A HISTORY OF DELFONT MACKINTOSH THEATRES
In the autumn of 1990 Cameron Mackintosh received a call from Bernard Delfont asking him if he might be interested in owning two theatres. Bernard had realized that his time and energy for the active management of his two London theatres, The Prince Edward and Prince of Wales, was coming to a close. Although the theatres were held by the First Leisure Corporation, the hugely successful public company that Bernard had created with the extraordinary Max Rayne, they were very much his personal passion and he knew they needed to be in the care of someone who felt as strongly as he did about their future. The proposal was that Cameron should have an opportunity to acquire an interest in the company that held these two theatres. A number of meetings were held to discuss the idea and a way forward was planned. Cameron agreed to take a position upon condition that the new joint venture would show its commitment to the revitalisation of these buildings by undertaking a major restoration and refurbishment of the Prince Edward Theatre. The principle was agreed and in February 1991 Cameron became a partner in the theatres.
A scheme was devised for the Prince Edward and works began on 7 September 1992. Meanwhile in July 1991 Cameron received another phone call! This time the call was from the then freeholder of the Strand, now the Novello, Theatre. The owner was considering selling the freehold interest and again wondered if Cameron might be the person to whom he should pass safe custody of the building. The theatre had eleven years to run on the existing lease to the then tenants, Louis I Michaels Ltd. Cameron immediately saw the benefit of such an acquisition and took the idea to First Leisure. Everyone agreed that it made good sense and the sale was made by the end of November 1991 at which time the theatre division was renamed Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Ltd.
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