Threatened theatre
Meanwhile, theatre people have another focus for their indignation in Westminster City Council's plans to demolish the Criterion Theatre as part of the latest scheme to reconstruct Piccadilly Circus. Alarm here may be premature, for I here there is already the nucleus of stern opposition to the whole scheme in the Council's planning committee. But continued protest can certainly do no harm and will help stiffen the backs of dissident members who do not want to see the property developers' bulldozers let loose on a building allegedly protected by a Grade 2 listing for its historical and architectural interest.
Those who care little for such considerations and who feel that all that is required is a guarantee that a new theatre will be incorporated in new building plans might consider the example of the Winter Garden Theatre, closed in 1960 under the terms of a property deal. The theatre in the building that has taken its place will seat 900 against the old theatre's 1,500, and by the time it reopens nearly thirteen theatreless years will have passed.
Now I learn that the lease has gone to showbiz tycoon Bernard Delfont, to the chagrin of rival bidders (Michael Codron at one stage thought he had it sewn up), and Delfont is the man who recently turned the Saville into ABC cinemas. He is also the man who got the lease on the Royalty Theatre when it replaced the old Stoll, proclaiming grandiose plans for its future as a live theatre. That, too, was turned into a cinema after two or three productions.
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