Sadler's Wells Theatre Archive

Promoting the theatre - the 1930s

One category of material well represented in the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Archive are the items used to promote the theatre and communicate with its audiences. In an earlier blog article, Allie wrote about our fascinating collection of playbills  dating between 1793 and 1901; we’ve also seen some of the playbills and handbills illustrating previous posts.

We'll now take a look at how Sadler's Wells promoted itself after reopening in 1931.

Leaflets (also called flyers or brochures) have been one of the most commonly used methods of promoting theatre performances throughout the twentieth century, and are still used to promote performances today. In the 1930s, the Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells produced a regular green- coloured leaflet listing all the performances at the two theatres. Lilian Baylis (the Manager of Sadler's Wells and the Old Vic) apparently gave piles of leaflets to anyone visiting her office and asked them to distribute them wherever they went!

Green leaflet, September 1936 (click to enlarge)

 

Back of green leaflet (click to enlarge)

 

At Sadler’s Wells the programme changed each day and the theatre alternated between opera and ballet performances. Performances were given five nights a week (Tuesday to Saturday) during the season plus afternoon matinees on Saturdays. 

Another typical method of promoting theatre performances is the poster, which like the leaflet is still used today as a standard method of advertising by most theatres and productions. Unfortunately only a few Sadler’s Wells posters from the 1930s are held in the collection. One of the posters from the time that has survived is one advertising the opening night.

 

Old Vic and Sadler's Wells Magazine (click to enlarge)

 

Sadler’s Wells and the Old Vic also communicated to its audience members and others who were interested through a regular newsletter – The Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells Magazine. This included articles by various people connected with the theatre, including staff and management, performers and others. Lilian Baylis herself was one of the contributors. Articles often featured informnation about the current and future productions, as well as news about the theatres and their staff. At a later time, I will go on to talk in this blog about how Sadler’s Wells promoted its performances after the war to the present day.

Let's Twist Again!

Blog readers may recall my  December 2011 post  - Christmas with a Twist - that highlighted one of the treasures held in the Sadler's Wells Theatre Archive, namely a play-script of Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist performed at the Wells in December 1838.

I am delighted and excited to announce that, for the first time in over 170 years,  the play using the original script is being performed at Finsbury Library on Thursday 26 April (details below).  To commemorate the bicentenary of the great novelist's birth, and as part of the Cityread London initiative celebrating Oliver Twist, the play is being staged by the Wadham Players in association with Islington Library and Heritage Services. This is truly bringing the past alive!

Admission: £5 on door
Time: 7pm
Date: Thursday 26 April 2012
Location: Finsbury Library, 245 St John Street, London EC1V 4NB 

We are expecting a large audience, so be sure to arrive early. Also take advantage of visiting A Twist in the Tale: Charles Dickens in Islington, a display exploring Dickens's connections to the area at Islington Local History Centre, Finsbury Library (until 31 May 2012). The original play-script is on show as part of the display.

Below: Page taken from Oliver Twist, as first performed at Sadler's Wells in 1838
and again at Finsbury Library in April 2012, some 170 years later!

 

Sadler's Wells Opera

In my last blog, I talked about Ninette de Valois and how she made Sadler’s Wells known throughout the world for ballet. The Wells was also  home to one of Britain’s principal opera companies – Sadler’s Wells Opera (now English National Opera).

The company’s origins began with the opera performances given at Lilian Baylis’ Old Vic theatre. The Old Vic was granted its dramatic licence during the First World War, which enabled it to hold full opera performances for the first time. By 1920 the opera company was giving five performances a fortnight. Following the opening of Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 1931, performances alternated between the Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells. This alternation of opera, ballet and drama between the two theatres ended in 1934, and Sadler's Wells became the permanent home of the opera and ballet companies.

During the Second World War, the company spent much of its time on tour as a result of the wartime closure of Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Temporarily the theatre and the company were based at the Victoria Theatre, Burnley and then, from 1942, at the New Theatre, St Martin’s Lane in London. It performed at 69 different towns all around Britain. This enabled Sadler’s Wells Opera to become much more widely known throughout the country.

In 1945, the company returned to Sadler’s Wells with Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes (see photograph above). This was the opera's world premiere and it is now performed widely by opera companies around the world - it was a great success for the company.

