Cruising the West End
(Like most of my blogposts, the thumbnail images are clickable for a screen size image).
Back in the 1930s, indirect cove lighting was De Rigeur so it is unsurprising that a 1937 theatre had a lot of it. The Prince of Wales theatre is built in the style of an Ocean Liner, although it isn’t entirely obvious. The corner entrance symbolises the prow of the ship, stylized somewhat but suggested by this glass sculpture in the lobby which commemorates the reopening in 2004 by Royalty (Charles & Camilla, of course). If you look closely, you will see that there are some plastic cups behind it. It also had a newspaper and a ring binder, along with assorted paperwork. (Look at yesterday’s posting and click on the second photo to see!).
The ceiling has had the coving restored, with a lot of shiny metal, cold cathode lighting and burnished metallic wall finishes. The (new) staircase down to the Piano room (formerly the American Bar) has a striking stencil graphic. Many of the walls have this very shiny wallpaper which has a very 30s feel to it (& I bet it cost a lot more than woodchip!)
The corner entrance is now open on three levels above the Foyer, forming two separate circulation areas, the higher one being usable as a VIP space. The upper level used to be the Delfont Boardroom and the lower one is now known as the Folies Room as the London Version of the Folies Bergere was based in this very theatre, or more accurately, the pre-1937 Princes Theatre on this site. (Mrs. Henderson Presents suggested the Windmill was used but the story is a bit of a pastiche, it seems, history here). There is a circular drum opening reflecting the exterior tower and a very effective mural painted on the ceiling.
This mural is rather interesting, as when you first look at it, you see the masks of comedy and tragedy along with the landmark tower of the theatre. You also recognise other motifs like a stage spotlight beam asnd hints of Americana. Then, when you look at it from a different angle, you suddenly realise that there is a big four-stacked ocean-going ship in the design and a deck handrail. (It helps if it is pointed out to you!)
Anyone who is a theatre-goer knows that theatres never have enough toilets for the fairer sex and generally only (just) enough for the hairier sex due to our outside plumbing. Mackintosh was determined to do something about this and there is a very large (and very smart) ladies lavatory in the basement with fifteen cubicles. So proud are they of this that it was included on the guided tour! Those sinks look like they should have come with Kenwood mixers though.
Here are a few snaps of other ceiling coves, niches and features in the foyer spaces, some original, others a recreation where stairs had to be relocated (or room made to fit in a lift). Words should appear when you mouse-hover them.
I’ll stop now, auditorium and memorabilia shots another time.
To get the Cameron Mackinosh angle on the reconstruction, take a look at their site.
There is a lot about Advent in the Blogosphere at the moment. Whenever I see an Advent candle I always think of coathangers. This is because 
