London Theatres (New Edition)

by Michael Coveney

Peter Dazeley (Photographer)

This fully revised and updated edition of the hugely successful London Theatres features ten additional theatres, including the Victoria Palace Theatre, the Sondheim Theatre, the Bridge Theatre and the Noël Coward Theatre.
 
London is the undisputed theatre capital of the world. From world-famous musicals to West End shows, from cutting-edge plays to Shakespeare in its original staging, from outdoor performance to intimate fringe theatre, the range and quality are unsurpassed.
 
Leading drama critic Michael Coveney invites you on a tour of more than 50 theatres that make the London stage what it is. With stories of the architecture, the people and the productions which have defined each one, alongside sumptuous photographs by Peter Dazeley of the auditoriums, public and backstage areas, this illustrated overview of London's theatres is a book like no other. A must for fans of the stage!
 
Praise for the first edition:
‘This coffee table whopper ... dazzles’ Spectator
‘London Theatres ... will surely feature on any theatre buff's present list’ Sightlines

New chapters included in the second edition:
Victoria Palace Theatre; The Bridge Theatre; Menier Chocolate Factory; Hampstead Theatre; Sondheim Theatre (formerly Queen's Theatre); Harold Pinter Theatre, Noël Coward Theatre; Aldwych Theatre; Garrick Theatre; Vaudeville Theatre; Phoenix Theatre
 

• ISBN13: 9780711252622
• Publish Date: 6 October 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

London Theatres is a beautifully written and photographed homage to the iconic venues of London's theatre districts. Released 6th Oct 2020 by Quarto on their Frances Lincoln imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a timely and beautiful book. Especially now, when most theatre venues are closed or severely curtailed during the pandemic, it's refreshing (and nostalgic) to get an intimate look at these stately gorgeous interiors and read some background history. The venues range from formal to informal, incredibly lush and opulant to minimalist, historical to modern. The background info is well written and accessible with notes on their history and origins as well as little known trivia and tidbits.vMost of the entries cover 3-5 pages and give a good glimpse behind the scenes. It's the gorgeous color photos which awed me most, I think. The production quality is very high and the authors had access to areas backstage which the public never sees.

This would make a wonderful gift for theatre fans, as well as a superlative choice for library acquisition. Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.