such as Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. The early part of 1956 saw the arrival of Anouilh's popular comedy, The Waltz of the Toreadors, with impressive performances by Hugh Griffith and Beatrix Lehmann. In the 1970s, the Criterion site was proposed for redevelopment, which caused protest, as people feared the theatre would be lost. In February 1975, the GLC Planning Committee approved the development on the condition that the theatre continued in "full, continuous and uninterrupted use" while the redevelopments took place. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s the argument increased, and the Equity Save London's Theatre Committee organised high-profile demonstrations (campaigners included John Gielgud, Marius Goring, Edward Woodward, Diana Rigg, Robert Morley and Prunella Scales) as they feared that the theatre would still be lost. In the 1980s, the theatre building was purchased by Robert Bourne, a property tycoon and patron of the arts, and his wife, theatre impresario Sally Greene. The couple set up the Criterion Theatre Trust, a registered charity created to protect the Criterion's future. From 1989 to 1992 the theatre was renovated both in the back and front of the house. During that time, the block that exists today was built around it. After the refurbishment, the Criterion retains a well-preserved Victorian auditorium with an intimate atmosphere. Major productions in the last two decades of the century included Tom Foolery (1980–1981), Can't Pay? Won't Pay! (1981–1983), and the long-running Run for Your Wife (1983–1989). Recent years From 1996 to 2005, the theatre was home to productions of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, notably The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). From 2006 to 2015, the Criterion hosted the long-running melodrama The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow from John Buchan's 1915 novel, which was adapted for film by Alfred Hitchcock (1935). In 2016 Mischief Theatre's The Comedy About a Bank Robbery opened. It played its final performance on 15 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a year later, the musical Amélie opened on 20 May 2021 running until 25 September 2021. Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) followed, playing from 15 October 2021 to 6 February 2022. 2:22 A Ghost Story opened on 10 May 2022 and ran until 8 January 2023. The Unfriend is set to open on 17 January 2023. Notable productions Fresh Fields (January 1933 – February 1934) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (March 1996 – April 2005) The