Riverside Studios began life as an industrial building in the 1800s. In 1903, it was bought by GWYNNE’S ENGINEERING CO, a firm manufacturing water pumps. The company was taken over by Foster & Co, developers of the first tanks, in 1927, and they moved the whole operation to Lincoln in 1930.
The TRIUMPH FILM COMPANY
bought the factory in 1933
beginning a long tradition of
film and television
production at Riverside.
Triumph transformed the
engineering works into two
large film studios to break
into the latest fad – talking
pictures.
By 1934, Triumph was in full production. The
first film made at Riverside was THE DOUBLE
EVENT, a risqué comedy. The first major
success for the studios came in 1937 with
THE BEAUTY AND THE BARGE starring the
young Jack Hawkins and Margaret
Rutherford. The film’s success, however,
didn’t stop the studios from halting
production a year later.
For two years the studios were leased for the production of 'QUOTO QUICKIES', low-budget films designed as 'B' features to fulfil the statutory minimum proportion of British-made material that was shown in UK cinemas.
In 1939, the studios were bought by JACK
BUCHANAN, a song and dance man of the
20's and 30's. In 1940, with the war raging,
Riverside was busier than ever. The first
wartime film produced was the comedy
TILLY OF BLOOMSBURY. The studios were
bursting with projects and well-known stars
of the day.
In 1946, Sydney and Muriel Box produced
one of the greatest commercial successes
in British film-making history at Riverside –
THE SEVENTH VEIL – starring Ann Todd,
Herbert Lom and James Mason. Rank, the
distributors, were worried about its success
because of the unusual nature of the story.
But THE SEVENTH VEIL filled cinemas
continuously for 10 years.
The late 1940's saw many studios closing
down, and Riverside was facing financial
difficulty. The over-run on filming of the
Gothic drama DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS in
1948 proved to be its downfall. Over the
next five years filming at Riverside was
sporadic. The last film made at Riverside
was FATHER BROWN, in 1954, starring
Alec Guinness.
As the cameras stopped rolling on FATHER
BROWN in 1954, the BBC were knocking at
the door. In the same year they bought
Riverside and began a renovation process
that would make it a jewel in the BBC
television crown for 15 years.
Riverside was hailed as the finest television
centre in the world. It was here that some
of the earliest experiments with colour were
filmed and broadcast. The BBC also started
to use the recording theatre as a dubbing
theatre, as it had previously been used as
a scoring stage by RCA to record music in
stereo for some of the early CinemaScope
films. THE CRUEL SEA was just one such
film dubbed here.
The studios were officially launched in 1956,
and the QUEEN MOTHER visited the studios
shortly afterwards on 29 March 1957. She
had specifically requested to see the first
colour film shot by the BBC called "MEN,
WOMEN AND CLOTHES".
The studios went on to film entertainment for a generation and the show list reads like a who’s who! QUARTERMASS II was filmed here and the first alien pod opening on the river bed was shot from the terrace.
HANCOCK'S HALF HOUR, the famous
comedy show loved by a generation, was
filmed at Riverside. A comic genius, Tony
Hancock really became the first TV
superstar earning £750 per episode. His
partner in the show, Syd James, had
appeared in several films made at Riverside
including FATHER BROWN.
Several drama series were
filmed at Riverside
throughout the BBC’s
residence. Episodes of the
first five series of DR WHO,
starring William Hartnell and
Patrick Troughton, were
filmed here, and it is said
that Dr Who shared his
police box Tardis with DIXON
OF DOCK GREEN, also shot
at the studios. Z CARS, the
long-running crime series,
had its home here, and like
many shows of the day, it
was broadcast live, as the
cost of videotape editing
was prohibitive.
Alongside drama and comedy, music was a
staple of the BBC’s output at Riverside. In
1957, THE SIX-FIVE SPECIAL became the
first ever British music television show, as
well as the first programme to fill BBC’s
‘Toddlers Truce’, a gap in broadcasting from
6-7pm, and the only show on TV for
teenagers. DRUMBEAT in 1959 launched the
careers of Adam Faith and Joe Brown,
SHOWBAND PARADE featured stars like
Max Bygraves and the Beverley Sisters,
and the ground-breaking OLD GREY
WHISTLE TEST was recorded here in the
early 70's.
But it was the 60's that saw the heyday of
music shows at Riverside, with TOP OF THE
POPS and the lesser-known OPEN HOUSE
boasting The Beatles and The Rolling
Stones as guests in 1964 and 1965. Would
anyone have guessed that TOP OF THE
POPS
would return 40 years later?
