Decade By Decade

  • 1908-1917

    23 Apr 2008

    1908-1917

    On 20 February 1908, Britain’s first actor knight, Sir Charles Wyndham, presided over a lunch meeting at the Hyde Park Hotel to form an association with 20 of his actor-manager colleagues in London.  Read more

  • 1918-1927

    23 Apr 2008

    1918-1927

    The second decade of London’s Theatreland was an uncertain time. It began with World War One seeming to sound a death knell for the industry before Spanish flu forced half of London’s theatres to close. Read more

  • 1928-1937

    23 Apr 2008

    1928-1937

    When the Thames broke its banks in January 1928 so began a decade of mixed fortunes for London’s West End.  Read more

  • 1938-1947

    23 Apr 2008

    1938-1947

    Unsurprisingly, the period between 1938 and 1947 was a testing time for London’s Theatreland, dominated, as was everything, by World War II.  Read more

  • 1948-1957

    23 Apr 2008

    1948-1957

    After years blighted by war, London theatre had its best business for 10 years in 1948, partly due to the effect of the London Olympics.  Read more

  • 1958-1967

    23 Apr 2008

    1958-1967

    This may have been the decade in which the Theatrical Management Association launched the imaginatively titled ‘Go To The Theatre’ campaign to try counteract a perceived decline in audiences, but this period was of major significance in the history of London theatre. Read more

  • 1968-1977

    23 Apr 2008

    1968-1977

    The end of the 60s and the start of the 70s was an era of change for the world, the country and the theatre industry.  Read more

  • 1978-1987

    23 Apr 2008

    1978-1987

    The late 70s and early 80s was a watershed time for women in power; Margaret Thatcher became the first female British Prime Minister and Verity Hudson was the first female president of the Society of London Theatre. Read more

  • 1988-1997

    23 Apr 2008

    1988-1997

    Perhaps more than ever, theatre was affected by, and reflected, world events in this decade.  Read more

  • 1998-present

    23 Apr 2008

    1998-present

    When Hollywood star Nicole Kidman stripped naked on the stage of the Donmar Warehouse in 1998 in The Blue Room, she caused a sensation and sparked off a new trend in Theatreland. Read more


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