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History question re: Lyric Hammersmith in London

Posted by: Guillaume 11:37 am EDT 04/01/14

I read in John Mortimer's autobiography this morning about his close friendship with Harold Pinter which began when they both had plays on a programme of one acts at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in the 1950s. He said he enjoyed that theatre much more in its original location surrounded by traffic before it was dismantled and rebuilt piece by piece down the road.

I was curious about the original location, so went to google, then to the Lyric website, and was surprised to find that the theatre is a handsome opera house which has now been encased in a new concrete facade in a shopping mall.

I'm wondering if anyone knows the original location on King Street for the opera house before it was moved and rebuilt in Lyric Square?


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re: History question re: Lyric Hammersmith in London

Posted by: NewtonUK 12:46 pm EDT 04/01/14
In reply to: History question re: Lyric Hammersmith in London - Guillaume 11:37 am EDT 04/01/14

The Lyric was originally built in 1888, but the current interior y Frank Matcham was done in an 1895 reconstruction.

The theatre was taken apart piece by piece in 1969, and stored for 10 years before being reassembled inside the concrete building it currently occupies.

The original 1888 theatre was built on Bradmore Grove.

This street seems to be no longer in existence. Its South of the current location of the theatre, near the West End of Sussex Place, which is under the Hameersmith Flyover. So between the current location and the Apollo Hammersmith.


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re: History question re: Lyric Hammersmith in London

Posted by: Guillaume 01:38 pm EDT 04/01/14
In reply to: re: History question re: Lyric Hammersmith in London - NewtonUK 12:46 pm EDT 04/01/14

Thanks! How did you come to find the location for Bradmore Grove? I've been searching internet for a bit and could find nothing. I am confused since Mortimer and the Lyric website both describe the original theatre location as being "further along on King Street". Is that just a general turn of phrase meaning the area?


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