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

Tamara Karsavina

Tamara Karsavina

Ballerina. Born in St Petersburg, Russia. Leading ballerina with Sergey Diaghilev's Ballets Russes from its beginning in 1909 until 1922, often paired with Nijinsky. Married British diplomat  Henry...

Person, Dance, Russia

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
Ruthie Henshall

Ruthie Henshall

Actor, dancer and singer. Born in Bromley as Valentine Ruth Henshall. She has appeared in many west end productions, including 'Cats', 'Chicago' and 'Les Miserables'. Nominated five times for an Ol...

Person, Dance, Music / songs, Theatre

1 memorial
Royal Festival Hall

Royal Festival Hall

A 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre. The first post-war building to be protected with a Grade 1 Listing, in 1981. The project was led by London County Council's the...

Building, Dance, Music / songs

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Keshava Raghuveer

Keshava Raghuveer

Keshava Raghuveer was born in January 1947 and was a director of several companies including Harndale Shipmanagement Services Limited. Electoral registers from 2003 to 2006 show him listed together...

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial