Theatre History

Super Cinema

The Apollo Victoria Theatre’s history dates back to 1930, when it first opened as a cinema. In the era of 'super' cinemas, Provincial Cinematograph Theatres (PCT) invited Ernest Walmsley Lewis to submit plans to build such a cinema a stone’s throw away from Victoria Station. Designing the venue was challenging, especially due to having two major roads running on either side of it. Having two frontages was considered very severe; taxi drivers were said to have nicknamed the venue 'Sing-Sing'.

Art Deco Design

The venue was hailed for its unique interiors, which still prevails to this day. A testament to art deco design, Gaumont British News once described it as:

“Imagine a fairy cavern under the sea or a mermaid’s dream of Heaven; something one has never seen or thought of before; huge submarine flowers against the walls that branch up and out and throw mysterious light towards the realms above, and glassy illuminated stalactites hanging from the ceiling; and a proscenium like a slender host of silver trees, and silvered organ pipes that shoot up to the roof; while over the whole the lights change from deep-sea green to the colours of the dawn, and from these to the warm comfort sunlight”.

Modern day Apollo Victoria

In 1981, the Apollo Victoria reopened as a theatre and it wasn’t long before it became one of the leading West End theatres, hosting musicals such as The Sound of Music, Camelot, Fiddler on the Roof, Starlight Express and Saturday Night Fever. Wicked has been casting its spell over audiences across the world since 2006 and has recently welcomed its 10 millionth visitor.