Who Built The Savoy?

The Savoy Theatre was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte who was a British impresario. It was designed by C.J. Phipps and built by Patman and Fotheringham firm while the decoration part was taken care of by Collinson and Locke. The theatre opened on 10th October 1881 and was the first of its kind in the whole world to be lit entirely by electricity.  

The theatre is on three levels and has a seating capacity of 1250 people. The stage is huge with a 60feet width and 52 feet depth. The first performance to be held in this theatre was Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera 'Patience'.
Carte's son Rupert closed the theatre in 1929 to rebuild it completely with a much smaller stage.

In 1990 when the theatre was undergoing another round of renovation, it caught fire. However, it was restored completely under the able guidance of architect Sir William Whitfield. It reopened on 19 July 1993. Later in 1993, the World Chess Championship that was won by Garry Kasparov was held here. The Savoy is currently owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group with large scale musical events to be the main feature in the future.