Grosvenor House, 125 High Street, The Grand Theatre and Opera House

1896 to 1959

The Grand was opened on 6th April 1896 by the famous theatrical impresario Herbert Beerbohm Tree.  Under the management of Messrs Batley and Linfoot, top class companies were booked including Sarah Bernhardt and Henry Irving with his Lyceum company.

1897 saw the first performance of George Bernard Shaw's Man of Destiny.  Throughout the Edwardian era there was a mixture of popular melodrama and light plays, including Ellen Terry's company.  In the 1920s the Grand was a receiving house for tours.  It was closed from 1940 to 1942 and only occasionally open until after the War when Will Hammer ran long seasons of repertory and an annual pantomime until 1957.

Despite fierce local opposition, including a petition signed by nearly 100,000 people, the Grand was subsequently demolished.  Croydon Council had considered buying the site for £75,000 but this was rejected by 34 votes to 24. Instead they granted planning permission for the erection of an 11-storey block of shops and offices. T he final show in April 1959 was No Chance for Davies, a futuristic spy story written by the last Director of the Grand, Michael Wide.

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Saturday, 5 July, 2008

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