The Players' Theatre

By Keith Fawkes and Richard Norman

The story of London’s world-famous Players’ Theatre, formed almost a century ago and famed for recreating Victorian music hall, initially created in Covent Garden and later moved to Villiers Street, Charing Cross. During its heyday, it became a British institution!

The fascinating history of the Players’ is told from its formation to its demise in 2002 and is brought to life using archive film clips and photos.

Presenter Keith Fawkes, the theatre’s secretary for many years, tells us about some of the on-and-off-stage experiences that audiences came to enjoy. For many, it was a ‘must’ on their tourist itinerary.

The successful careers of some well-known artistes who became household names were launched at the Players' Theatre and who also provided some of the support ‘turns’ for BBC TV’s long-running series The Good Old Days hosted by chairman Leonard Sachs, a Players’ co-founder.

When the Players had to close, Keith saved their extensive archive for prosperity, and the collection has been transferred to Westminster City Archives – fittingly the area in which the Players’ Theatre thrived.

Music hall was the most popular form of entertainment during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The talk is a nostalgic trip down memory lane of music hall, which lies at the root of all modern popular entertainment.

Host or Publisher Pimlico Library