Theatreland Timeline

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Sophie Brown
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1 Theatreland Timeline 1576 London s first playhouse The Theatre was built. Prior to this, plays had been performed in ad hoc venues such as courtyards, inn-yards or spacious private homes.

2 1587 The Rose Theatre opened on Bankside. It was in use until 1606 when it disappeared from the records. Plays by Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Kyd and William Shakespeare were all performed there The first Globe Theatre opened on the South Bank. It was led by Richard Burbage who established himself as the first of London s great actor/impresarios.

3 1599 In this year the first indoor Jacobean theatre, the Blackfriars Theatre also came into regular use. Unlike the Globe it was an enclosed, roofed building. The Sam Wannamaker Playhouse, the first recreated indoor Jacobean Theatre in London, opens at Shakespeare s Globe in January Pochahontas and Tomocomo were performed for King Charles I at the old Banqueting House in Whitehall Palace at a performance of Ben Jonson s masque The Vision of Delight.

4 1640s & 50s During the English Civil War theatres were closed. This was partly because of Puritan objections but mainly because they were places of political unrest. 1660s After the English Civil War King Charles II wanted to bring back theatre. He created a new job Master of the Revels responsible for the licensing of all forms of public entertainment and able to grant Royal Patents to perform theatre legitimately. The first of these were given to Thomas Killigrew and Sir William Davenant.

5 1663 The first West End venue opened on Drury Lane, built by Thomas Killigrew under Royal Patent. It was the first of four theatres on the same site this is now the Theatre Royal Drury Lane Sir Thomas Davenant opened a private theatre in Rutland House in the City of London with his Royal Patent. His theatre exploits eventually led to the establishment of the Theatre Royal Covent Garden in 1674 this is now the Royal Opera House.

6 1720 The Little Theatre on the Hay was built the precursor to the Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatrical Licensing Act 1737 was passed. This meant that the Lord Chamberlain held exclusive powers to license theatres and all new plays. It also limited spoken drama in theatres. Some companies found ingenious ways of getting around the Act by presenting what is now called variety or musical theatre.

7 1788 The Theatrical Representations Act 1788 was passed. Local magistrates were allowed to license occasional performances for periods of up to 60 days The Theatre Regulation Act 1843 came into force. This restricted the powers of the Lord Chamberlain, so that he could only ban plays where it is fitting for the preservation of good manners, decorum or of the public peace so to do. It also gave additional powers to local authorities to license theatres. This saw the rise of pub theatres and music halls.

8 1853 Away from Theatreland, Wilton s Music Hall was built by Jacob Maggs for John Wilton on the same site as the former concert room of the Prince of Denmark Public House (1828) in East London Also in East London, James Mortimer built Hoxton Hall with the specific object of affording the humbler classes an entertainment that shall combine instruction with amusement.

9 1874 The Criterion Theatre was designed and built by Thomas Verity, a Victorian entrepreneur. A year later Charles Wyndham joined as manager and lessee and established the theatre as one of the leading light comedy houses in London s West End On the outskirts of London, a private theatre opened at Normansfield in Teddington, an institution founded by Dr John Haydon Langdon-Down to educate and care for people with learning disabilities. This Grade II* theatre was intensively used for therapeutic and recreational purposes by residents and staff.

10 1891 The Royal English Opera House opened at Cambridge Circus London this is now known as the Palace Theatre Wyndham s Theatre, designed by W G Sprague was the first theatre to be built on Salisbury Estate lands, and was opened by the actor/ manager Charles Wyndham.

11 1910 The London Palladium opened on Boxing Day 1910 with the first grand variety bill The Theatres Act 1968 abolished censorship of the stage in the United Kingdom.

12 1976 The Theatres Trust Act 1976 created The Theatres Trust to promote the better protection of theatres, as many valuable theatres have been lost through demolition. As a statutory consultee in the planning system local authorities must seek the advice of the Trust on all theatre-related planning applications The Theatres Trust (Scotland) Act 1978 came into force, extending the remit of The Theatres Trust to Scotland.

13 Today The Theatres Trust works to ensure that current and future generations have access to good quality theatre buildings that reflect our cultural life and offer inspiring places to enjoy theatre. Our work includes helping to save theatre buildings at risk. The public can support our work by becoming Friends of The Theatres Trust.

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