Dates

• Existence: 26 March 1861 - May 1926

Biography

The Oxford Music Hall was opened on 26 March 1861 in Westminster, London by Charles Morton and Frederick Stanley.

The Oxford was designed by Messrs Finch Hill and Edward Paraire and comprised opulent decorations in the classical style with deep balconies and a wide stage. Its impressive interior and range of entertainments on offer soon made it one of London's most popular music halls.

The Oxford burnt down and was reconstructed in two occasions, the first one in 1868 and the second in 1872. Both fires devastated the interior of the building and gave way to changes to the decoration and floor plan while retaining the exterior architecture. In 1891, however, ownership of the Oxford passed to James Kirk, its former musical director, who sold it to a syndicate created by H. Newson-Smith, a year later. Newson-Smith run various music halls in London including the Tivoly and the London Pavilion, and decided to demolish the Oxford in order to bring it up to the standards of his other theatres. The Oxford reopened its doors on 31 January 1893 and continued entertaining audiences until its decline at the beginning of the twentieth century.

In 1917 Charles B. Cochran acquired the Oxford and started to transform it into a theatre, changing its name to the Oxford Theatre and later the New Oxford Theatre. In 1921 Cochran renovated the building to accommodate the showing of films as well as plays as popular interest in theatres and music halls continued to decline with the advent of cinemas and other entertainments.

In May 1926 the Oxford closed for the last time and the building was demolished.

Found in 6 Collections and/or Records: