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

Chisenhale Gallery

Chisenhale Gallery

A non-profit contemporary art gallery. It focuses on a programme of commissioned exhibitions, offsite projects and events, film screenings and talks. Our photograph shows a performance at the gallery.

Place, Art, Dance

1 memorial
Dame Marie Rambert

Dame Marie Rambert

Ballet dancer who had a great influence on ballet in Britain. Born Cyvia Ramberg in Poland. Arrived in England in 1914. Married Ashley Dukes in 1918, a marriage which lasted until his death. Founde...

Person, Dance, Poland

2 memorials
Ruthie Henshall

Ruthie Henshall

Actor, dancer and singer. Born in Bromley as Valentine Ruth Henshall. She has appeared in many west end productions, including 'Cats', 'Chicago' and 'Les Miserables'. Nominated five times for an Ol...

Person, Dance, Music / songs, Theatre

1 memorial
Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova

Born St. Petersburg, Russia (on 31 January according to the calendar in use at the time).  In 1909 she went to Paris with the Ballets Russes tour. Moved permanently to London in 1912 and lived at I...

Person, Dance, Seriously Famous, Netherlands, Russia

2 memorials
Baroness Betty Boothroyd, O.M., P.C.

Baroness Betty Boothroyd, O.M., P.C.

Betty Boothroyd was born on 8 October 2023 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, the daughter of Ben Archibald Boothroyd (1886-1948) and Mary Boothroyd née Butterfield (1901-1982).  In the 1939 England and...

Person, Dance, Politics & Administration, USA

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Lyell & Gladstone

Lyell & Gladstone

W1, Harley Street, 73

LCC In a house on this site lived from 1854 - 1875, Sir Charles Lyell, geologist and from 1876 - 1882, W.E. Gladstone, statesman.

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Fred Haines

Fred Haines

We can find nothing about Haines, who died not long before 20th April 2001.

Person, Friend / family

1 memorial