The Royal Strand Theatre was located in the

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and London boroughs, borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of cent ...

. The theatre was built on the site of a

panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...

in 1832, and in 1882 was rebuilt by the prolific theatre

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Charles J. Phipps Charles John Phipps (25 March 1835 – 25 May 1897) was an English architect best known for his more than 50 theatres built in the latter half of the 19th century, including several important London theatres. He is also noted for his design of ...

. It was demolished in 1905 to make way for

Aldwych tube station Aldwych is a List of former and unopened London Underground stations, closed station on the London Underground, located in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was opened in 1907 with the name Strand, after Strand, London, the street on ...

History

From 1801, Thomas Edward Barker set up a rival

to his father's in

Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leicester House, itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester ...

, at 168/169 Strand. On the death of Robert Barker, in 1806, his younger brother,

Henry Aston Barker Henry Aston Barker (1774 – 19 July 1856) was a Scottish landscape and panorama painter and exhibitor, the son of Robert Barker whose business he continued. Life and works Barker was born in Glasgow, the younger son of Robert Barker, the panor ...

took over management of the Leicester Square rotunda. In 1816, Henry bought the panorama in the Strand, which was then known as Reinagle and Barker's Panorama,Sherson, Erroll, ‘Lost London Playhouses’, ''The Stage'', 28 June 1923, p. 21. One of a series of articles later published in a book of same name in 1925. and the two panoramas were then run jointly until 1831. Their building was then used as a

dissenting Dissent is an opinion, philosophy or sentiment of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or policy enforced under the authority of a government, political party or other entity or individual. A dissenting person may be referred to as ...

chapel and was purchased by Benjamin Lionel Rayner, a noted actor, in 1832.''From Stage to Platform: The Metamorphosis of the Strand Theatre 1830–1905'', Paul Hadley (London Passenger Transport 1984 No. 12 April, pp. 588-593)

Subscription theatre

Rayner engaged Charles Broad to convert and extend the original building as a theatre. This was built in 1832 in seven weeks, at a cost of £3,000. The theatre opened on 15 January 1832, as ''Rayner's New Subscription Theatre'', with a production of ''Struggles at Starting''. Within weeks, the venture failed and was sold to the actress Harriet Waylett, re-opening on 29 May as ''The New Strand (Subscription) Theatre'' with ''Damp Beds''. Again, the theatre lacked support and closed in November 1832. The theatre was re-opened in early 1833 as the '' New Strand Theatre'', by

Frances Maria Kelly Frances Maria Kelly (15 October 1790, Brighton – 6 December 1882), also known as Fanny, was an English actress and singer. She is best known for her acting at the Drury Lane Theatre in London's West End and her opening of the Royalty Theatre a ...

– who also based a

drama school A drama school, stage school or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or department at a college or university; or a free-standing institution (such as the Drama section at the Juilliard School); which specializes in the pr ...

there. The singer, Rebecca Isaacs was the Directress of Operas at the theatre from 1852 to 1853, and again in 1855. The theatre failed because it was unlicensed, and this put it into competition with London's patent theatres. Presenting plays by subscription was one method of evading the Acts, but tickets could not be sold at the theatre. This was circumvented by selling them at neighbouring shops; and at one point the public were admitted free on purchase of an ounce of rose lozenges for four shillings (stalls), or half an ounce of peppermint drops for two shillings (the pit) from the neighbouring confectioners. The theatre was again closed under the Patent Acts in March 1835, and the owners brought before the magistrates. It reopened on 25 April 1836, with the necessary licence, under the management of

Douglas William Jerrold Douglas William Jerrold (London 3 January 18038 June 1857 London) was an English dramatist and writer. Biography Jerrold's father, Samuel Jerrold, was an actor and lessee of the little theatre of Wilsby near Cranbrook in Kent. In 1807 Dougla ...

and

William John Hammond William John Hammond (1 July 1797–23 August 1848) was a British actor-manager and singer of comic songs of the early 19th-century. He played Sam Weller in ''Samuel Weller, or, The Pickwickians'' in 1837. Early life W. J. Hammond was born ...

. The theatre was enlarged in 1836 and a gallery added in 1839. In 1849 the manager was

William Farren William Farren (13 May 1786 – 24 September 1861) was an English actor, who was the son of an actor (born 1725) of the same name, who played leading roles from 1784 to 1795 at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Life Raised on Gower Street in Lo ...

. For a while in 1851 it was owned by

William Robert Copeland William Robert Copeland (1799–1867) was an English theatre manager. He was born in Deal, Kent, the son of Robert Copeland (Theatre Manager), Robert Copeland who managed the Dover theatre circuit. His sister Fanny became the noted actress Fanny Fi ...

