When it opened on 15^th October 1881, the Harold Pinter Theatre was known as the Royal Comedy Theatre – the original plan had been to call it either the Lyric Theatre or Alexandra Theatre. Prior to its construction, the streets between Leicester Square and the Haymarket had suffered from a somewhat sleazy reputation. Built by Kirk and Randall of Woolwich, the theatre was designed by Thomas Verity, and built on a plot of land owned by J H Addison. Reporters praised the theatre’s design in terms of safety, having a minimum of corridors, fireproof staircases and access/egress into both Panton Street and Oxendon Street.

The theatre exterior is designed in the classical tradition. The original interiors were decorated in Renaissance style, with a white & gold colour scheme with maroon plush. The theatre was originally intended to operate with electric lighting, but first opened with gas lighting still in place. The theatre originally contained 14 boxes either side of the proscenium and a stalls pit (the rear section of today’s stalls) with bench seating. The theatre originally held around 1,100 and was constructed in just six months. Today, the capacity is nearer 800. 

The Royal Comedy Theatre was original conceived as a home for comic opera, placing it in direct competition with the Savoy Theatre which had opened just five days earlier. The theatre opened as the Royal Comedy, although ‘Royal’ was dropped from its name within the first few years when it became apparent that no royal approval had been granted for the name. By 1884, the theatre was simply known as the Comedy Theatre.

The theatre was first leased to Alexander Henderson, who had contributed some design ideas to architect Thomas Verity. Henderson appointed Lionel Brough as Director and Auguste van Biene as Musical Director for his new project. Their first production was Edmond Audran’s ‘opéra comique’ La Mascotte, adapted for English audiences by Robert Reece and H B Farnie. Several more Farnie adaptations followed, including Suppé’s Baccaccio, Planqette’s Rip Van Winkle and Chassaigne’s Falka. A final operetta in 1885, Erminie, starred actor/manager Violet Melnotte. In the same year, the theatre’s lease passed to Melnotte herself. 

Melnotte presented plays, as well as more comic operas, several of which she starred in, and plays including The Silver Shield and Sister Mary. In 1887, Melnotte sub-let the theatre to actor Herbert Beerbohm Tree, in what would become his first management venture, and then to Charles Hawtrey (not to be confused with Carry On film actor who assumed the same name) who produced a number of plays and farces.

By 1893, Joseph Comyns Carr had taken over as theatre manager, a position he held for several years, producing a number of plays, including The Professor’s Love Story by J M Barrie and Mr Martin, a play written by Comyns Carr himself.

A season of light comedies followed, after which, in 1898, William Greet took over the theatre, presenting a musical comedy, Milord Sir Smith. Productions of A Lady of Quality and Great Caesar followed, bringing the century to a close.

As the 20^th Century began, the Comedy Theatre became the home for a mix of Shakespeare and several avant-garde plays, along with a successful run of Monsieur Beaucaire, enjoying 430 performances and a Christmas season of Alice Through the Looking Glass.

In 1905, John Barrymore made his London stage debut here in The Dictator. Other notable appearances in the first decade of the new century included Gerald du Maurier in Raffles and several performances by Marie Tempest.

The final production prior to the outbreak of war in 1914 was Peg o’ My Heart which ran for over 700 performances.

During the First World War, the theatre gained a reputation for presenting successful and long-running reviews by C B Cochran (Half-past Eight) and André Charlot (This and That, See-Saw!, Bubbly and Tails Up!).

In the roaring twenties, Marie Tempest appeared here once again, in Alice Sit By The Fire. Other productions included Charlie’s Aunt, Desperate Lovers and The Joker.

The 1930s saw a young Laurence Olivier appear here in November Afternoon opposite his first wife, Jill Esmond. They would go on to appear together again in Notices.

In 1939, the theatre presented Room For Two and in 1941, the appropriately named Rise Above It starring Wilfrid Hyde White and Hermione Gingold. The theatre remained open during much of World War 2, providing much needed entertainment for a weary population.

In 1945, Joan Hickson appeared here in See How They Run. The decade ended with a production of the play On Monday Next with a cast including Leslie Phillips – famous for his upper class “Ding Dong” catchphrase and the voice of the sorting hat in Harry Potter.

In the 1950s, major reconstruction of the theatre took place, with the theatre re-opening in December 1955 (although today’s auditorium is still largely the 1881 original with three horseshoe balconies above the stalls).

In 1956, tiring of censorship, producer Anthony Field established the New Watergate Club here to circumvent the Lord Chamberlain’s office, which still prohibited certain performances from being staged. By operating as a private member’s club, over the following decade, the theatre was able to stage productions of Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge, Robert Anderson’s Tea and Sympathy, and Tennessee Williams’ Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. It was the arrival of these clubs which began to see censorship ease, allowing a two year run of Peter Shaffer’s Five Finger Exercise here, and ultimately, to end censorship completely in the following decade.

Before that, in the late 1950s, Maggie Smith made her West End debut here in musical revue Share my Lettuce alongside Kenneth Williams in what would begin a legendary showbusiness friendship.