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Drury Lane Theatre (Established c1660)

 Organisation

Dates

  • Existence: Established c1660

Biography

The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London and the oldest theatre still in use in the city.

Drury Lane was first built in the early 1660s, when theatres were allowed to reopen during the English Restoration as Theatre Royal in Bridges Street. Between its inception and modern times, Drury Lane Theatre has been reconstructed several times including in the 1670s, 1790s and finally in 1812 either to enlarge the building or because fire had destroyed it. The Building build in 1812 is the same that still stands today.

In the span of its long history, Drury Lane has presented some of the biggest British names in music-hall entertainment including Nell Gwyn, Charles Hart, Joseph Grimaldi and Dan Leno. It has also hosted some of the most prominent British personalities including Charles II, Samuel Pepys and George III, who was shot while in the royal box.

Drury Lane was closed for eighteen months when the Great Plague of London struck the city on 5 June 1665.

In 1747 Drury Lane purchased by actor David Garrick. Garrick served as manager and lead actor of the theatre until circa 1766, and as manager for the following ten years after that.

Through most of the nineteenth century, Drury Lane passed quickly from one proprietor to another.

The theatre was closed during World War Two to serve as the headquarters for the Entertainments National Service Association.

The theatre is currently owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s management company LW Theatres, which invested £4 million in its restoration to mark the theatre’s 350th anniversary in 2013.

Found in 7 Collections and/or Records:

Bill Barnes Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0172
Scope and Contents

Programmes, posters and photographs mainly related to the Poole family's travelling Myriorama show.

Dates: 1881 - 2017

Circus Friends Association Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0122
Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a large library of books and journals, as well as archival material including posters, programmes, photographs, films, handbills, research material, scrapbooks, original artwork and many other items of ephemera relating to British, Irish and European circuses

Dates: 1795 - 2020

John Bramwell Taylor Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0086
Scope and Contents The collection consists of handbills, programmes and small flyers for shows, fairs, expositions and circus performances in the nineteenth century. The circus material in the Bramwell Taylor Collection was sponsored by the Circus Friends Association of Great Britain and consists of material relating to 19th century touring circuses, individual acts and purpose built hippodromes such as Hengler’s Circus and Astley’s Amphitheatre. Additionally this collection also contains a small amount of...
Dates: c1786 - 2003

Newspaper Cuttings and Scapbooks, 1838 - 2007

 Series
Reference code: 178G21
Scope and Contents

A collection of newspaper cuttings on circus, circus proprietors and performers and scrapbooks containing newspaper cuttings, posters, programmes and other items of ephemera, covering mainly British circuses and venues such as Belle Vue and also some international circuses.

Dates: 1838 - 2007

Newspaper Cuttings Related to Circus and Performers, 1838 - 1947

 Sub-Series
Reference code: 178G21.2
Scope and Contents

Newspaper cuttings relating to circus and performers, including Barnum, The American Circus, The Alhambra Palace, Drury Lane Theatre, Pawnee Bill Wild West, Imre Kiralfy, Cirque Imperial de France, Zazel, The Theatrical Observer, The Graphic, The Illustrated London News and The Performer.

Dates: 1838 - 1947

Sunday Chronicle Pantomime Annual, 1911

 Item
Reference code: 178Z64.12
Scope and Contents Drury Lane's Principal Boy, Violet Loraine. Black and white photograph of a woman in medieval costume on a white background on the front cover, inside black and white photographs of performers on different pantomimes including Jack and the Beanstalk, Babes in the Wood, Forty Thieves, Little Bo-Beep, Puss in Boots and Dick Whittington in venues around the country, performers talking about how to dress some of the characters in the pantomimes, some charicatures of performers and commercial...
Dates: 1911

Various Items of Ephemera, c1800 - 2016

 Series
Reference code: 178Z64
Scope and Contents

Various items related to George Walter Poole, Wilton's Music Hall, Henry James Mayer, Alexander Billington, James Upton Printers, Gompertz's panorama show, Poole's Myriorama and Diorama shows and Messrs Strange and Wilson Ghost show. Also includes a theatrical clock with two figures on the sides attracting customers.

Dates: c1800 - 2016