1900–1910 The Lester Collingwood years Construction of the theatre commenced in 1900 and was completed in 1901. The architects were Owen & Ward and the theatre was opened on 27 May 1901 as the
Lyceum Theatre on John Bright Street. Initially it attracted few theatre goers and it was decided to bring in a star. For ten weeks from the middle of June 1901
Harry Arthur Saintsbury trod the boards as the theatre's leading man, playing in
costume dramas. As a result of disappointingly low returns the new theatre was sold to Lester Collingwood for £4,000, who renamed it the
Alexandra Theatre on 22 December 1902.
1911–1977 The Salbergs years Collingwood was killed in a road traffic accident in 1910 and was succeeded by Leon Salberg. The Salberg family ran the theatre from 1911 to 1977. Under Leon Salberg, the Alex was famous for its
pantomimes such as
Mother Goose. The theatre was rebuilt with a fine
Art Deco auditorium in 1935 to a design by Roland Satchwell. Although the main entrance was originally situated on John Bright Street, a new main entrance block was built on Suffolk Street between 1967–1969 to a design by the
John Madin Design Group, with a wide bridge linking the two - from the inside, the appearance is that of a single building.
Recent history The theatre currently seats 1,371 and hosts a busy programme of touring
drama,
West End shows and stand-up comedy. It was the home of the
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company between 1990 and 1997. Satchwell's interior was refurbished in 1992 by the
Seymour Harris Partnership.
Westlife lead vocalist
Shane Filan played at the theatre as a solo artist in 2017. On 17 September 2018, the theatre was relaunched as The Alexandra following a £650,000 refurbishment and corporate re-brand to the venue which was unveiled in October 2018 for the opening of the
Motown The Musical UK tour. Following the closure of theatres due to the
COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020, the theatre reopened in July 2021 in its 120th year with
Strictly Come Dancing's
Anton &
Giovanni. Since then it has welcomed shows such as ''
Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Heathers: The Musical, Bedknobs and Broomsticks
, Bat Out of Hell: The Musical,
The Ocean at the End of the Lane,
Dreamgirls,
2:22 A Ghost Story and The Book of Mormon.'' In November 2024, the theatre presented the world premiere of
Here & Now, a jukebox musical based on the songs of the pop group
Steps who made a special appearance at the gala night during the Finale Megamix.
Notable events Neville Chamberlain delivered a speech at the theatre on 13 October 1918. ''
Dad's Army star Arthur Lowe collapsed because of a stroke in his dressing room in the theatre before a performance of Home at Seven'', and later died in hospital on 15 April 1982 aged 66. ==References==