Dates

• Existence: Established 1859

Biography

Wilton’s was first established as a Victorian music hall in 1859 by John Wilton.

The story of the Wilton started when John Wilton acquired a row of buildings between Graces Alley and Wellclose Square, which included houses, a pub and a concert and theatre room in the early 1850s. Over the years, he modified the existing buildings to create a sumptuous new music hall, where all sorts of entertainment from refined madrigals, ballet and excerpts from opera to attractions from West End, circus and fairground were shown to the East End public.

John Wilton managed the Wilton until 1868, when he sold it, which continued operating as a music hall under various managers for the next thirteen years until its closure in 1881.

In 1888 Wilton’s was acquired by the East London Methodist Mission to support the East End population who at the time were affected by extreme poverty and squalid living conditions. The Mission operated until 1956, when it became a rag-sorting warehouse.

In the 1960s the London County Council (LCC) planned the demolition of the Wilton and other nearby buildings as part of a redevelopment project, which prompted a public campaign to save the Wilton. In 1964 LCC agreed to buy the building and keep the building. In the meantime the campaign to save the building continued into the 1970s with several high profile personalities and organisations’ support. In 1971, the building acquired grade 2* listed status and a year later a Trust was formed to raise funds to buy the lease.

In 1982 The London Music Hall Trust, charitable trust was formed and essential repairs commenced.

In 1997 the Wilton opened its doors to audiences once again and continued striving to reach its former glory, undergoing restauration and rebuilding work over the years until 2015. The Wilton now functions as a popular theatre and an live music venue.

Found in 3 Collections and/or Records: