Theatreland Walking Quiz 2012
This walking quiz will take you on a 25 minute walking tour of the theatres around
Theatreland. It will start at the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, walk you up
Haymarket, along Shaftesbury Avenue and back down to Trafalgar Square on Charing
Cross Road.
Find out fabulous Theatreland facts and guess the correct answers to collect points to enter
our Quiz. If you score over 90% you will receive a fantastic Theatres Trust Ecoshopper and
Exploring Theatres badge!
Start walking!
Head to the steps at the front of the National Gallery, keeping the National Gallery on your
right, walk along Pall Mall East and follow the road round to the right onto Haymarket.
Haymarket has been associated with theatre since the 17th century. Walk up Haymarket,
staying on the right-hand side.
Halfway up Haymarket, you will see bus stop R. Look across the road at Her Majesty’s
Theatre (at the corner of Charles II Street).
FACT The present Her Majesty’s Theatre was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was
constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree who established the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre.
QUESTION Which animals are on the Royal insignia above the theatre’s name on the
ironwork awning? (2 points)
Now look back up Haymarket, you will spot the beige Corinthian columns of the Theatre
Royal Haymarket.
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FACT The Theatre Royal Haymarket dates back to 1720, making it the third oldest London
playhouse still in use. It was also the third theatre to be granted a Royal Patent (patent
theatres were the theatres licensed to perform "serious” drama after the Restoration of
Charles II in 1660).
QUESTION Which Royal piece of apparel is situated either side of the Theatre Royal
Haymarket lettering (on top of the H’s)? (1 point)
Continue walking up Haymarket. Go to the corner of Haymarket and Coventry Street and
turn right, then walk down one block. On the right-hand side of Coventry Street, you will see
the Prince of Wales Theatre.
FACT If you turn right on Oxendon Street you can see a blue plaque that commemorates the
work of Lord Delfont of Stepney, former manager of the Prince of Wales Theatre. He was a
dancer, an agent, and a very successful theatre manager. He is the ‘Delfont’ in Delfont
Mackintosh Theatres, a group that currently owns seven theatres across London.
QUESTION What information about Lord Delfont can you get from the blue plaque on
Oxendon Street? (3 points)
With the Prince of Wales behind you, look across Coventry Street to Rupert Street. Walk up
Rupert Street on the left-hand side until you reach Shaftesbury Avenue. Standing at that
corner, you will see two theatres on either side of Rupert Street.
QUESTION Which four theatres can you see straightaway? (4 points)
Cross over the road and stand under the awning of the Apollo Theatre. Did you know that
the Apollo is named after the Greek god of the arts and leader of the muses? With the
Apollo on your left, walk ahead and past the Gielgud Theatre to its twin the Queen’s Theatre.
FACT It was only after some debate that it was called the Queen's and a portrait of Queen
Alexandra was initially hung above the fireplace in the grand entrance foyer.
QUESTION Although it is the twin of the Gielgud its facade is very different what are the
main materials of the façade at ground floor level? (2 points)
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Continue along Shaftesbury Avenue until you reach a rather spectacular and important late
Victorian red-brick monument built for Richard D’Oyly Carte as a home for English grand
opera on your left. This is the Palace Theatre. Walk to its entrance.
FACT Originally built as The Royal English Opera House in 1891, it was soon renamed as
the Palace Theatre of Varieties. In 1912, it was the venue for the first Royal (and only true
‘command') Variety Performance.
QUESTION How many cupolas (small dome-like structures on top of the building) can you
see at the front the Palace Theatre? (1 point)
With the Palace behind you, look right and down Charing Cross Road, this will lead you
towards our offices at number 22, and back to Trafalgar Square.
As you come to the four tube exits for Leicester Square look up to the right, at the corner of
Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road. This is another large red-brick theatre called the
London Hippodrome.
FACT Whilst it was once a circus space with elephants and giraffes, it turned into a nightclub
and has currently being reopened as a casino, with a Matcham Room celebrating its
theatrical heritage.
QUESTION Look at the top of the building. How many sculptured animals are there and
what are they? (4 points)
This is where your walking tour ends. If you are extra keen, there are two more Bonus
Rounds for you to complete for extra points.
Please fill in your contact details overleaf1 and drop your completed quiz through the
door at 22 Charing Cross Road (past Lipman & Sons and before a phone shop).
Alternatively email me the answers to: kate.carmichael@theatrestrust.org.uk
When you have dropped off your Quiz continue down Charing Cross Road and back to
Trafalgar Square.
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The Theatres Trust will only use your personal information for the purpose of administering the Quiz, for notifying answers or
by adding them to the Trust’s mailing list where requested. It will not be shared, sold or otherwise used or disseminated.
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Contact Name:
Phone Number and email:
Postal Address:
I would like to be entered into The Theatres Trust Theatreland Walking Quiz prize
draw.
I would like to be added to The Theatres Trust mailing list.
Signature:
Date:
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Bonus Round One
Anagrams
The names of Royalty-related theatres in Theatreland have been mixed up below. Can you
guess what theatres they are supposed to say? Score 1 point for each correct answer.
1) Hereunder Royalty Altar (4 words) (Hint: the first theatre on this site was built in 1663,
by Thomas Killgrew with royal patent from King Charles II. During the Second World War the
theatre was the home base for ENSA and received a direct hit from a gas bomb which,
fortunately, did not explode but did destroy the rear of the auditorium)
2) Jersey Maths (2 words) (Hint: Having been destroyed by fire twice previously this
theatre was bought in 1896 by actor Herbert Beerbohm Tree. This theatre is still standing
today and located on Haymarket.)
3) Athlete Ace Par (2 words) (Hint: Sold in April this year to Nimax, this theatre saw the
first London transfer of the RSC’s Les Miserables that ran for 7602 performances. )
4) The Square Teen (2 words) (Hint: This theatre opened in October 1907, almost 10
months after its twin, the Gielgud Theatre. The architect for both was W.G.R. Sprague, this
theatre is the seventh West End theatre he designed.)
Bonus Round Two
Pictures
What well known London theatres are being photographed in these pictures? Score 1 point
for each correct answer.
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2.
3.
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