. ▁ ▁English ▁Heritage , ▁in ▁its ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁theatre ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁given ▁listed ▁status ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁notes ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁" ex uber ant ▁Free ▁Bar o que ▁am bit ious ▁design , ▁the ▁Edward ian ▁" The atre ▁de ▁Lux e ▁of ▁London " ▁with ▁rich ly ▁decor ated ▁inter iors ▁and ▁a ▁vast ▁and ▁grand io se ▁aud itor ium ." ▁The ▁description ▁continues : ▁" L av ish ▁fo yer ▁and ▁circul ation ▁areas ▁with ▁mar ble ▁fac ings , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁vast ▁ 3 - t ier ▁aud itor ium ▁with ▁wealth ▁of ▁ec lect ic ▁classical ▁detail ▁of ▁By z antine ▁op ul ence , ▁some ▁mot ifs ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁squ at ▁columns ▁div iding ▁the ▁lowest ▁tier ▁of ▁s lip ▁boxes , ▁backing ▁the ▁st alls , ▁almost ▁S ull iv anes que ; ▁pairs ▁of ▁ 2 - t ier ed ▁bow ▁front ed ▁boxes ▁with ▁dom ed ▁can op ies ▁at ▁gallery ▁level ▁and ▁semi - dom ed , ▁I onic - column ed ▁pairs ▁of ▁ 2 ▁tier ed ▁or chestra ▁boxes , ▁contained ▁in ▁arch ed ▁and ▁ped iment ed ▁frames ▁sur mount ed ▁by ▁sculpt ural ▁groups ▁with ▁l ion - dra wn ▁ch ari ots . ▁Great , ▁semi - circ ular , ▁blocked ▁arch it ra ve ▁pro sc enium ▁arch ▁with ▁cart ou che - ▁tro phy ▁ke yst one ." ▁ ▁The ▁inaug ural ▁performance ▁was ▁a ▁variety