Group    From 1683 

Sadler's Wells Theatres

Categories: Dance, Theatre

From Sadler's Wells: Sadler’s Wells began with "the discovery of a mineral spring in 1683. Richard Sadler built a music house around the spring to rival the already fashionable Tunbridge and Epsom wells. By the beginning of the 18th century, visitors to Sadler’s Wells could see entertainments that included jugglers, tumblers, ropedancers, ballad singers, wrestlers, fighters, dancing dogs and even a singing duck."  In 1765 Thomas Rosoman had the theatre rebuilt. Over the years it was rebuilt a number of times and British History Online has images of some of its incarnations. 1862, the theatre was converted into a skating rink and then a cinema. It closed in 1915.

In 1925 Lilian Baylis, who had been running the Old Vic began fundraising to rebuild Sadler’s Wells as a sister theatre in North London. The new theatre opened on 6 January 1931. Reported to have been designed by Frank Matcham but he'd died in 1920 so it was his firm that designed the building shown in our image. Ninette de Valois was employed to stage dance productions at both theatres. Out of the Vic-Wells ballet company and school grew the Royal Ballet, and the Royal Ballet School. After 4 years Baylis decided that ballet and opera would be concentrated at Sadler's Wells. 1994 the theatre was reconstructed again, as a purpose-built dance theatre.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sadler's Wells Theatres

Commemorated ati

Lilian Baylis - SW9

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

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New Sadler's Wells Theatre

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

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Other Subjects

Peckham Shed

Peckham Shed

A theatre company run for children and young people aged five to seventeen years old. Originally set up by Chicken Shed, a similar theatre company based in Cockfosters.

Group, Art, Community / Clubs, Dance, Theatre

1 memorial
Sir Anton Dolin

Sir Anton Dolin

Born Slinfold, Sussex. Real name Sydney Francis Patrick Healey-Kay. Ballet Dancer and Choreographer. Principal dancer with the Ballet-Russes and the Vic-Wells Ballet. Died Paris.

Person, Dance, France

1 memorial
Dame Margot Fonteyn

Dame Margot Fonteyn

Prima ballerina assoluta.  Born Reigate as Margaret Hookham. As a child lived for a time in Shanghai. Her stage name was based on "Fontes" the name of her mother's paternal family, wealthy Brazilia...

Person, Dance, Seriously Famous, China/Hong Kong, Panama

3 memorials
Nicolai Legat

Nicolai Legat

Dancer. Born in St Petersburg, Russia. He joined the ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in 1888 and later became balletmaster. His pupils included Anna Pavlova, and Vaslav Nijinsky. He left Ru...

Person, Dance, France, Russia

1 memorial
Sammy Davis Jnr

Sammy Davis Jnr

Born Harlem in New York City into a show-biz family.  Hit the big-time in 1951.  Lost his left eye in a car crash in 1954.  Member of Sinatra's Rat Pack.  In 1967 on TV he greeted Frank's daughter,...

Person, Cinema, Dance, Music / songs, Seriously Famous, Theatre, USA

1 memorial