Sadler's Wells Opera expanded after the war but Sadler’s Wells Theatre was now considered inadequate in size and facilities for the growing company. Plans were developed during the 1950s and 1960s for the company to move to a new national theatre and opera house which was being planned for the South Bank, London. It was intended that Sadler’s Wells would close to help pay for the new theatre. In 1967 the Government however withdrew support for the opera house part of the scheme and was therefore it was abandoned.

After this disappointment for the opera company, which felt it needed a new home, its manager (Stephen Arlen) quickly set to work in finding another theatre suited to the company’s requirements. The London Coliseum was chosen and the company moved there in 1968. Initially the company continued to be called the Sadler’s Wells Opera but was renamed English National Opera in 1974.

This was not the end of opera at Sadler’s Wells. A variety of opera companies have performed there on tour such as the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, which was a regular visitor to the theatre from the 1930s to 1980s. In 1983 the theatre re-established an opera company of its own, the New Sadler’s Wells Opera Company. This however did not last long – the company was disbanded in 1989.

The collection includes a variety of items relating to opera at Sadler’s Wells. These include programmes, photographs of performances, publicity material (such as posters), press cuttings and some administrative files (mainly correspondence and financial records) concerning Sadler's Wells Opera, New Sadler's Wells Opera and visiting opera productions.

Ninette de Valois and the ballet

One of the greatest achievements in Sadler’s Wells history is its role in developing ballet in Britain.

The two ballet companies that were formerly resident at Sadler’s Wells became famous throughout Britain and the World: The Royal Ballet and the Birmingham Royal Ballet. In addition, what is now the Royal Ballet School was once located at Sadler’s Wells when it began to develop into the renowned ballet school it is today.

The woman responsible for these companies and the school was Ninette de Valois (1898-2001). Born in Ireland as Edris Stannus, she moved to England in 1905 and later trained as a professional ballet dancer, going on to enjoy a successful career. In 1926, she started a ballet school – the 'Academy of Choregraphic [sic] Art' with ambitions of using this to develop a ballet company.

Later in that year she met with Lilian Baylis who gave her a contract to teach drama students and arrange dances for a Shakespeare production. By this time Baylis had been planning the reconstruction of Sadler’s Wells and ballet became part of the plan for the new theatre. Ballet performances began to be shown at the Old Vic under de Valois' direction and the small company, which had now developed, undertook performances in Bournemouth  during Christmas 1930 as the ‘Vic-Sadler’s Wells Opera Ballet’ (shortly before Sadler’s Wells had opened in January 1931).

Ballet at the time had developed very little in Britain and ballet performances were generally given by overseas companies. The exception to this were Marie Rambert’s ballet productions from 1926 onwards - this developed into the 'Ballet Club' (now the Rambert Dance Company) in 1930.

Following the opening of Sadler’s Wells, ballets were performed alternately at the Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells and the company became known as the Vic-Wells Ballet. The alternation of drama, ballet and opera between the two theatres was however abandoned in 1936. It was decided that Sadler’s Wells would focus on ballet and opera and the Old Vic was to present drama. The Vic-Wells name was still in use until 1939 when it became the Sadler’s Wells Ballet.

Ninette’s ballet school became a part of the new Sadler’s Wells set-up as the Vic-Wells Ballet School. It trained many of the dancers who would later join the company, including Margot Fonteyn who become the Well’s star dancer.

Ninette de Valois (centre) with Constant Lambert (left) and Robert Helpmann (right)

 Sadler's Well Ballet became a great success and accepted as Britain’s major ballet company. The company - its dancers (such as Margot Fonteyn and Robert Helpmann) and creative team (including its leader Ninette, the composer Constant Lambert and choreographer Frederick Ashton)  - became famous across the World. Their fame is reflected in the extensive collection of contemporary press-cuttings and books held in the Sadler's Wells Theatre Archive.

I look forward to writing further about the influential Ninette de Valois and ballet at Sadler’s Wells during and after the Second World War in future blogs. 

Lilian Baylis (1874-1937)

Having recently discussed the rebuilding of Sadler’s Wells and its reopening in 1931,  we must not forget the woman who was responsible for the vision to re-establish and manage the theatre, Lilian Baylis.

Lilian was born in 1874 and took over the day-to-day management of the Old Vic (Royal Victoria Hall) from her aunt, Emma Cons, in 1898; she became in sole charge following her aunt’s death in 1912. She later began to consider the idea of a new theatre and, with encouragement from Reginald Rowe (an Old Vic governor),  saw the potential to reconstruct Sadler’s Wells. This led to the appeal and rebuilding that we’ve covered  in previous blog posts.