, and known as ''Punch's' Playhouse and Marionette Theatre''. In 1856 the manager was T. Payne. Frank Talford wrote the earliest

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

for the Strand, full of excruciating puns and enlivened by bright songs. Mythological subjects were popular. In one such piece in 1850 the afterwards famous Mrs. Stirling played Minerva, Mrs Leigh Murray was Apollo, and Rebecca Isaacs was Venus.

The Swanborough years

In 1858, the theatre was taken over by the Swanborough family (originally Smith). Henry V. Swanborough rebuilt it at a cost of £7,000and opened it on 5 April 1858 as the ''Royal Strand Theatre''. His daughter, Louisa, was acting manager for a couple of years until her marriage to Major Lyon. Henry's eldest son William was also an active manager. Following Henry's depression and suicide in 1863, ownership passed to Henry's widow Mary Ann. Between 1868 and 1871,

Eleanor Bufton Eleanor Bufton (2 June 1842 – 9 April 1893) was a Welsh actress of the Victorian era. She began acting in her teens and spent most of her career in London, playing in Shakespeare, Victorian burlesque, and a range of drama and comedy roles. ...

(married to Arthur Swanborough) managed the

Greenwich Theatre Greenwich Theatre is a local theatre located in Croom's Hill close to the centre of Greenwich in south-east London. Theatre first came to Greenwich at the beginning of the 19th century during the famous Eastertide Greenwich Fair at which the Ric ...

, and resources were shared between the two theatres. According to Erroll Sherson, writing in 1923, the Strand was burlesque's first real nursery and its permanent home. Here graduated

Marie Wilton Marie Effie Wilton, Lady Bancroft (1839–1921) was an English actress and theatre manager. She appeared onstage as Marie Wilton until after her marriage in December 1867 to Squire Bancroft, when she adopted his last name. Bancroft and her husb ...

(later Lady Bancroft), Patty Oliver and Edward Terry; each would later maintain the burlesque tradition at the Prince of Wales's, The Royalty, and The Gaiety, respectively. For some years, the Strand's programme began with a short drama, many written by

H. T. Craven Henry Thornton Craven (born Henry Thornton; 26 February 1818 – 13 April 1905) was an English actor and dramatist. Early life and career Craven was born in London in 1818, son of Robert Thornton, a schoolmaster in Holborn. Starting life as a publ ...

, including, ''The Postboy'', ''Milky White'', and ''Meg's Diversion''. Then followed a burlesque by

H. J. Byron Henry James Byron (8 January 1835 – 11 April 1884) was a prolific English dramatist, as well as an editor, journalist, director, theatre manager, novelist and actor. After an abortive start at a medical career, Byron struggled as a provincial ...

, W. Brough, or

F. C. Burnand Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (29 November 1836 – 21 April 1917), usually known as F. C. Burnand, was an English comic writer and prolific playwright, best known today as the librettist of Arthur Sullivan's opera ''Cox and Box''. The son of ...

. Under the Swanboroughs, the theatre enjoyed success, with Ada Swanborough performing in H. J. Byron's

burletta In theater and music history, a burletta (Italian, meaning "little joke", sometimes burla or burlettina) is a brief comic opera. In eighteenth-century Italy, a burletta was the comic intermezzo between the acts of an ''opera seria''. The extended ...

s and featuring a cast that included James Thorne,

Edward O'Connor Terry Edward O'Connor Terry (10 March 1844 – 2 April 1912) was an English actor, who became one of the most influential actors and comedians of the Victorian era. Life and career Terry was born in London, allegedly the illegitimate son of Feargu ...

, Miss Raynham, Mrs. Raymond, H. J. Turner and Marie Wilton,. These began with ''The Lady of Lyons, or Twopenny Pride and Pennytence;'' ''Fra Diavolo Travestie, or The Prince, the Pirate and the Pearl;'' ''The Maid and the Magpie, or The Fatal Spoon'' (an early play to include a dance at the end of a song); and ''The Babes in the Wood and the Good Little Fairy Birds''.Lee, Amy Wai Sum
"Henry J. Byron"
Hong Kong Baptist University The celebrated burlesque on ''Kenilworth'', first performed in 1859 and played over many years, brought the Strand great prosperity. It had a strong cast including Louisa Swanborough as the Earl of Leicester, H. J. Turner as Mike Lambourne, Mrs. Charles Selby as Queen Elizabeth, Marie Wilton as Sir Walter Raleigh, Patty Oliver as Amy Robsart, Charlotte Saunders as Tressillian, John Clarke as Varney and James Bland as Wayland Smith; Bland was reputed to be the king of the burlesque actors. Leicester was later played by Maria Ternan. The burlesque that lived longest in the memories of old playgoers, according to Sherson, was Brough's, ''The Field of the Cloth of Gold''. Henry Jameson Turner was by far the longest serving actor at the Strand. His first appearances pre-dated the Swanboroughs. He moved from the Lyceum to the Strand in 1849, his first wife, Eleanor, and eldest daughter, Ellen, also appearing with him. He served under both Farren and Payne, and was in the Swanborough's first production. Turner also ran a theatrical agency. His final appearance was at a benefit for the Strand General Theatrical Fund (of which he had been treasurer) in April 1882. The first appearance of the popular

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

character,

Widow Twankey Widow Twankey (originally Twankay, sometimes Twanky) is a female character in the pantomime '' Aladdin''. She is a pantomime dame, played by an older man. History The story of Aladdin is drawn from the '' Arabian Nights'', a collection of Midd ...

