In 1939, the London County Council bought the building, with plans to demolish it to make room for road improvement. The theatre closed that year with a landmark performance of "Hamlet" directed by Sir John Gielgud (Ellen Terry's great nephew). The road improvement plans collapsed, and after the war, in 1945, it was converted to a huge ballroom and reopened by Matthews and Sons, as the Lyceum Ballroom. The Miss World contest was staged at the venue every year from 1951 to 1968. Many big bands played here, including the Oscar Rabin Band which performed frequently. From the 1960s to the 1980s, the theatre was used as a pop concert venue and for television broadcasts. The Grateful Dead, The Groundhogs, The Clash, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Police, The Ramones, The Who, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, U2, Colosseum, The Smiths, Iron Maiden and Pink Floyd all played here. Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Live!" album was recorded here here on 18–19 July 1975. Genesis filmed a performance there in May 1980 for broadcast on the "Old Grey Whistle Test". This footage appears on the 2007 CD/DVD re-release of their 1980 album "Duke".