Lilian became the first manager of the rebuilt Sadler’s Wells while continuing as manager of the Old Vic. The rebuilt Sadler’s Wells was originally operated as an 'Old Vic' in north London with drama, opera and ballet alternating between the two theatres. However, this arrangement was not very practical and it was decided that the Old Vic would stage dramas and Sadler’s Wells would present opera and ballet.

The two theatres continued to share a common management and administration under Lilian Baylis and this continued for a number of years.  As a result, many  items in the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Archive for this period relate to the Old Vic and, similarly,  material in the Old Vic’s Archive (held by the University of Bristol) also relates to Sadler’s Wells.

Baylis was known as a hard worker, putting in a huge effort to ensure that both theatres were successful. She was also an interesting character and became the subject of many anecdotes. There are a few letters penned by her in the Sadler’s Wells collection. Most of these are business letters written to Sadler’s Wells staff or carbon copies of typewritten letters to people outside the organisation.

A small number of personal letters to her friends Mr and Mrs Kerridge have also their way into the collection and these reveal her caring side. Mr and Mrs Kerridge lived at Moor House (also known as St Giles’) in Essex, which was a home for people suffering from leprosy. One of the letters dated March 1935 to Mrs Kerridge talks about how she has "had a hectic week of work & worry & have just had a darling child trapped for stealing money." Feeling sorry and concerned for the young thief, who was living alone, Lilian took her home. (See below).

At the end of the letter she writes, "I hope to send a party of musicians down on Refreshment Sunday." Baylis often sent musicians and actors to entertain the patients at Moor House, which was the main focus of her charitable activities. Refreshment Sunday refers to this Sunday (18th) - more commonly known as 'Mothering Sunday' or 'Mother’s Day'. Lilian was never a mother but she looked after the two theatres and its companies as though they were her children. Happy Mother’s Day to all those mothers reading this, including my own!

(click to enlarge)

Lilian died in 1937 but she was not to be forgotten. Her legacy continues with Sadler’s Wells, the Old Vic and the companies set up under her management. These include the Vic-Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet) and the Sadler’s Wells Opera (now English National Opera), which I will discuss in later blog posts.

A voluntary programme

Hello, my name is Julie Melrose. I started working on the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Archive as a volunteer in June 2011. I wanted to gain experience in an archive to help me get a place on a post-graduate archives and records management course. The main focus of my work has been sorting and cataloguing the programmes.  

The SWT Archive holds programmes dating from the 1930’s through to 2011,  with the earliest being Old Vic Shakespeare Company’s production of Twelfth Night on 6 January 1931; this date was the opening night of the newly built Sadler’s Wells Theatre (see blog post 7 January 2012). Together with fellow volunteer Jacqueline, we’ve entered over 2,100 programmes onto the database but there’s still many more to go!

I know that this type of work is not for everyone but I’ve really enjoyed working through the boxes and bundles of programmes. I do however find it easy to get distracted when sorting and listing, especially when encountering performances featuring dance legends such as Ninette de Valois, Frederick Ashton, Robert Helpmann and, of course, Margot Fonteyn. Also not forgetting the more contemporary programmes, including the premier of Matthew Bourne’s all-male Swan Lake in November 1995 and Gala events attended by members of the Royal Family in recent years. 

Another distraction found within the programmes is the varied and non-performance related advertisements. In their own way, they are fascinating examples of social history offering a glimpse into what was considered ‘must have or ‘desirable’ at a particular time in in the past: 1950’s local amenities, cooking appliances and women’s girdles; cigarettes in the 70’s; and the in-places to eat and drink during the 1980s. These all offer fascinating snapshots of the type of businesses and products offered the theatre-goer over the years. The image below is taken from a somewhat austere looking programme, dated 5 March 1952,  for a production of Massenet's opera Werther -Cinzano, chinese food (chopsticks optional) and British biscuits appeared to be the order of the day!

It hasn’t however all been programmes. I’ve spent time going through Sadler’s Wells play bills from the 1800’s onwards and examples of these have been featured in previous blogs. These can be equally distracting with their wonderfully evocative titles, descriptions and layouts. 

 Meanwhile, boxes of programmes are continually deposited by the theatre, so there’s plenty to keep me occupied, but I’m enjoying the chance to contribute to building a comprehensive and accessible archive and thank the Islington Local History Centre for the opportunity to do so. (Thank you too Julie – Paul, Mark and the team).

