Relief

Saville Theatre - Punch and Judy

Erection date: 1931

Site: Odeon (Saville) Theatre (5 memorials)

WC2, Shaftesbury Avenue, Odeon Covent Garden

The ‘Drama Through the Ages’ frieze is by Gilbert Bayes. The listing says "Bayes' frieze is one of the largest and most important works of public sculpture of its age, and won him the silver medal of the Institute of Sculptors for the best piece of applied sculpture of its year. It is 129 feet long and made from artificial stone."

At each end of the frieze, around the corners, there is a winged angel pulling back the curtain to reveal this cavalcade. Note also that the two plays chosen to begin and end the frieze are well-chosen. St Joan, a tragedy set in the medieval period, begins the procession and leads seamlessly into the Minstrels. Khaki, a comedy set in WW1, follows on naturally from the Twentieth Century.

Ornamental Passions has done a wonderful analysis of this complex frieze with a complete set of good photos (the traffic makes it very difficult to photograph). There are probably portraits of other actors but we can't identify any - let us know if you can.

Built in 1931 as the Saville Theatre, in a bold Art Deco style by Sir Thomas Bennett (who went on to design the Smithfield Poultry Market). The theatre was run by Brian Epstein from 1965 until his death in 1967 and it saw performances from some of the names of the time: Yoko Ono, Cream, Bee Gees, Rolling Stones, etc. and the Beatles filmed the “Hello, Goodbye” promo here (along with dancing girls in grass skirts). The theatre became an ABC cinema in 1970 and was taken over by Odeon in 2001. There is apparently little of the original interior left.

2018: The building is looking unloved - see the cracks in our photo for the Chester Players - and we noticed one section lower down on the building where a lump of stucco had been knocked off and not repaired. That old developers' trick of failing to maintain a building and then claiming it's so far gone that demolition is the only solution - that can't be happening here, surely.

2021: Camden rejected a planning appeal for conversion to a hotel. This would have gutted the interior and, of course, added floors on top.

2025: Fitzrovia News reported:  "Camden Council has approved plans to rebuild a Grade II-listed theatre building into a hotel and circus stage, reigniting fears over the impact on local heritage."

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Saville Theatre - Punch and Judy

Subjects commemorated i

Punch and Judy

Punch's Puppet Show was first performed in England and witnessed by Samuel Pe...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Saville Theatre - Punch and Judy

Created by i

Gilbert Bayes

Born 6 Oval Road, Camden Town. Also did the bronze group with clock at the en...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Saville Theatre - Punch and Judy

Also at this site i

Saville Theatre - Holmes

Saville Theatre - Holmes

Ornamental Passions thinks this probably represents Tod Slaughter in the role...

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Saville Theatre - Khaki

Saville Theatre - Khaki

This shows Ernie Lotinga in the play 'Khaki'.

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Saville Theatre - Saint Joan

Saville Theatre - Saint Joan

George Bernard Shaw wrote his play Saint Joan with Thorndike in mind, and thi...

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Are we proud of spotting this small, dark plaque? You bet we are!

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