Adelphi Theatre, Art Deco theatre in The Strand, City of Westminster, United Kingdom.
The Adelphi Theatre stretches across several addresses on the Strand and offers seating on three levels for 1500 spectators in its Art Deco structure. The facade shows clean geometric lines and the interior preserves typical decorative elements from the 1930s.
Founded in 1806 as the Sans Pareil by merchant John Scott and his daughter Jane, the theatre was licensed by 1809 for musical entertainments, pantomime and burletta. It reopened on 18 October 1819 as the Adelphi, taking the name from the Adelphi Buildings opposite. The old house was demolished and replaced by the New Adelphi on 26 December 1858, seating 1,500 with standing room for 500. The present Art Deco building by Ernest Schaufelberg opened on 3 December 1930 as the Royal Adelphi.
The name was adopted on 18 October 1819 from the Adelphi Buildings opposite, a speculative development by the brothers Robert and James Adam; their firm's Greek name means "brothers". Early audiences knew the house for melodramas nicknamed Adelphi Screamers, and from 1834 it staged adaptations of Charles Dickens, beginning with The Christening.
A ramp in the main foyer allows wheelchair access, with designated spaces in Row X of the stalls and accessible facilities nearby. Performances typically take place in the evening, with occasional afternoon matinees.
Actor William Terriss was murdered in 1897 outside the stage door, and a commemorative plaque marks the incident. His ghost is said to still walk through the building.
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