Designed by the firm of Wimperis, Simpson & Guthrie the Cambridge Theatre was the second of 6 theatres built in London 1930. The others were the Prince Edward, the Phoenix, the Whitehall, the Adelphi and the Leicester Square (now a cinema). The large house of 1,275 seats made it ideal for Opera, Ballet and musical comedy.
The material used for its construction, concrete and steel, its clean lines, lively gold and silver decor, and its concealed lightning gave it a modern look. A mural of nude chorus girls was also incorporated in the entrance. Situated on a corner where 7 streets meet to form what is known as Seven Dials, the Cambridge Theatre is kept away for the mainstream traffic making it easy for the audience to access by walk.
Since its opening, the Cambridge was transformed into a theatre twice. The first time was late 1930s where it became a venue for trade films show. The second time in 1967 lasted for 6 months only.
In 1987, the Cambridge Theatre was completely refurbished by the Stoll Moss group and designer Carl Toms. It resulted in a larger stage, a reconstitution of much of the earlier ambience and a thorough cleaning, leaving the stone facade and interior gleaming. This was followed by numerous of successful musicals which brought audiences back to the theatre.
In 1995, Fame - The Musical was staged for the first time, and other productions at the Cambridge include Grease, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton's The Beautiful Game, Jerry Springer, Dancing In The Streets and Chicago.
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