Bertie Crewe

British architect, 1860–1937

William Robert 'Bertie' Crewe (1860 – 10 January 1937) was one of the leading English theatre architects in the boom of 1885 to 1915.

Born in Essex and partly trained by Frank Matcham, Crewe and his contemporaries W. G. R. Sprague and Thomas Verity, were together responsible for the majority – certainly more than 200 – of the theatres and variety palaces of the great building boom which took place in Britain between 1885 and 1915, peaking at the turn of the century. Crewe became known as one of the most dynamic architects of the 1890s 1900s, specialising entirely in theatres and later cinemas. He also designed the Paris Alhambra for Thomas Barrasford, which opened in 1904. Crewe trained in Paris and London, where, as a young man, he was a frequent visitor to Frank Matcham's home. Up to the mid 1890s, Crewe collaborated with Sprague, producing the Lincoln Theatre Royal as well as a number of theatres around London. It was after he branched out on his own that he developed what was to become his characteristic Baroque influenced style. His work around the turn of the century was marked by horizontal balconies tied to ranges of stage boxes and elaborate ornamental features. Cecil Masey trained in Crewe's office, working on large theatres and music halls that Crewe designed before the First World War. Masey's designs include the theatre at Stanford Hall, Nottinghamshire. In the early 1930s Masey worked for Sidney Bernstein on the creation of the Granada cinema circuit, including the Tooting Granada. Crewe's last project, jointly with Henry G. Kay was the Regal, Kennington Road (opened 17 November 1937) by the Arthur O'Connor circuit. Designed as split theatre cinema, the Edwardian Kennington Empire would have been in decline by the time of building.

After World War II, many theatres that were not destroyed by bombing were in the way of redevelopment. The building boom of 1885 to 1915 was matched between 1950 and 1975 by theatre demolition. In that 25 year period, 35 theatres were demolished in Greater London alone. Crewe's reputation has been re established over the last 20 years. In 2004, the Palace Theatre, Redditch, (built 1913) completed a £3.7 million facelift. A now rare example of Edwardian theatre, it was successful in bidding for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. Experts believe the Grade II listed theatre is one of only six examples that can be fully attributed to Bertie Crewe.

