DMT_Hamilton_Print_1712_Print 2_Vis1(1)

Photography: Ian Grundy, Philip Vile
and then the long-running
BBC’s Black and White
Minstrel Show. One of the
earliest musicals I saw there
was Annie, another great
Broadway import that didn’t
require a deep stage. However,
apart from Cats, none of my
major musical successes would
have fitted on the existing stage.
The original bars were also
rather small for such a generous
auditorium, despite an extension
of the stalls bar a few years back.
I decided to use the side block of
the theatre – the one over THE
DRAIN! – to create grand salons
at every level. I’ve always felt
that even though I can’t change
the architectural layout of the
seating tiers, every member of
the audience, whatever price they
have paid, should enjoy the same
comfort and service in the public
areas – and lots of loos!
As I write this, I feel like
Alexander Hamilton running
out of time myself, as teams of
brilliant plasterers, carpenters,
stonemasons, seamstresses,
upholsterers, carpet layers,
plumbers, electricians, engineers,
French polishers and wallpaper
hangers (many of them
immigrants – who got the
job done!) coordinated by a
devoted and by now exhausted
management team, have been
racing to get the stage ready for
the company and the building
open to the public for this muchanticipated
show.
The old theatre has inspired us
all to rise up to the occasion and
give our best. The Victoria Palace,
like any good mistress, has been
very demanding, suggesting
changes and finishes which were
not apparent on the drawing
board. This glorious theatre is a
living thing and we are all very
proud to have created a building
which will now be a crown jewel
of London theatre for at least
another 100 years.
My gratitude to everyone
involved is unbounded but I must
mention one person in particular,
Clare Ferraby, who shortly after
we started this project suffered
two debilitating strokes, affecting
her eyesight (though she still
has a keener eye than anyone I
know!) She indomitably insisted
on carrying on, dashing around
with her walking stick in hand,
creating this extraordinary,
uplifting and timeless space:
a theatre of magic and light.
She has been responsible for
the interior design of over 80
theatres since she started with
the Sheffield Crucible over 50
years ago, and the Victoria Palace
is arguably her finest creation.
Of course, a good show matters
more than a good theatre, so the
Gods of the theatre need special
thanks too as they have delivered
such a wonderful piece in
Hamilton to re-open the building
and reinvigorate the musical
theatre for the 21st century. I have
no doubt that audiences will also
The finished auditorium ceiling
rise up to applaud this brilliant
British company, whose talent
and diversity is such a credit to
the unique and prolific training
ground we have for the Arts
in Britain.
Now the new Victoria Palace has
risen, welcome to the room where
it happens!
Cameron Mackintosh
December 2017