Shaftesbury Theatre

R.G.Mathews (1945)

Erin Shipley

The Original Shaftesbury Theatre - on Shaftesbury Avenue, just off Cambridge Circus in London's Theatreland - was opened in 1888 by John Lancaster for his wife, Ellen Wallis, a well-known Victorian Shakespearean actress.

During 16-17 April 1941, the Shaftesbury was so severely damaged by a parachute mine that it was rendered unusable. In 1956, the bombsite was appropriated by the London County Council and in 1983 replaced by the Soho Fire Station.

For more details on the bombing of the Shaftesbury Theatre see Bomb Incidents page.

View of damage to Shaftesbury Theatre, Oct 1945 (1945) by RG Mathews

Fire Station on Shaftesbury Avenue where the Shaftesbury Theatre once stood

Erin Shipley

126-128 Shaftesbury Avenue, the spot where the Shaftesbury Theatre originally stood

This page was added by Camilla Bergman on 16/06/2010.

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