TheatreLocationBuild dateOriginal seating capacityScreensStatusNotesRoyal Court TheatreLondon1888642As sub to Walter Emden. Next to the Metropolitan railway station (now Sloane Square tube). Reconstructed in 1952 and 1980. An unimpressive auditorium, whose sight lines could be improved, is the strangely antique setting for modern drama that generally preaches changeTheatre RoyalLincoln1889475RefurbishedReopened after refurbishment 2010OlympicLondon1890DemolishedWith W. G. R. SpragueTheatre RoyalAldershot16 February 1891700Demolished 1959With W. G. R. SpragueEuston Theatre of VarietiesEuston26 December 19001,310Demolished 1960With Wylson & Long. In use as a Cinema from the mid 1930s to 1950, then renamed the Regent TheatreSadler's WellsLondon1901Fifth theatre demolished 1996RemodelledLiverpool Royal HippodromeLiverpool19024,000Demolished 1984The first of the Barrasford halls. The ceiling was painted by Secard, depicting flying cupids upon beds of clouds. From 1931 to 1967 it was a cinemaHippodromeBrighton19022,000Alterations Frank Matcham converted a skating rink into a circus in 1901. When Thomas Barrasford bought the Hippodrome in October 1902 he called in Crewe to replace the circus ring with raked stalls seating, add boxes where the animal entrances has been and extend the apron with a new orchestra pit in frontLyceumLondon19042,000New AuditoriumBuilt behind Samuel Beazley's original facade and porticoPavilionGlasgow19041.499Now renovated, the theatre is a remarkable original survivor as a commercial theatre. Built for Tom Barrasford. PalaceGorbals, Glasgow19042,000Demolished 1976Cine variety from 1914, sold to H Maitles. Bingo from 1962Theatre RoyalBury St Edmunds1906AlterationsDesigned by William Wilkins it opened on 11 October 1819. Redesigned by Crewe in 1906. Greene King purchased the freehold in 1920, but closed in 1925 and used as a barrel store. Air Vice Marshal Stanley Vincent raised over £37,000 to restore and re open the Theatre Royal in 1965, and leased to the National Trust in 1975 on a 999 year leaseSheffield HippodromeSheffield23 December 1907Demolished 1963One of several large Hippodromes opened by Tom Barrasford in direct opposition to Oswald Stoll, then managing director of Moss TheatresRoyal HippodromeBelfast19071,156Demolished, now the site of the modern extension of the Grand Opera House, Belfast and Fitzwilliam HotelBecame cinema in 1935, Odeon in 1961, and New Victoria Cinema in 1974. Bingo Hall in approx 1987 with occasional theatre use. Closed 1988. Demolished 1997Nottingham HippodromeNottingham28 September 1908The last Hippodrome to be erected by Thomas BarrasfordHippodromePlymouth1908Destroyed by bombing and fire in 1941Remains purchased in May 1958 by Plymouth Council for £4,000, building demolishedOldham PalaceOldham, Greater Manchester19082,380DemolishedBuilt for Walter de Frece, his wife Vesta Tilley performed on the opening night, and in 1915 it played host to the only pantomime undertaken by Gracie Fields. Converted to the Odeon Cinema in 1936, it became a three screen in 1974. Unsuccessful in this format, it closed the same year, and remained closed until demolition in 1983. Now the site of a council social services buildingHoxton HallLondon1909Internal AlterationsBuilt 1863 by James Mortimer, now an Arts CentreKingston EmpireKingston upon Thames1910Converted to a pub and offices in 1956With C J Bourne. Converted to a cinema in 1930, with Neon lighting was introduced to light the dome, the second theatre in the country to do this (the first being the London Coliseum) Sister theatre to Aldershot Hippodrome. ShaftesburyLondon26 December 1911changed to the Shaftesbury in 1963Originally Prince's, it opened with the play The Three MusketeersLondon Opera House / StollLondon19112,660Demolished 1958, became site for an office block. Designed for Oscar Hammerstein in 1912, sold to London Opera House Ltd (a newly formed company) in 1913, transformed into a cinema by Oswald Stoll in 1916. A smaller theatre, The Royalty, built nearby opened 1960. Renamed The Peacock Theatre it presented the Paul Raymond revues. Today the Peacock is owned by the London School of Economics, it is a lecture theatre by day and home of Sadler's Wells' West End programme by night. Empire BurnleyBurnley19111,200Auditorium reconstructedBuilt 1894 under G. B. Rawcliffe. Converted to a cinema in 1938, now a Gala BingoThe HippodromeAldershot3 February 19131,000Demolished 1961Partly refurbished, it reopened fitfully until about 1960Golders Green HippodromeGolders Green19133,000Sold, controversially, to El Shaddai International Christian Centre. Former home of the BBC Concert OrchestraThe HolmeRegent's Park1911Private HouseFirst villa to be erected in Regent's Park. Designed in 1816 18 by Decimus Burton aged 18 for his father, James Burton. Further wings were added in 1911 by Bertie Crewe. More alterations were carried out in 1935Palace TheatreManchester19131,955Auditorium Reconstructed. Now leased to Ambassador Theatre GroupBuilt in 1891 by Alfred Darbyshire & F B Smith as the Manchester Palace of Varietie. The first computerised box office system in Europe was installed. Owned by the Palace Theatre TrustPalaceRedditch1913399£3.6M refurbishment and extensionRelatively small, it was used as a Bingo Hall from 1954 to 1971. Purchased by the council, converted to a theatreColiseum TheatreDublin19153,000Destroyed in the Easter Rising of 1916With R. F. BerginThéâtre MogadorParis19191,800Since the nineties the Théâtre Mogador is also used as a concert hall1913 Sir Alfred Butt leased an area in Paris. Built after World War I in the year 1919. The inauguration guests include President Wilson, in France to negotiate the Treaty of VersaillesBirmingham HippodromeBirmingham18991,817Internal ChangesOriginally the Tower of Varieties and Circus, it is still a theatre as the Birmingham TheatrePiccadilly TheatreLondon19281,400With Edward A. Stone as a private theatre for Edward Laurillard. Interior decoration by Marc Henri Levy and Gaston LaverdetPhoenixLondon1930Designed with Giles Gilbert Scott and Cecil Masey, with Theodore Komisarjevsky as Art Director. Hosted the opening production of Noël Coward's Private Lives, starring Coward, Gertrude Lawrence, Laurence Olivier and Adrienne AllenSavilleCovent Garden19311,426Converted to a twin screen cinema in 1970, now a quad screenWith Leslie Scott Slaughter. Builders were Messers Gee, Walker and Slater and it was designed by architects T. P. Bennett & Son. Leased by Brian Epstein in the 60s and is where The Beatles filmed the videos of "Hello, Goodbye". Jimi Hendrix, Fats Domino, The Bee Gees, The Who, Pink Floyd, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Elton John, Chuck Berry, Harry Secombe and Leonard RossiterNew Bedford TheatreCamden18981DemolishedClosed 1950Capitol CinemaSouthgate, London19351Demolished September 1982Odeon opened on 16 October 1935 with Edward G. Robinson in "Passport to Fame"Century CinemaKings Cross19001DemolishedClosed on 4 April 1968 with David McCallum in "The Heroin Gang" and Deborah Kerr in "Eye of the Devil". Purchased by Camden Council, an extension to the Town Hall was built on the siteSouthend Hippodrome / Gaumont CinemaSouthend on Sea19091Demolished 1958Converted into a cinema in 1933, modernised in 1956 and demolished two years later, a supermarket was subsequently built on the siteOlympia TheatreShoreditch18892,1701Demolished 1939Assisted by W. G. R. SpragueVictoria TheatreSalford19003,0001For sale by Palatial Leisure LimitedGrade II listed, a bingo hall from 1973, closed 2008Regal CinemaKennington19322,0001Presently boarded up, it is to be converted to flats, 2006With Henry G. Kay, consultant for Duchy of Cornwall estate: Louis de Soissons. Probably Crewe's last project he died the year it opened. Converted to a cinema in 1961