Duff House, St John's Wood

Duff House, located at forty-three A Acacia Road in Saint John's Wood, occupies a distinct place in London history that bears no relation to the famous Georgian mansion in Scotland. This site began its life in the nineteenth century as a private school, which operated for several decades before being repurposed for various community roles in the early twentieth century. During the First World War, the building served as a training center for the Young Women's Christian Association, and later it functioned as a regional headquarters for the Girl Guides. Its most notable transformation, however, arrived in the mid-twentieth century when the actor Bernard Miles purchased the property. He converted a large assembly hall at the rear of the house into the original Mermaid Theatre. This space hosted groundbreaking theatrical performances, including a production of Shakespeare that featured a replica of the Globe Theatre stage, a design element that was considered a radical innovation for commercial playhouses in London at the time.