The Pavilion Theatre at 191–193

Whitechapel Road Whitechapel Road is a major arterial road in Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It is named after a small chapel of ease dedicated to St Mary and connects Whitechapel High Street to the west with Mile End Road to the east. ...

, London, was the first major theatre to open in London's East End. It was destroyed by fire in 1856 and rebuilt as the New Royal Pavilion Theatre, which operated until 1935.

History

The theatre was opened in 1827 on the site of a former factory, and was the first major theatre to open in London's East End. The first managers were William Wyatt and John Farrell. A September performance review. A December performance was to lead to a prosecution in January. The advert on 4 January. The management were taken to court for not having a licence. The advert on 10 January. 'Alberti, or, the Mines of India'' by Elizabeth Polack was performed on 10 May 1834. Another Polack play ''Esther the Royal Jewess, or the Death of Haman'', with a story taken from the Old Testament, and considered in its time to be a type of an "Exotic East" melodrama, was successfully produced in 1835. The first Pavilion Theatre was entirely destroyed by fire on 13 February 1856 It was rebuilt in 1858 as the New Royal Pavilion Theatre, with a capacity of 3,500. It was further reconstructed in 1871 by the architect J. T. Robinson, and the capacity increased to 4,000. Charles Dickens, Jr. (eldest child of

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

), in his 1879 book ''

Dickens's Dictionary of London Charles Culliford Boz Dickens (6 January 1837 – 20 July 1896) was the first child of the English novelist Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine. A failed businessman, he became the editor of his father's magazine '' All the Year Round'', and a ...

'', described the Pavilion this way: "A large East-end theatre capable of holding considerably over 3,000 persons. Melodrama of a rough type, farce, pantomime, &c." In the early 20th century it became the home of Yiddish theatre, catering to the large Jewish population of the area, and gave birth to the Anglo-Jewish 'Whitechapel Boys' avant-garde literary and artistic movement. In later years, it operated under the names, Royal Clarence Theatre, Eastern Opera House, and New Royal Pavilion Theatre, continuing in business until 1935. The building was demolished in 1962.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel Theatres completed in 1828 Buildings and structures in Whitechapel 1828 establishments in England 1828 in London 1935 disestablishments in England Buildings and structures demolished in 1962 Former theatres in London Jewish English history