, played by James Rogers in Byron's version of ''Aladdin,'' took place at The Strand in 1861. Other successful works in the 1870s, included the hit operettas ''

Madame Favart ''Madame Favart'' is an opéra comique, or operetta, in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Alfred Duru and Henri Chivot. Performance history After defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870) ended Napoleon III' ...

'' and '' Olivette''. It also hosted

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most f ...

and

Frederic Clay Frederic Emes Clay (3 August 1838 – 24 November 1889) was an English composer known principally for songs and his music written for the stage. Although from a musical family, for 16 years Clay made his living as a civil servant in HM Treasury ...

's comic opera ''

Princess Toto ''Princess Toto'' is a three-act comic opera by W. S. Gilbert and his long-time collaborator Frederic Clay. Its pre-London tour opened on 24 June 1876 at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, starring Kate Santley, W. S. Penley and J. H. Ryley. It tr ...

'' in 1876.Stedman, p. 142 The theatre was rebuilt in 1865, re-opening 18 November 1865, destroyed by fire on 21 October 1866 and again rebuilt. In 1882, the theatre was condemned as having inadequate fire precautions and closed on 29 July. It was rebuilt by

, re-opening on 18 November 1882 with improved access. The cost to Mrs. Swanborough was heavy. Attempts were made to recoup the expenditure through a sale, but this was unsuccessful. Mrs Swanborough had to go through the Bankruptcy Court in 1885. Sherson said that, after this, the house ceased to be the old Strand. It came under the direction of Alexander Henderson, who produced adaptations of French light opera with the best results. Though it regained a portion of its vogue under the direction of a very clever American actor, John S. Clarke, it was no longer one of the attractions of the London theatrical world. The musical comedy '' A Chinese Honeymoon'' opened in October 1901 and ran at the theatre for a record-breaking 1,075 performances, until closing in 1904.

Demolition

In the 16th century, Strand had hosted many grand houses by the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

and the area began to be built up. By the end the 18th, it had become a notorious

rookery A rookery is a colony of breeding animals, generally gregarious birds. Coming from the nesting habits of rooks, the term is used for corvids and the breeding grounds of colony-forming seabirds, marine mammals (true seals and sea lions), and ev ...

- an overcrowded slum. The area had been unaffected by the

Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the ...

and survived with narrow streets, unsuited to the new traffic. A scheme was instituted to build a new road, Kingsway between

Holborn Holborn ( or ) is a district in central London, which covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part ( St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Ward of Farringdon Without in the City of London. The area has its roots ...

and Strand, culminating in a grand crescent,

Aldwych Aldwych (pronounced ) is a street and the name of the List of areas of London, area immediately surrounding it in central London, England, within the City of Westminster. The street starts Points of the compass, east-northeast of Charing Cros ...

. After many false starts, the scheme was begun in 1901 by the

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

. To go with this a link was built to the tube station at

, and in 1905 the theatre was acquired by Act of Parliament and demolished to enable Aldwych underground station to be constructed on the site. The many actors who were attached to the theatre protested against its deconstruction. The station is now closed but is said to be haunted by an angry actress who still scares people today. Apart from this theatre, the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

Opera Comique The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, between Wych Street, Holywell Street and the Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and Kingsway. ...

Globe A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model globe ...

, Old Gaiety and many others were swept away by the scheme, they were replaced by the

Gaiety Gaiety or Gayety may refer to: * Gaiety (mood), the state of being happy * Gaiety Theatre (disambiguation) * ''USS Gayety (AM-239'', former name of the ship ''BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20)'' See also *Gaiety Girls Gaiety Girls were the chorus girl ...

and New Theatres, and a realignment of the

Lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Generally in that type of school the th ...

Notes

References

*''Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950'', John Earl and Michael Sell pp. 250 (Theatres Trust, 2000) *

External links

''Royal Strand Theatre, Aldwych''
(Arthur Lloyd Theatre history)

(Templeman Library),

University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...

{{Authority control Former theatres in London Theatres completed in 1832 1905 disestablishments Former buildings and structures in the City of Westminster Charles J. Phipps buildings Buildings and structures demolished in 1905