Streatham Hill Theatre

The Streatham Hill Theatre is one of London’s most lavish ‘sleeping beauties’. Sprague was responsible for some of the most beautiful theatres in London including Wyndham’s, the Aldwych, the Queen’s and Gielgud, Noel Coward, Novello Theatre, St Martin's, Ambassadors and the Coronet in Notting Hill Gate. Built in 1929, it was the last theatre designed by Sprague, but possibly his largest and one of the best-equipped in London, outside of the West End. The theatre has an imposing facade to Streatham Hill in faience by Doulton. It is in three bays, the centre with five main double entrance doors, above which a shallow promenade balcony with cast-iron balustrade behind a colonnade of four Doric columns in antis which rise majestically to attic level, with the legend STREATHAM HILL THEATRE above. The outer bays each have rows of four windows at each level and a pedimental gable containing a wreath. The foyer is spacious, with tall gilded Ionic columns and arches, terrazzo floor and two round kiosks each side of the grand central stairway. This sweeps up to dress circle and balcony levels, parting at the centre into two flights with iron balustrading. The auditorium is lavish. There are six bow-fronted boxes in two stacks on either side. A panelled ceiling dome with a glazed centre, originally backlit, dominates the three tiers, below which there is a tier of arches, continuing over the square proscenium. Coupled, attenuated Ionic columns divide the side walls and the boxes. The foyers, auditorium and public areas were described as being ‘in the Adam manner’ but are quite eclectic, with friezes of sphinxes, angels and garlands in abundance. The bar at first floor level is mahogany, and has murals of scenes of old London. For many years the theatre was run by Clavering, in conjunction with the Golders Green Hippodrome, until it received a direct hit by a V1 flying bomb in 1944. In 1950, the theatre was reconstructed to the original designs. It was slightly modified for bingo in 1962, but remains almost in original state, the tip-up theatre seats remaining in situ in the two circles. The original stage machinery is in situ. Beacon Bingo closed in January 2017 and the future of the building is uncertain.