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Broadway Theatre
Built in the 1930s as Lewisham Concert Hall, the theatre was intended to be a focal point for cultural life in Catford and has housed some of the great names of variety performance, comedy, music and theatre. It hosts a grand 800 seat auditorium with large dance floor and a smaller 80 seat studio. Renamed by Queen Elisabeth II as The Broadway in 2001, the theatre continues to play a key role for Catford's community and is home to Lewisham Youth Theatre today.
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Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
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Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
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Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
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Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
In 1932, the Duke of York opened the Lewisham Town Hall Extention. Built on the site of an old fire station, the extention was intended to be a focal point for civic and cultural activit, housing the grand auditorium and smaller performance spaces. The building later became known as Lewisham Concert Hall.
1932 The Opening of the Theatre
Oral history of Martin Costello
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Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
When it was opened as a multi-use civic space in 1932, the theatre was fitted with state-of the art cinema equipment. Sadly, the equipment was for silent movies. By the time the building was opened, talkies had overtaken silent movies making the newly fitted equipment already out of date. The theatre nevertheless continued to show silent movies until it was closed during WWII.
The Compton Organ
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Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
During the second world war, the venue was a central point for the civic war effort in Catford. The roof of the theatre’s chair store was reinforced with concrete and was used as a exchange for emergency services. Just imagine calling 999, and you get put through to the Broadway Theatre!
1939-1945 War Years
Oral history of Martin Costello
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
The Theatre has long been popular for its pantomime, the first one of which was staged in 1961.
1960s Pantomime
Oral history of Dame Catford
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Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
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Photo by Kevin Ireland
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
During the 70s and 80s, Lewisham Concert Hall as it was then called, was in its prime as one of the top touring venues in London for a wide variety of live performance, not just theatre. The range of performance forms and differences in technology meant that working in the theatre in those days was very different from today.
1970s and 80s A touring venue
Oral history of Martin Costello
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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Some of the biggest names in popular music and comedy performed at Lewisham Theatre. To browse the full archive of The Broadway Theatre’s poster archive, click here.
1970s and 80s The Big Names
Oral history of Martin Costello
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Photo courtesy of The Broadway Theatre Archive.
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The theatre became less popular as a touring venue as live performance became increasingly reliant on sound and light technology, and complicated rigging. However, the growth of Lewisham’s diverse communities brought a new cultural market for black comedy.
1980s New audiences
Oral history of Martin Costello
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Photo courtesy of Lewisham Youth Theatre
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Photo by Warren King
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Photo by Warren King
In 2002 Queen Elizabeth II visited Catford as part of her Silver Jubilee and reopened the theatre after a major refurbishment, echoing her father who opened the building as Lewisham Concert Hall some 70 years before. She renamed the theatre the Broadway Theatre. The account of her visit formed the opening scene of Catford Tales in 2015.
2002 The Queen’s Visit
Oral history of Martin Costello and Reverend Canon Charles Pickstone
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Photo by Kevin Ireland
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Photo by Kevin Ireland
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Photo by Warren King
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Photo by Kevin Ireland
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Photo by Warren King
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Photo by Warren King
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Photo by Warren King
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Photo by Warren King
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Photo by Kevin Ireland
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Photo by Kevin Ireland
Since 2001, the Broadway Theatre has been home to Lewisham Youth Theatre. In 2013, they began a heritage project in which the young members researched in the archives, collected audio interviews and used their own experiences of Catford to develop an epic site specific, intergenerational verbatim performance starting in the Broadway Theatre and moving around several locations in Catford.
2015 Catford Tales
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