Trafalgar Studios - History
The Trafalgar Studios are located in Whitehall in London where the Whitehall Theatre once stood. Its nearest underground station is found at Charing Cross, which is also the location of the nearest railway links.
The venue is a brand new institution for London that is made up of two studio theatres, ready to house some renowned productions. Its relative youth means that there is not much history to recount, but the theatre that stood there before it was the Whitehall Theatre, which itself dates back to 1930 on a location which in turn has a history going back to the seventeenth century.
Edward A Stone brought the design of the Whitehall Theatre to the masses when it opened in September 1930. It had managed to open after the Great War, during which time many London Theatres had to face the uncertain future caused by the Zeppelin bombings in the city. But on the horizon the Second World War was looming and the theatre kept the masses happy and in good moral with revues and then The Whitehall Follies with Phyllis Dixey (a stripper – a first for London theatres). Despite this the original shows at the theatre were the likes of The Way to Treat A Woman (1930 – opening show) and Afterwards with Henry Daniel (1933).
After the Whitehall Farces, the venue was taken over by Pyjama Tops, a nude revue that began in 1969 for five years. This then provided the venue with a large gap as it was refurbished before reopening with When We Are Married by J B Priestley (1986). Then followed When I Was A Girl I Used To Scream And Shout, The Importance of Being Earnest, Absurd Person Singular, Run For Your Wife and Travels with My Aunt. Through the nineties it became home to various shows and it was the venue for a variety of programmes broadcast on television and on BBC Radio 4.
When the Trafalgar Studios opened in 2004, it was originally only one venue with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Othello starring Antony Sher being the opening show. More plays to feature at the Trafalgar Studios following this were Shoot The Crow by Owen McCafferty and starring James Nesbitt (2005). Then the Royal Shakespeare Company showcased their Gunpowder season at the studio; there are strong ties between the company and the venue.
Then the second set of studios emerged with many more productions making their way to the stage. The theatre now boasts that it is the best place to find new and original pieces of work. Acclaim has been reaching their doors from all quarters, with people praising the work and the effect it has had for theatreland as a whole.
