New Wimbledon Theatre

New Wimbledon Theatre to zabytkowy teatr edwardiański wpisany do rejestru zabytków klasy II, położony przy The Broadway, w samym sercu centrum Wimbledonu w południowo-zachodnim Londynie. Budynek stoi w tym miejscu od 1910 roku, a jego szczyt zdobi złota statua Laetitii, rzymskiej bogini radości, znanej lokalnie jako anioł teatru. Prowadzony przez ATG Entertainment, mieści około 1670 widzów na trzech poziomach i słynie z goszczenia tras musicali, spektakli tanecznych, komediowych, muzycznych, dramatów oraz uwielbianej corocznej pantomimy. Mniejsza scena studyjna obok głównej widowni gości nowe sztuki i kameralne produkcje.

The theatre was the project of J. B. Mulholland, a theatre lover and entrepreneur who also owned the King's Theatre in Hammersmith and had run the Theatre Metropole in Camberwell in the 1890s. Built on the site of a large house with generous grounds, it was designed by Cecil Aubrey Massey and Roy Young, possibly working from an earlier 1908 design by Frank H. Jones. It appears to have been the only British theatre with a Victorian style Turkish bath in its basement. The doors opened on 26 December 1910 with the pantomime Jack and Jill.

Between the wars the theatre thrived, with Gracie Fields, Sybil Thorndike, Ivor Novello, Markova and Noel Coward all appearing on its stage. Two landmark musicals began life here before heading into the West End: Lionel Bart's Oliver! had its world premiere in 1960, and Half a Sixpence, starring Tommy Steele, followed in 1963. The golden figure of Laetitia above the dome has been part of the building since 1910, apart from the war years, when she was taken down over fears she could act as a direction finding marker for German bombers. She was returned to her place in 1991.

Until 2001 the building was owned and run by the Wimbledon Civic Theatre Trust on behalf of the London Borough of Merton, which still holds the freehold. The trust oversaw a multimillion pound refurbishment in the late 1990s that delivered a new backstage area and fly tower, re-seated the orchestra stalls and redecorated the interior, closing the theatre for a full year. Earlier work in 1991 had also helped preserve the original decorative scheme.

Severe financial trouble forced a closure in 2003. After talks between producers, local councillors and companies, a deal was struck in the autumn of that year for the Ambassador Theatre Group to take over management. Renamed the New Wimbledon Theatre, it reopened in February 2004 with Matthew Bourne's The Nutcracker, followed by a season of touring musicals, dance and ballet. Since then it has hosted a long run of major tours, several Matthew Bourne residencies, star led pantomimes and a great deal of television filming, including televised Christmas pantomimes broadcast from the auditorium.

ATG Entertainment aims to make performances at New Wimbledon Theatre welcoming for everyone, and the theatre is part of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme, supporting visitors with hidden disabilities. Lanyards can be collected free of charge from the box office.

• Step-free access and lift: the theatre has an access lift giving step-free access to the Stalls. The lift measures 1400mm deep by 800mm wide, with a lifting capacity of 400kg.
• Wheelchair spaces: nine dedicated wheelchair spaces in the auditorium at Stalls level.
• Toilets and bars: wheelchair adapted toilet and bar facilities in the Stalls. The accessible toilet in the Stalls includes baby changing facilities.
• Assistance dogs: welcome in all parts of the theatre.
• Seat dimensions: standard seats are 460mm wide by 470mm deep, measuring 440mm arm to arm.
• Hearing and visual services: the venue uses the Mobile Connect hearing enhancement system. Audio described, captioned, BSL interpreted and relaxed performances are scheduled through the year and listed on ATG's assisted performances pages, along with touch tours.
• Booking: join the free ATG Access Membership Scheme to book accessible seats online, register for access concessions and, where eligible, reserve personal assistant tickets.

Access contacts

accessibility assistance is on 0333 009 5399, with Typetalk on 1800 1 0333 009 5399. Venue access queries can be sent to wimbledonaccess@atgentertainment.com, which is also the address to request the Visual Story, a guide to what happens during a visit for autistic visitors and anyone who prefers to prepare in advance.