Drury Lane Theatre (Established c1660)
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 4 Collections and/or Records:
Bill Barnes Collection
Programmes, posters and photographs mainly related to the Poole family's travelling Myriorama show.
Circus Friends Association Collection
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
Handbills, c1786 - 1968
Handbills for travelling shows, fairs, exhibitions and performances in London.