Crouch End, today, provides no obvious evidence that it was once the location of a theatre. You won’t see a huge auditorium that has been through various incarnations such as cinema, bingo hall, or space used for worship. The evidence is there though, at 31 Tottenham Lane nestled in amongst the shop units. The restored semi-circular glass window is recognisable from old images and a new glass canopy echoes the structure that previously covered the whole pavement.
Another in our series on Church buildings which have changed their function.
This small but distinctive building in Tottenham Lane, Crouch End N8, is easily missed, squeezed between the blocks of apartments towering on either side of it. But this unusual building has stood here, its exterior appearance virtually unchanged, for nearly 110 years. So, what is its history?
Sunday, 17th May, was the centenary of Frank Matcham’s death, probably the most creative theatre architect the UK has produced. He was responsible for designing 150 spectacular buildings all over the country, of which 26 survive. For nine years, between 1895 and 1904, he lived at 10 Hazelmere Road, Crouch End. In November 2007, actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales unveiled an English Heritage Blue Plaque to Matcham on the house.