The practice was established by Thomas Verity in 1871 when he won an open competition for the design of The Criterion, a theatre and restaurant complex in London’s Piccadilly Circus, for the caterers Spiers and Pond. Now a Grade II * listed building The Criterion continues as a leading west end theatre and the original restaurant is now Marco Pierre White’s Criterion Restaurant.
Thomas was then subsequently commissioned to design other London theatres including The Royal Comedy in Panton Street, The Pandora in Leicester Square, The Novelty in Great Queen Street, and The Royalty, Soho.
When Thomas’ son Frank joined the practice, they designed the splendid pavilion at Lords Cricket Ground (topped by the famous Old Father Time weather vane), and the Scala Theatre in Bloomsbury which, between 1911 and 1913, became a cinema screening Charles Urban’s Kinemacolour shows.
After Thomas’ death, Frank Verity retained the firm’s theatrical connections including designing the Theatre Royal, Windsor.
