Special splendour

Situated on Argyll Street in the Soho district of the capital, the London Palladium had several incarnations before becoming a world-renowned theatre.

The building itself dates back to the 19th century and within its original wooden structure there was an aviary, featuring exotic birds from across the continents.

At other times it was a bazaar, then a circus, unique for having a ring flooded with water.

In the 1890s it transformed to an ice rink, known as the National Skating Palace, no less.

It was in 1910 when the iconic home of British entertainment first emerged.

Designed by the architect Frank Matcham, a titan in his field, the imposing edifice retained its neoclassical façade while inside every recess and alcove was a celebration of opulence. Grand staircases were erected. Rococo plasterwork and Norwegian Rose granite treated every sightline. The orchestra pit was cordoned by a marble balustrade.

The venue even had its own telephone exchange so occupants in boxes could speak to one another.

No expense was spared but if we must speak of cost, the Palladium’s majestic construction amounted to £250,000. That’s close to £40 million in today’s money.

A constellation of thousands

Entranced by its grandeur, the high society of London town flocked to see pantomimes, music hall acts of the day and operettas. Gracie Fields played there and, between the world wars, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong too.

Indeed, on the subject of famous names who have graced the Palladium stage it’s no exaggeration to state it is easier to mention those who haven’t, than did, but let’s go down the traditional route all the same.

From a constellation of thousands some stars who deserve special acknowledgment include Carmen Miranda, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby. Frank Sinatra crooned there while Ella Fitzgerald got the stalls swinging.

In the autumn of 1963, The Beatles performed, with John Lennon urging the well-off in the audience to ‘rattle their jewellery’.

Based on that evening, one of the following day’s newspapers first coined the phrase ‘Beatlemania’.

The ‘Fab Four’ are pertinent because they bring us to a very different era in the theatre’s long and illustrious history. A time when a seismic change altered the modus vivendi of both the building and the whole world.

In living rooms across the land, television sets burst into life.

Variety is the spice of life

Sunday Night at the London Palladium first aired on 25 September 1955.

Over the next sixty years and more the programme altered its moniker on several occasions but always remained steadfast to its primary goal: to provide family-friendly entertainment to the nation via singers, comedians, performances from West End productions, and circus acts.

It was a weekly variety show that brought parents and children together. Made them laugh together. Made them marvel together.

With a well-known compare at the helm – perhaps most famously Bruce Forsyth, though many others fulfilled the role – the programme became embedded in British culture, and beloved as a consequence.

The same can be said too of the Royal Variety Performance, an annual event that has been held since 1912 and screened since the nascent days of television.

Attended by a prominent member of the royal family, the show has been hosted by the London Palladium more times than any other venue, on 43 occasions.

Honouring the past, rejoicing in the present

The fabled auditorium of the London Palladium holds 2,286 people and later this month those seats will be occupied by the great and good of football.

That’s because, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Ballon d’Or, it is entirely fitting to host this year’s gala in the country that produced its first champion: the great Sir Stanley Matthews.

Moreover, Ballon d’Or is proud to honour this generation’s exceptional talents at a venue so steeped in British culture.

In 116 years of existence the London Palladium has amassed countless stories, so many of them fascinating. We look forward to being their latest on 26 October.