Q Theatre
Kew Bridge Road,
London,
W4
Kew Bridge Road,
London,
W4
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Located opposite Kew Bridge Railway Station, the Prince’s Hall originally had been used as a beer hall(with garden, as it was owned by the Fuller, Smith & Turner Brewery), a swimming pool, roller skating rink and a dance hall. Films were screened in the early-1900’s and around 1913 it was being advertised as the Prince’s Hall Electric Cinema. By 1918, it had become The Prince’s Hall Cinema, with a seating capacity of 600.
Later used as a film studio, in 1924 Fuller Smith & Turner Brewery leased the building to Jack & Beatrice De Leon, who opened it as the Q Theatre. It soon became a magnet for new talent, and produced premieres of plays by Terrence Rattigan and William Douglas Home, with future stars making their first stage appearances at the Q Theatre being; Vivien Leigh, Dirk Bogarde, Joan Collins, Anthony Quayle and Margaret Lockwood.
The Q Theatre continued for many years, but by the 1950’s the building was becoming run-down and after the death of Jack De Leon, it was closed in February 1956. It became a drama school until 1958, then the building lay empty for several years until it was demolished and a block of flats named Kew Bridge House (today Rivers House) was built on the site.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
Went to this theatre many a time to photograph Joan Collins backstage during the 1950s. Remember Maxwell Reed,her boy friend at the time,picking her up in his car parked around the side.