Group    From 1683 

Sadler's Wells Theatres

Categories: Dance, Theatre

From Sadler's Wells: Sadler’s Wells began with "the discovery of a mineral spring in 1683. Richard Sadler built a music house around the spring to rival the already fashionable Tunbridge and Epsom wells. By the beginning of the 18th century, visitors to Sadler’s Wells could see entertainments that included jugglers, tumblers, ropedancers, ballad singers, wrestlers, fighters, dancing dogs and even a singing duck."  In 1765 Thomas Rosoman had the theatre rebuilt. Over the years it was rebuilt a number of times and British History Online has images of some of its incarnations. 1862, the theatre was converted into a skating rink and then a cinema. It closed in 1915.

In 1925 Lilian Baylis, who had been running the Old Vic began fundraising to rebuild Sadler’s Wells as a sister theatre in North London. The new theatre opened on 6 January 1931. Reported to have been designed by Frank Matcham but he'd died in 1920 so it was his firm that designed the building shown in our image. Ninette de Valois was employed to stage dance productions at both theatres. Out of the Vic-Wells ballet company and school grew the Royal Ballet, and the Royal Ballet School. After 4 years Baylis decided that ballet and opera would be concentrated at Sadler's Wells. 1994 the theatre was reconstructed again, as a purpose-built dance theatre.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sadler's Wells Theatres

Commemorated ati

Lilian Baylis - SW9

Lilian Baylis, 1874 - 1937, manager of the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells Theatre...

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New Sadler's Wells Theatre

The Lilian Baylis tree was replanted on the 4th March 1996 in the presence of...

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Other Subjects

Jessie Matthews, OBE

Jessie Matthews, OBE

Actor, singer and dancer. Born into a large family in Berwick Street.  Made her name in theatre and in the 30's was Britain's favourite musical film star.  Post-war her career flagged but in 1963 s...

Person, Cinema, Dance, Music / songs, Theatre, TV & Radio

2 memorials
Darcey Bussell

Darcey Bussell

Ballerina. Dame Darcey Andrea Bussell, DBE was born Marnie Mercedes Darcey Pemberton Crittle in London. Spent some time in Australia as a child. Aged 20 became a principle dancer at the Royal Balle...

Person, Dance, Seriously Famous, Australia

2 memorials
Lydia Lopokova

Lydia Lopokova

Ballerina famous during the early 20th century. Born in Russian as Lidiya Vasilyevna Lopukhova. Trained at the Imperial Ballet School. Toured with the Ballets Russes in 1910, and rejoined them in 1...

Person, Dance, Russia

1 memorial
Peckham Shed

Peckham Shed

A theatre company run for children and young people aged five to seventeen years old. Originally set up by Chicken Shed, a similar theatre company based in Cockfosters.

Group, Art, Community / Clubs, Dance, Theatre

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Chiswick war memorial - Burlington Lane

Chiswick war memorial - Burlington Lane

W4, Burlington Lane

{Main monument:} Chiswick memorial of the Great War 1914 1918 Homes of rest for Chiswick disabled men of His Majesty's forces and their f...

3 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Hisanobu Niiro

Hisanobu Niiro

Became a student at UCL in 1865.

Person, Education, Japan

1 memorial
Lord Palumbo

Lord Palumbo

Created a life peer on 4 February 1991 as Baron Palumbo of Walbrook in the City of London.

Person, Property

7 memorials
Upper North Street school WW1 bomb

Upper North Street school WW1 bomb

This bomb was one of those dropped during the first daylight bombing attack on London by a fixed-wing aircraft. Prior to this the bombs had been dropped from Zeppelins. Just before noon the bomb br...

Event, Children, Tragedy

5 memorials
Greater London Council

Greater London Council

Replaced the LCC. The GLC was abolished, some say, because Mrs Thatcher could not abide its left-wing politics, nor its leader, Ken Livingstone.  On its 50th anniversary Diamond Geezer posted a goo...

Group, Politics & Administration

241 memorials