Richard D'Oyly Carte intended the theatre to be the home of English grand opera, as a counterpart to the light operas that were produced at the Savoy Theatre, and it opened with Sir Arthur Sullivan's 'Ivanhoe'. This only ran for 160 performances and with no other operas in preparation, the theatre was forced to close. It reopened with several light operas, then became a music hall and also showed films in 1897. Long running productions in recent years include 'The Sound of Music', 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and 'Les Miserables'.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
