The Alexandra, commonly known as the Alex, is a theatre on Suffolk Queensway in Birmingham, England. Construction of the theatre commenced in 1900 and was completed in 1901.

Venue: The Alexandra
Town: Birmingham, GB
Capacity: 1,347

The Alexandra, commonly known as the Alex, is a theatre on Suffolk Queensway in Birmingham, England. Construction of the theatre commenced in 1900 and was completed in 1901. The architects were Owen & Ward and the theatre was opened on 27 May 1901 as the Lyceum Theatre on John Bright Street. Initially it attracted few theatre goers and it was decided to bring in a star. For ten weeks from the middle of June 1901 Harry Arthur Saintsbury trod the boards as the theatre's leading man, playing in costume dramas. As a result of disappointingly low returns the new theatre was sold to Lester Collingwood for £4,000, who renamed it the Alexandra Theatre on 22 December 1902. Collingwood was killed in a road traffic accident in 1910 and was succeeded by Leon Salberg. The Salberg family ran the theatre from 1911 to 1977. Under Leon Salberg, the Alex was famous for its pantomimes such as Mother Goose. The theatre was rebuilt with a fine Art Deco auditorium in 1935 to a design by Roland Satchwell. Leon Salberg died in his office at the theatre in 1938 and his son Derek took over the running of the theatre. Leon's ghost is said to inhabit the theatre. Other ghostly sightings include that by a cleaner of a woman dressed in grey in 1987. Following World War II, the theatre became well patronised by the local population - in 1950 85% of season ticket holders lived within the boundaries of Birmingham. Although the main entrance was originally situated on John Bright Street, a new main entrance block was built on Suffolk Street between 1967-1969 to a design by the John Madin Design Group, with a wide bridge linking the two - from the inside, the appearance is that of a single building. In 1978, Derek Salberg published his autobiography, My Love Affair with a Theatre, with a foreword written by Laurence Olivier. The theatre currently seats 1,371 and hosts a busy programme of touring drama, West End shows and stand-up comedy. It was the home of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company between 1990