Richmond Theatre On The Screen

August, 2023

Richmond Theatre hasn’t just been admired by those who attend a performance, it has been regularly featured on the big and small screen from as early as the 1940s.

Early examples include The Halfway House in 1944, The Naked Truth in 1957 and Half a Sixpence in 1967, all of which feature the façade of the theatre. Perhaps a surprise to some, is the Dad’s Army episode ‘Shooting Pains’ aired in 1969. During a morale-boosting night out to the “Hippodrome”, Barbara Windsor shows off her shooting skills on our stage as Laura La Paz before being recruited to help the platoon win a shooting contest.

One film that showcases the theatre’s auditorium, and how it has changed over the years, is Bugsy Malone (1967). Staring Bonnie Langsford, the film shows off the auditoriums wood panelling, the previous darker colour-scheme, and the stage. Most notably, the film shows the Upper Circle still with its bench seating!

Another film shows cases the outside of the theatre and one of its more unique additions over the years. The Krays (1990) starring Martin and Gary Keep saw Richmond Theatre transformed into the Kray’s Regal Club using a number of outdoor shots that showcased the then circus tent-esk canopy and the dark red colour scheme used at the time. The canopy was removed as part of the 1989-1991 refurbishment.

Some more modern examples of the Richmond’s starring role include Blithe Spirit (2020) starring Dame Judi Dench, Finding Neverland (2004), after which the screen-used curtain leading to the stalls bar from the auditorium became known as the ‘Johnny Depp curtain’, and Muppets Most Wanted (2014) which featured Statler and Waldorf sat on one our boxes! TV examples include Downton Abbey, who also had their special BAFTA tribute here in 2015, Killing Eve (2022) and Richmond resident Ted Lasso (2020 & 2023) who have used the exterior of our theatre in Series 1 and one of our toilet cubicles in Series 3!