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

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
Trinity Laban

Trinity Laban

Music and dance conservatoire based in Greenwich. It was formed with the amalgamation of the Trinity College of Music and the Laban Dance Centre.

Place, Dance, Music / songs

1 memorial
Marie Taglioni

Marie Taglioni

Ballet dancer. Born Stockholm to an Italian father and Swedish mother, both in the dancing world. From an early age she lived around Europe. First appeared in London in 1829. She was aclaimed in he...

Person, Dance, France, Italy, Sweden

1 memorial
Anya Sainsbury

Anya Sainsbury

Former ballerina. Born Anya Linden. She studied at the Royal Ballet School under Sir Frederick Ashton and others. She and her husband Sir John Sainsbury, established the Linbury Trust, which offers...

Person, Benefactor, Dance

1 memorial
Roy Castle OBE

Roy Castle OBE

All round entertainer. Born Yorkshire.  Died at home at Gerrards Cross of lung cancer, although he was not a smoker.  Before his death he campaigned for more research into cancer and the campaign c...

Person, Dance, Humour, Music / songs, TV & Radio

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Chelsea Embankment - Albert Bridge

Chelsea Embankment - Albert Bridge

SW3, Chelsea Embankment, Albert Bridge Gardens

The lamp standard is one of a pair, the other being at Chelsea Old Church see there for some more information. The metal plaque is laid i...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
F. Abnett
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
2nd County of London (Westminster Dragoons)
1 memorial
Albert Bruce-Joy

Albert Bruce-Joy

Sculptor. Born Dublin. Exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1866. His prolific output includes busts in Westminster Abbey.

Person, Sculpture, Ireland

1 memorial
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