Cambridge Theatre

Time Out says

Wed Jun 20 2012

Situated at the Covent Garden crossroads of  Seven Dials, the Cambridge is one of the West End’s newest theatres, having opened in 1930, its clean lines and bronze freizes influenced by 1920s German expressionist design. Early in its life, it was relegated to serving as a venue for trade shows and concerts but during the war drama took the stage once again, with a notable production of Shaw’s 'Heartbreak House', starring Edith Evans. Keith Waterhouse’s benchmark drama ‘Billy Liar’ played here for two years in the early 1960s; variety stars Tommy Steele and Bruce Forsyth also appeared during this period. A National Theatre season played at the Cambridge in 1970, a decade which also brought Ingrid Bergman and Peter Cook and Dudley Moore to the venue. Fittingly, the Cambridge also played host to London’s original production of the Kander and Ebb musical ‘Chicago’ in 1977; the successful revival, which transferred from the Adelphi in 2006, is still playing there today. In the meantime, the theatre has passed from owners Stoll Moss to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group Ltd, and has become an established home for musical theatre, including ‘Fame’, ‘Jerry Springer the Opera’, ‘Grease’ and ‘Great Balls of Fire’.