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St James's Theatre

London’s supply of theatres is generally known to be superb with about 30 theatres in the West End alone. Not only are they abundant in number, but of formidable quality. A visit to one of these theatres, therefore, ought to be on the agenda of every visitor to the capital. One should, however, be mindful of the fact that many theatres are closed in August and September. Prices are almost invariably the same in all those theatres, and the best seats are the stalls, next to the orchestra, and the dress circle or balcony stalls. Tickets may be secured in advance at the Box Office – it is strongly advised to do so prior to popular performances.

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The St James's Theatre when it was newly Built in 1835

The St James’s Theatre is located on King Street, St James’s Square. It has recently undergone extensive changes – so great was the scale of the improvements, that some indeed claimed it emerged as a practically new theatre. While being modernised to the highest standard, the theatre retained its charm. The holding capacity has been greatly increased, with extensions made to the gallery, stalls, and dress circles. The stage, too, has been substantially enlarged. New separate cloak-rooms and bars for every part of the theatre further add to the comfort of die audience. A particularly clever idea is the new room for gentlemen to change into their evening attire. In the case that a gentleman is going to be pressed for time and not able to change in time, he will able to bring a portmanteau with him during the day and later make use of this novel amenity. A new glass awning along the entire front of the house constitutes another commodity for those who are required to wait outside in wet weather. The decoration remains very tasteful and will provide a wonderful atmosphere for an evening at the theatre.

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The St James’s theatre is well-known for its comedies and society plays, formidably portrayed by the theatre’s manager, the charming Mr George Alexander. Theatre enthusiasts should certainly plan a visit to this new, graceful, and essentially cosy theatre.

Box Office: 10am to 10pm. Doors open half an hour before the performance. Evening dress is not compulsory, though customary in the stalls and dress circles.

 

Stalls 10s. 6d., dress circle 7s., upper circle 4s., pit 2s. 6d., gallery 1s.*

 

*A note on currency: l. = pound, s. = shilling, d. = penny

The Theatre at Present
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Lovers of the theatre might also be interested to read Amusement: Theatres & Music Halls.

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​St James’s Theatre was closed and demolished under huge protest in 1957. In the months leading up to its closure, a nation-wide campaign – led by actress Vivien Leigh and supported by Sit Winston Churchill – attempted to save the building, but to no avail. The theatre had to make way for an office building, St James’s House, which paid homage to the theatre with sculptured balcony fronts featured on each floor. This building, as well as the one that replaced it, have also been demolished.

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