By the early 1970's, the BBC had opened their new studios
at Shepherd’s Bush and Riverside became surplus to
requirements. PLAYSCHOOL was one of the last and
longest running shows regularly filmed at
the Studios with Prince Andrew and Viscount Linley
even coming along to celebrate the 500th episode. But
Riverside’s connection with film and television didn’t end
with the BBC moving out. In the mid-1980’s, the Riverside
Trust made a formal decision to hire out Studio 2 for
television and film production.
THE BIKO INQUEST, directed by and starring Albert Finney, was filmed at Riverside in 1984 by Channel 4. Throughout the 80’s and early 90’s, the studios were used to film a range of arts, dance and cultural programmes.
The purpose-built CINEMA
opened in 1987 and
immediately established
itself as one of London’s
leading repertory
programmes. Now the last
wholly repertory
programme in the capital,
famous for its double bills
and international festivals,
the cinema at Riverside
continues to be one of the
best in the UK.
In 1995 the award-winning
TFI FRIDAY made Riverside its
regular home. More recently
TOP OF THE POPS and
RE:COVERED have been
filmed here, echoing the
youth music shows of the
1960's.
In 1975, Hammersmith Borough Council set
up an independent trust to run Riverside
Studios as a Community Arts Centre. Local
resident and well-known playwright and
theatre director PETER GILL was appointed
as the first director.
During 1975 and 1978 the building underwent major refurbishment. While it was waiting to open, Riverside ran a series of short festivals in 1976 and 1977. During the three month festival in 1977 over 15,000 people visited the studios and 1,250 artists performed or rehearsed here.
The Studios opened properly
in 1978 with Peter Gill’s
acclaimed production of THE
CHERRY ORCHARD, closely
followed by THE
CHANGELING. These two
plays, along with Alec
McGowans’ reading of
St Mark’s Gospel which went
on to the West End, brought
Riverside national and
international recognition.
These productions were
only part of what Riverside
was about. It offered
audiences a diverse and
varied programme of dance,
music, workshops and
experimental and foreign
theatre. COMMUNITY
EDUCATION for both adults
and children was at the
heart of what Riverside was
doing right from the start.
The Studios produced many critically
acclaimed productions starring well-known
actors and directors throughout the
late-70's and 80's. These included
TREETOPS written by Nicholas Wright,
MEASURE FOR MEASURE starring Michael
Elphick, and A MOON FOR THE
MISBEGOTTEN starring FRANCES DE LA
TOUR which transferred to Broadway.
Riverside has also played
host to internationally-
acclaimed visiting companies
both from home and abroad.
Audiences have seen visiting
productions from companies
like TENJOSAJIKI COMPANY
from Japan, TEATR CRICOT 2,
THE BERLINER ENSEMBLE,
THE WOOSTER GROUP and
DARIO FO.
Some of the greatest actors of the 1980's
and 90's have played at Riverside. Kenneth
Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company
presented TWELTH NIGHT and Alan Rickman
performed HAMLET. A SAMUEL BECKETT
season was produced in 1986, which
included Billie Whitelaw appearing in a
series of plays written specially for her by
Beckett, and KRAPP’S LAST TAPE starring
David Warrilow.
Riverside has developed relationships with
some of the most innovative, experimental
and controversial theatre companies of the
recent past. THEATRE DE COMPLICITE first
performed at Riverside in 1990 with their
production of THE VISIT. They have since
returned with THE THREE LIVES OF LUCIE
CABROL. Most recently Complicite have
performed their award-winning, and many
say life-altering, show MNEMONIC.
Riverside has also hosted plays by groups
like GRAEAE THEATRE COMPANY, who
challenge the stereotypes of disability
within the theatre, and from its earliest
days, productions by the BLACK THEATRE
COOPERATIVE.
Many young writers and
artists have been given an
opportunity to launch and
develop their careers by
Riverside’s policy of nurturing
new talent. HANIF KURESHI,
STEPHEN BARLOW, LE
CIRQUE IMAGINAIRE and
MICHAEL CLARK all fall in to
this bracket.
Riverside has always been a multi-purpose
venue and has provided an important
stage for dance, the visual arts, music and
comedy.
DANCE UMBRELLA was launched at Riverside in 1978 and has now grown into Europe’s largest annual dance festival. Over the years the work of choreographers like MERCE CUNNINGHAM and ROSEMARY BUTCHER has featured in the programme. Dance companies have ranged from the established BALLET RAMBERT to the experimental AMICI DANCE AND THEATRE COMPANY.
The Visual Arts programme began when the
studios opened and continued as a gallery
right up until 1994. Many acclaimed artists
have shown at Riverside including NICK DANZIGER, YOKO ONO, ANTHONY GORMLEY,
and DAVID HOCKNEY, as well as local and
less well-known artists.
