Lost amid Piccadilly Circus, do you know the story of the London Pavilion? It stands on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue. The London Pavilion is more than just a building. It is a landmark with a rich and varied past.
The London Pavilion started as a music hall in 1859. Emil Loibl and Charles Sonnhammer built it. They roofed the yard of the Black Horse Inn. But one part was used by Dr. Kahn’s “Delectable Museum of Anatomy”.
In 1885, Shaftesbury Avenue was built. A new London Pavilion Theatre was constructed. It opened on November 30, 1885. The new theatre was the first “music hall deluxe”. Marble-topped tables were inside for dining. The rebuilding signaled a new era. It was a variety theatre with classic exterior. It had marble and freestone. The foyers were elegant. Electric lights illuminated it.
Villiers formed a limited company. This became Syndicate Halls Ltd. Lupino Lane made his London début here in 1903. He was known as “Nipper Lane”.
The London Pavilion presented musicals between 1912 and 1936. Noël Coward’s first success was here. It was called On With the Dance in April 1925. Sir Harry Lauder also appeared. Electric billboards were erected in 1923. They were on the side of the London Pavilion building.
In 1934, the London Pavilion became a cinema. F. G. M. Chancellor converted it. The cost was £70,000. The first film was The Private Life of Don Juan. Alexander Korda released it. The premiere of The Curse of Frankenstein was in May 1957. The foyer was like Frankenstein’s laboratory. The Monster was in a tank. Dr. No, the first James Bond film, premiered here in October 1962. A Hard Day’s Night premiered in July 1964. The cinema closed on April 26, 1981.
In 1986, the interior was gutted. It became a shopping arcade. Only the 1885 façade remained. Rock Circus, a wax figure exhibition, opened that year. It featured rock and pop musicians. The Rock Circus exhibition closed in September 2001.
In 2000, the London Pavilion became part of the Trocadero Centre. The signage was altered in 2003. It read London Trocadero. The basement connects with Piccadilly Circus tube station.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not was here. It was open from August 2008 until September 25, 2017. Body Worlds London opened on October 6, 2018. It displayed real human bodies. They were preserved through Plastination.
Today, the London Pavilion stands as a testament to time. It has transformed from music hall to cinema. It is now a shopping arcade. Yet its history echoes through the walls. The London Pavilion remains a vibrant part of Piccadilly Circus. A place where entertainment and commerce meet.