It is best known for its ballet, but contemporary dance and opera are also part of the repertoire. Also, the venue can be described as a receiving house for visiting companies with their own productions.

First theatre

By the mid-1700s, the existence of two "Theatres Royal" - in Covent Garden and Drury Lane – severely limited the ability of other London theatres to legally perform any drama combined with music, thus rather limiting for opera. Sadler’s Wells continued its downward spiral.

Second and third theatres

The latter half of the 18th century was see a wide variety of performances. There were patriotic plays and pageants such as "A Fig For The French", which was produced in order to restore national morale after a heavy British defeat in a sea-battle off Grenada at the hands of the French and Spanish fleets. A stirring spectacle reflecting the Fall of the Bastille won from the previously hostile Public Advertiser newspaper the enthusiastic review that: "...Finer scenes of greater effect have not been produced at any Theatre for many years". During the early years of the 1800s, many famous actors appeared at the theatre - including Edmund Kean – as well as popular comedians such as Joe Grimaldi (1778-1837), who for all his gifts as a dramatic actor, is best remembered as the creator of "Joey the Clown" complete with the rouge half-moons on either cheek. However, the period was characterized by much public drunkenness and loutish behaviour, and the rural location prompted the management to provide escorts for patrons after dark to conduct them into central London.

Just as Sadler's Wells seemed at its lowest ebb, an unexpected champion arrived in the shape of distinguished actor-manager Samuel Phelps (1804-1878). His advent coincided with the passing of the Theatres Act of 1843 which broke the duopoly in drama of the Theatres Royal and so Phelps was able to introduce a programme of Shakespeare to the Wells. His productions, notably of Macbeth (1844), Antony and Cleopatra (1849) and Pericles (1854), were much admired by the time he left Sadler's Wells in 1862.

The latter part of the 19th century saw the pendulum swing back again with the resulting decline of the Theatre until, by 1875, plans to turn the theatre in a bath house and skating rink were proposed and, for a while, the new craze of roller skating was catered to, as the theatre was converted into a roller-skating rink and later a prize fight arena.

Fourth theatre

Taking on another purpose, the theatre was converted into a cinema. In December 1896, patrons were amazed by the moving pictures of the Theatregraph with film of Persimmon winning the Epsom Derby and a saucy vignette entitled "The Soldier and His Sweetheart Spooning on a Seat".

But still the overall trend was down until Lilian Baylis, who ran the Old Vic Theatre Company, agreed to help set up a charitable foundation to buy the run-down Sadler’s Wells, which after a succession of managements in the 1900s, had became increasingly run-down and had been closed in 1915.

Fifth theatre

Designed by FGM Chancellor of Matcham & Co, the new theatre opened on January 6th, 1931 with an appropriate production of ‘’Twelfth Night’’ and a cast headed by Ralph Richardson as Sir Toby Belch and John Gielgud as Malvolio.

In the beginning of Ms. Baylis’ influence over Sadler’s Wells, it was intended that the two theatres should each offer alternating programs of drama and opera. This happened for a short while, but it soon became clear that it was not only impractical, but it also made dubious commercial sense since drama flourished at the Old Vic but lagged behind opera and dance in popularity at the Wells.

By 1933/34 season the acting company under Tyrone Guthrie included a formidable range of acting talent in the person of Charles Laughton, Peggy Ashcroft, Flora Robson, Athene Seyler, Marius Goring and James Mason.

By the 1935/36 season opera and ballet were firmly in the ascendant and Sadler's Wells Ballet with principal dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin became the first truly British ballet company.

Ballet at Sadler’s Wells: In 1931 Ninette de Valois was invited to form a ballet company at Sadler's Wells Theatre. It became known as the “Vic-Wells” Ballet since it performed both at Sadler's Wells Theatre and the Old Vic Theatre in London. By 1940, with the company tours throughout the country, the name of the company was changed to the Sadler's Wells Ballet.

In 1946, with the re-opening of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the Company was invited to become the resident company there. De Valois therefore decided to found a second company called Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet at Sadler's Wells Theatre. After a short break in the mid-fifties where the Theatre Ballet relocated to Covent Garden, a Royal Charter granted the title of The Royal Ballet on the Sadler's Wells Ballet, while the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet became the “Touring Company of The Royal Ballet” and it returned to base itself at Sadler's Wells Theatre, while continuing to tour the country. By 1977 another name changes created “The Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet” and, ten years later, in 1987, the Birmingham Hippodrome and Birmingham City Council invited Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet to re-locate to Birmingham. It did so in 1990 and changes its name to Birmingham Royal Ballet but became independent of the Royal Opera House by 1996.

With the departure of the Opera company to the Coliseum Theatre in 1968, it was increasingly felt that Sadler’s Wells was able to play a pivotal role as a temporary home both for foreign companies and those within the UK looking for a metropolitan shop-window. In addition, Sadler's Wells, strategically positioned at some remove from the West End hot-house, was seen as the ideal launching-pad for artists at the outset of their careers. Throughout the 1970s to a rich diversity of attractions appeared at Sadler's Wells, recaptured something of its traditional eclecticism. On Rosebery Avenue one could see everything from Handel Opera to the Black Theatre of Prague, to the Netherlands Dance Theatre with its controversial nudity. Also appearing during this period were Merce Cunningham, Marcel Marceau, the Kabuki Theatre, the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Kodo Drummers from Japan. However, such a diverse programme did prevent the Theatre from having a consistent public image.

The Baylis Theatre opened in October 1988 and it appeared that a permanent theatre company might emerge, but this was limited by funding difficulties. On 30th June, 1996, the last ever performance was given at the old theatre before the bulldozers moved in. On St. Valentine's Day the following February a more unusual ceremony took place when Ian Albery buried a time capsule under the centre stalls of the new building.

Sixth theatre

The current theatre opened on 11 October, 1998 after being rebuilt with money from the National Lottery. As well as the 1,500 seat main auditorium, Sadler's Wells also has a base at the Peacock Theatre near Aldwych.

References

• Arundell, Dennis Drew, The Story of Sadler's Wells, 1683-1977, David and Charles, Newton Abbott, 1978. ISBN 0715376209

• Dent, Edward J., A Theatre for Everybody: the story of The Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells, London: 1945.

External links

• London Famous #19-Lilian Baylis
• Sadlers Wells web site
• Sadlers Wells History
• Sadler's Wells on the Theatres Trust site

Contemporary dance in London | Ballet in London | Islington | Theatres in London | Opera houses in the United Kingdom

Sadler's Wells | サドラーズウェルズ劇場