Music has always played an important part in Riverside’s programme. Every taste has been catered for over the years. The Studios have hosted productions of operas, jazz festivals, rock musicians and classical chamber music. In 1984, FACTORY RECORDS held a week of 'premieres', featuring concerts and exhibitions, while THE DIVINE COMEDY launched their last album with two dates here.
And comedy has been represented regularly
over the years, with the CHANNEL 4 SITCOM FESTIVAL and the LONDON COMEDY FESTIVAL through the 90's, and the annual
Edinburgh Festival warmup season SPLIT YOUR RIVERSIDES. Many famous comedians
have entertained audiences here including
LENNY HENRY, EDDIE IZZARD, JO BRAND,
JACK DEE and the outrageous JULIAN CLARY.
In 1993, WILLIAM BURDETT-COUTTS, the
current director, took over and a new
phase in Riverside's history began. The
Studios faced an uncertain future, with
serious financial problems. To overcome
this, a hires policy was introduced and
television was brought back to the venue on a
regular basis. In 1995, Studio 1 was
occupied by Channel 4 for their award
winning show TFI FRIDAY.
The studios went dark between April and
September 1994 to allow for refurbishment.
It was at this time that the now familiar
glass front and reception area were
created. Riverside Studios reopened with
a programme that included TWYLA THARP
and Seven Streams of the River Ota by
ROBERT LEPAGE.
In recent years it has staged some of the most important international and new domestic theatre, including The Wrestling School written by HOWARD BARKER, Cloudstreet by COMPANY B, To You, The Birdie! by THE WOOSTER GROUP and BECKETT'S Happy Days.
Today Riverside is unique – a truly internationalist venue,
and still the only place in the
UK where the best
contemporary theatre, film
and television sit alongside
one another.
FROM FACTORY TO FILM STUDIO| 1. | | Gwynnes Pump Factory |
| 2. | | The Beauty and the Barge, 1937 starring Jack Hawkins |
| 3. | | The Double Event, 1934 featuring the stage stars of the day including Jane Baxter, Ruth Taylor, and Alexander Field. |
A SUCCESSFUL STUDIO
| 1. | | James Mason in The Seventh Veil |
| 2. | | James Mason and Muriel Box in The Seventh Veil |
| 3. | | Jean Gillie "The British Ginger Rogers" and Michael Dennison starred in Tilly of Bloomsbury |
| 4. | | Daughter of Darkness starring Anne Crawford and Honor Blackman |
THE FINEST TELEVISION CENTRE IN THE WORLD| 1. | | Father Brown made at Riverside and on location in Europe, starred Alec Guinness |
| 2. | | The Batwing |
| 3. | | Early BBC colour testcard |
| 4. | | The Queen Mum visits Riverside in 1957 |
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
| 1. | | Dixon of Dock Green |
| 2. | | Hancock's Half Hour |
| 3. | | The Old Grey Whistle Test was filmed at the studios in the early 1970's |
FILM AND TELEVISION RIGHT UP TO DATE| 1. | | The programme from the Biko Inquest performed and filmed for TV |
| 2. | | Top of the Pops filmed recently at Riverside |
| 3. | | TFI Friday filmed recently at Riverside |
| 4. | | Ed Lewis programmed the cinema from its opening in 1987 to his untimely death in 2003 |
ARTS FOR ALL
| 1. | | Woza Albert, a production by the Market Theatre Company from Johannesburg in 1982 |
| 2. | | A scene from The Cherry Orchard, 1978, starring Elenor Bron |
| 3. | | The Ludus Dance in Education group running a children's workshop |
OUTSTANDING THEATRE| 1. | | Samuel Beckett at Riverside in 1986 |
| 2. | | Frances de la Tour and Alan Devlin in A Moon for the Misbegotten, 1983 |
| 3. | | Directions to Servants Poster 1990 |
A LAUNCH PAD FOR TALENT
| 1. | | Michael Clark, choreographer and dancer |
| 2. | | Theatre de Complicite's production of Mnemonic |
| 3. | | Theatre de Complicite's production of The Three lives of Lucie Cabrol |
| 4. | | Michael Clarke, choreographer and dancer |
NOT JUST ABOUT THEATRE| 1. | | Rosemary Butcher, choreographer and dancer |
| 2. | | The catalogue cover for Yoko Ono's show or Edward Munch |
| 3. | | Julian Clary |
| 4. | | Jo Brand |
RIVERSIDE TODAY
| 1. | | Cloudstreet by Company B went on to the West End |
| 2. | | The Wooster Group performing To You, The Birdie! |
| 3. | | The new look foyer after the reopening in 1994 |