A year late, but better late than never, Jermyn Street Theatre — a “little theatre with the big heart” (as co-founder Howard Jameson described it) — last night celebrated its 10th anniversary with a royal gala performance , attended by theatre patron HRH Princess Michael of Kent, at its nearest theatrical neighbour, the Criterion, with which it in fact has something in common.
The Criterion is an entirely subterranean space – you even have to go downstairs to reach the upper circle – and so it is with Jermyn Street, located in the basement of a restaurant, with the dressing rooms one floor below the theatre.
It first opened its doors in August 1994, so a year and a month after its official tenth birthday many of the names who have played there in the last decade, plus a few that haven’t, were on hand to mark the occasion. These ranged from international choreographer Gillian Lynne – who told us she’d been connected to workshops of five shows there – and host Nikolas Grace, to Kit and Widow and Dillie Keane, who earlier this year did a try-out of a new production of the Tom Lehrer revue Tomfoolery here (that coincidentally originally played at the Criterion in its original West End run!). Veteran actress Moira Lister, Joanna Lumley and Gyles Brandreth introduced other acts that included Clive Carter, Morag McLaren, Bonnie Langford, Rosemary Ashe, Clive Rowe, Anne Rogers, Noel Harrison, Angela Richards and Lorna Dallas.
Jermyn Street is, under Penny Horner’s inimitable stewardship, a studio theatre in the heart of central London that provides an extremely friendly and (for the fringe) surprisingly comfortable showcase home. Long may it thrive.
