The most recent major project completed was the construction of the Sprague Terrace; named after the theatre architect W G R Sprague who designed five of the theatres in the Delfont Mackintosh group and inspired by drawings he made of a never-realised design for a roof garden for Wyndham’s Theatre. It now connects the front of house areas of the Sondheim and Gielgud theatres as an impressive versatile, multi-configuration event space. These works, and their ongoing conservation to the highest possible standards, are testament to Cameron’s passion for, and major financial contribution to, the guardianship of his theatres, giving audiences and artists an unparalleled theatrical experience and providing an outstanding legacy for generations of theatregoers to come.
Following Bernard’s death in 1994, First Leisure, under the chairmanship of Michael Grade, decided to divest its theatre interests and Cameron secured complete ownership of DMT in 1999. In the same year, Cameron successfully bid for the 150-year leasehold interest in the Shaftesbury Avenue block that incorporated the Gielgud and Queen’s Theatres (subsequently renaming the latter the Sondheim in 2019, after his friend and colleague, the incomparable musical theatre composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, on completion of a multi-million pound restoration, re-instating Sprague’s intentions to the 1940 bomb-damaged auditorium and front-of-house areas) and three years later he purchased the freehold from Christ’s Hospital at the suggestion of John Gale. By 2006, following the conclusion of the operating leases held by Really Useful Theatres (now LW Theatres), both the Queen’s and the Gielgud had become fully part of the DMT group. Also in 1999, freeholders Gascoyne Holdings (part of the Salisbury Family Trust) arranged a new 125-year lease with Cameron for the Albery (now the Noël Coward) and Wyndham’s Theatres with DMT taking over the operation of these two theatres from Ambassador Theatre Group (and previously Mayfair Entertainment, the entertainment group of Chesterfield
Most recently, in 2014, DMT acquired the Victoria Palace Theatre from Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen. Before its reopening in 2017 with the European premiere of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize-winning production, Hamilton, this beautiful Frank Matcham theatre was magnificently restored and enlarged. Similarly, since 1992, Cameron has commissioned, masterminded and curated a programme of major restoration and refurbishment throughout the portfolio, investing a total of approximately £250 million, and combining beautiful renovation with twenty-first century comfort at all eight theatres. Of particular note, the auditoria and public spaces of four of the theatres (Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, Sondheim and Victoria Palace) have been completely re-constructed, honouring and reinstating the intentions of the original architects as much as possible.
Properties which later became Associated Capital Theatres) in September 2005.
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