Mercury Theatre, Notting Hill Gate

History (founding)

The Mercury Theatre was opened in 1933 by Ashley Dukes for the production of new drama and to serve as a centre for the Ballet Rambert, run by his wife Marie Rambert. The building, at 2, Ladbroke Road, London W11, had been built in 1851 as a Sunday school for the adjacent Congregational Chapel, but was extensively altered to serve as a theatre. It was a well-equipped but small venue, seating about 150.

Productions

The style was set by the first production, Jupiter Translated, an adaptation of Molière's Amphitryon by Walter James Turner with a ballet by Rupert Doone as entr'acte. The theatre's reputation was further established in 1935 by the first London productions of T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral, transferred from Canterbury, and two years later by W. H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood's collaborative poetic play The Ascent of F6.

1943 saw the production of Eugene O'Neill's Days Without End. and Anne Ridler's The Shadow Factory. These were followed by comedies in verse: Christopher Fry's A Phoenix Too Frequent and Donagh MacDonagh's Happy as Larry.

In 1947 William Saroyan's The Beautiful People and O'Neill's SS Glencairn both had their London premières there, as did Jean Genet's The Maids. Today the building is distinguished by a small bronze figure of Mercury mounted on the east end of the roof and commemorative plaques for both the theatre and the ballet company.

References

References

1. [[Phyllis Hartnoll]] and Peter Found. (1996). "Mercury Theatre". Encyclopedia.com.
2. Christopher Innes. (1992). "Mercury Theatre". Cambridge University Press.
3. [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=49877#s1011 British History Online]
4. (1897). "London 25 inch". [[Ordnance Survey]].
5. [[Vladimir Rosing]]'s ''British Opera Group'' was in residence for several weeks in June 1935.Kensington News and West London Times, 31 May 1935.
6. (3 July 1947). "Classified Advertising: Theatre". [[The Times]].