Streatham Hill Theatre
110 Streatham Hill
London
SW2 4RD
No visitors or mail please.
The Friends have no access to, or control of, the building, which is currently partially in use as a slot machine lounge by Merkur Casino UK and as a church by Ruach City Church who bought the freehold.
The original headlease held by Mecca Bingo (Top Rank) has been cancelled; and Merkur’s original lease has been replaced.
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About
The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre is a volunteer-run charity campaigning to save this ‘sleeping beauty’ for the benefit of the community.
We are registered in England as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Number CE024993 and Registered Charity Number 1193643.
We are members of NCVO ncvo.org.uk
Copyright © 2026 · All Rights Reserved · The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre (FoSHT)
Timeline
Streatham Hill before the Theatre
This view from around 1912 is from close to Downton Avenue looking south towards Streatham Hill railway station. On the right the gardens with large houses were demolished to make way for entertainment buildings such as the Streatham Hill Theatre, Locarno Dance Hall and Gaumont Cinema during the 1920s. From the Lambeth archive. SHARE LINK…
A new theatre for the “West End of South London”: 26th October 1927
Streatham Hill Theatre (SHT) was designed by W. G. R Sprague and W. H.Barton, with a capacity of around 2800 and a stage the size of the LondonPalladium. It formed part of Streatham’s theatre and entertainment offer when the area was known as “The West End of South London” and (due to the wealth of…
Magnificent New Theatre for Streatham
The Norwood News of 31 August 1928 featured plans for the new Streatham Hill Theatre as part of a larger development to include a cinema and palais de danse. See the front page here, with thanks to Streatham Society. SHARE LINK VIA XFacebookBlueSkyThreadsEmail
Foundation Stone Laye’d: 6th September 1928
Over 90 years ago local resident and international celebrity of stage and screen, Evelyn Laye laid the foundation stone for the Streatham Hill Playhouse as it was originally to be known. SHARE LINK VIA XFacebookBlueSkyThreadsEmail
Streatham Hill Playhouse Ltd registered
On 11th September 1928 a new company, Streatham Hill Playhouse Ltd, was registered. SHARE LINK VIA XFacebookBlueSkyThreadsEmail
Share Issue for Streatham Hill Playhouse Ltd
Streatham Hill Playhouse Share Application Form: SHARE LINK VIA XFacebookBlueSkyThreadsEmail
The Locarno Ballroom
On 1 October 1929 the Locarno Dance Hall opened in Streatham, just down the hill from the new Streatham Hill Theatre which was preparing its own opening in November 1929. Opened by band leader Billy Cotton, it was a glittering occasion attended by over 1,500 dancers. It operated under several different names, closing in 2004,…
The Stage: Streatham Hill Playhouse opening
The new Streatham Hill Playhouse will open on November 11, when the company now playing “Hold Everything” at the Palace Theatre will supply the opening attraction. The Stage 7/11/1929. As it happens opening was delayed due to incomplete work until 20th November 1929. SHARE LINK VIA XFacebookBlueSkyThreadsEmail
Theatre opens: 20th November 1929
The Streatham Hill Theatre was due to open, offering “West End shows at provincial prices”, on Monday 18th November 1929, but wasn’t quite ready. It was ready enough to open on the Wednesday, 20th November 1929, with the C. B. Cochran revue Wake up and Dream. A lavish programme was published telling the story of…
Journey’s End: neighbourhood kept awake by the noise of the explosions
Journey’s End in w/b 16th June 1930, was, strangely, one of only two major plays about the Great War. Only a dozen years had passed, yet the stage had no place to examine the greatest social event which affected the lives of everyone in the audience. It would be wrong to say all that was…
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