Q Theatre

Kew Bridge Road and Kew Bridge Court,
London, W4

Unfavorite No one has favorited this theater yet

Additional Info

Previous Names: Prince's Hall Electric Cinema, Prince's Hall Cinema

Nearby Theaters

Q Theatre

Located opposite Kew Bridge Railway Station in the west London district of Chiswick on the border with Brentford, Middlesex. The Prince’s Hall originally had been used as a beer hall(with garden, as it was owned by the Fuller, Smith & Turner Brewery), a swimming pool, roller skating rink and a dance hall. Films were screened in the early-1900’s and around 1913 it was being advertised as the Prince’s Hall Electric Cinema. By 1918, it had become The Prince’s Hall Cinema, with a seating capacity of 600.

Later used as a film studio, in 1924 Fuller Smith & Turner Brewery leased the building to Jack & Beatrice De Leon, who opened it as the Q Theatre. It soon became a magnet for new talent, and produced premieres of plays by Terrence Rattigan and William Douglas Home, with future stars making their first stage appearances at the Q Theatre being; Vivien Leigh, Dirk Bogarde, Joan Collins, Anthony Quayle and Margaret Lockwood.

The Q Theatre continued for many years, but by the 1950’s the building was becoming run-down and after the death of Jack De Leon, it was closed in February 1956. It became a drama school until 1958, then the building lay empty for several years until it was demolished and a block of flats named Kew Bridge House (today Rivers House) was built on the site.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 1 comments)

PictureShow
PictureShow on June 3, 2011 at 4:22 am

Went to this theatre many a time to photograph Joan Collins backstage during the 1950s. Remember Maxwell Reed,her boy friend at the time,picking her up in his car parked around the side.

You must login before making a comment.

New Comment

Subscribe Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.