Person    | Female  Born 9/5/1874  Died 25/11/1937

Lilian Baylis, C.H.

Categories: Theatre

Countries: Africa

Theatrical producer and manager. Born 19 Nottingham Street, Marylebone, Niece of Emma Cons. Managed the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells. Ran other companies which later became: The English National Opera, the National Theatre and the Royal Ballet.

"As the grandmother of our national theatre, as well as of our national opera and ballet, Lilian Baylis set an agenda of crusading hard work and devotion that is inspirational" Richard Eyre in 1991.

CH = Companion of Honour.

2020: David Sulkin OBE requested that we use this portrait of Baylis: "It hangs at the ENO downstairs outside the American bar. Here is a scan of it taken from a postcard. When I worked at ENO I arranged for the portrait to be cleaned and rehung. Yes she did have a funny mouth, caused, it is thought by Bell’s palsy. The current CEO of ENO, Stuart Murphy, would be delighted."

2023: David informed us: "The good news is that the portrait of Lilian Baylis has been moved from its dark downstairs location to the main staircase where is can be seen be as many people as care to look up at it."

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Lilian Baylis, C.H.

Commemorated ati

Lilian Baylis - SW9

Lilian Baylis, 1874 - 1937, manager of the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells Theatre...

Read More

Lilian Baylis Tree

Aesculus Indica (Indian Horse Chestnut) planted by Hugh Jenkins, MP, Minister...

Read More

Morley mosaics - WBR - Lilian Baylis

Lilian Baylis, born 1874. A niece of Emma Cons, Lilian flourished as a theatr...

Read More

New Sadler's Wells Theatre

The Lilian Baylis tree was replanted on the 4th March 1996 in the presence of...

Read More

South Bank mosaic - Lilian Baylis

Lilian Baylis Sylvia Richardson 2007

Read More

Other Subjects

Anthony Newley

Anthony Newley

Actor, singer and songwriter. Born at 230 High Street, Hackney. He played the Artful Dodger in David Lean's 1948 film of Oliver Twist, and on television he was in the impenetrably surreal 1960 come...

Person, Cinema, Music / songs, Theatre, TV & Radio, USA

1 memorial
Bycullah Athenaeum

Bycullah Athenaeum

A popular venue for plays and concerts, performed by local drama and music societies. until it was destroyed by fire. The name derives from the nearby Bycullah estate which was developed from 1879,...

Building, Theatre

1 memorial
Will Hay

Will Hay

Comedian and actor. Born William Thomson Hay at 23 Durham Street, Stockton-on-Tees. His career started in music-halls and concert-parties. He went on to work with Fred Karno, developing his schoolm...

Person, Cinema, Science, Theatre, Australia, New Zealand, USA

1 memorial
National Theatre

National Theatre

First proposed in 1848, the gestation of the NT is complex (see the NT's own site). The first site for the NT was acquired in 1913, immediately behind the British Museum, at the corner of Gower Str...

Building, Theatre

4 memorials
Margaret Walker

Margaret Walker

Acting school director. She worked with Joan Littlewood in the Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, which inspired her to found the East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Essex.

Person, Education, Theatre

1 memorial