dump, get the bulldozers in quick!!

The actual theatre space is OK but the wonky floor makes sightlines a problem. The bars and loos are horrible, and only one set of narrow stairs up to the circle is a problem. Last night they were not doing interval orders in the stalls bar as it opens straight out into the stalls and they'd had complaints. However they still spent the first half of act 2 cashing up in there to show what the problem was.

This meant that the (mostly even older than me) audience had to troop up and down the narrow stairs to order or collect interval drinks or get to the loos up there. The circle door opens out straight onto the stairway blocking half of it so there was only room for single file traffic on the stairs. Plus the gents doors open out onto the stairs as well, I think. Felt to me to be a real health and safety issue.

Nice to have a theatre this size in the West End, shame its so nasty.

Queens Theatre to be renamed the Sondheim!

She's still got Her Majesty's 

It's good that Cameron decided to rename one of his theatres after Sondheim even though I didn't expect it to the Queens.

It's interesting that theatre owners have no qualms about changing a theatre's name.

Those not fans on Sondheim's work will have a field day..."Les Miserables at the Sondheim" is kind of asking for it. Inferring a Sondheim / Miserable link.

Whilst I think the Prince of Wales might have been better suited to the name 'Sondheim' with its Art Deco and more abstract architecture inside and out, as opposed to Queens characterless brick and glass frontage juxtaposing it's Victorian interior, I welcome this move. It can only help in strengthening the awareness and perception of SS with the less regular non-theatre type, of which Les Mis attracts thousands in their droves.

Indeed! It appears the Queen's Theatre was actually named after Queen Alexandra. And also the Prince of Wales theatre was named after her husband, the future Edward VII.

Her Majesty's is the one which is named after the current monarch - the original theatre on the site was first called the Queen's Theatre in 1705 (named after Olivia Coleman). First named Her Majesty's in 1837 (named after Jenna Coleman), and then was His Majesty's from 1901 to 1952.