 

Building the new theatre

While the funds were being raised from 1925 onwards by the Duke of Devonshire’s appeal to rebuild the theatre (see 16 December 2011 blog post), F.G.M. Chancellor of the firm Frank Matcham & Co was busy planning its construction. The company founded by the great theatre architect Frank Matcham (who died in 1920, before planning of the new Sadler’s Wells had begun) was one of the main theatre architecture practices of its time, having been responsible for many theatres across London and throughout Britain.

Like today, planning approval was required. In order for the application to be assessed, a detailed series of plans was submitted to the London County Council Architects' Department. I have found an extensive set of these plans in the Sadler’s Wells collection, which were passed on to us at the Local History Centre by Islington Council Building Control. They provide a great insight into how the theatre was planned to be laid out and constructed. An example of one of these plans is shown below (click to enlarge).

 

 Some plans also show decorative features in the theatre including a plan of the proscenium (the frame surrounding the stage).

Associated with the plans are files of correspondence that indicate whether the plans were approved and about changes which were made to those plans.

The rebuilt theatre opened on 6 January 1931 with Twelfth Night (see 7 January blog post). Further plans sent in for planning approval show how the theatre was altered and extended over the years until the present day theatre (opened in 1998) was built.

An exciting project

Hello, I’m Paul Williams and I am the new project archivist for the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Archive. As Mark explained in a recent blog post, I will also be taking over as the regular blogger. Thanks Mark for introducing me and for looking after the blog for the interim - (it was my pleasure Paul, Mark)

I’ve now been in the role of project archivist for a month and, since arriving, I've been getting familiar with the collection. I am carrying on with the work that my predecessor Carys had started in listing and repackaging the theatre’s large holding of administrative files. This includes an extensive series of files about the administration and publicity for performances at the theatre from the 1960s to the 1980s.  

I’ve also been  getting to grips with other parts of the collection, as well as answering enquiries about the archive and its contents. It seems that word has spread that the cataloguing project is well under way, which has attracted an increasing number of enquiries from all over the World.

Our volunteers Jacqueline and Julie are continuing to do an excellent job in sorting and cataloguing the theatre’s programmes into a database. This is a huge undertaking as the programmes are one of the largest parts of the collection. 

Meanwhile, I am very pleased to be part of this exciting project and look forward to publishing regular posts and keeping readers informed of our progress.

Shakespeare's birthday party - 1932 style!

While this year the nation is celebrating the 200th-birthday of Charles Dickens, seventy-years ago The Old Vic and  Sadler's Wells theatres were preparing to commemorate the 368th-birthday of another literary giant, William Shakespeare.

A veritable who's who of British stage actors of the day gathered on 23 April 1932 to take part in the Shakespeare Birthday Festival at the Old Vic. Amongst those performing a selection of scenes from the Bard's work were Edith Evans, Martita Hunt and John Gielgud. Meanwhile, Alastair Sim and Ralph Richardson were members of a cast acting a burlesque titled Willy's Choice or An author in search of some players. The Sadler's Wells Theatre Archive holds a programme of the festival: 

 As an appetiser to the evening event, the then current production of Hamlet was performed during the afternoon of 23 April and featured Ralph Richardson as the Ghost and Alastair Sim as Claudius. A review in the The Times (19 April 1932), of an earlier performance of the play, describes proceedings as adequate but singles out Sim's portrayal of Claudius as being excellent.

We are a few months away from Shakespeare's 448th birthday but I'm sure that the Bard would want to join us to wish Charles Dickens a happy 200th-birthday for 7 February! 

A warm welcome to our new Sadler’s Wells Theatre Archive Project Archivist

We extend a very warm welcome to our new Sadler’s Wells Theatre Archive Project Archivist, Paul Williams, who will be steering the cataloguing project to its conclusion in July.

Paul brings his expertise to Islington having previously worked on a diverse range of projects and collections at various institutions. These include cataloguing the papers of former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, as well as a number of smaller collections, at the University of Birmingham and retrospective conversion of catalogues at Glamorgan Archives. Paul has strong connections to Wales having studied for his degree at the University of Wales Lampeter and, later, obtaining his postgraduate archive diploma at the University of Wales Aberystwyth.

When taking a break from Archives, Paul enjoys mapping for OpenStreetMap and collecting advertising leaflets, of which he has over 30,000 in his private collection. He is also involved in CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale). I’ll drink to that!

Meanwhile, Paul will be taking over as ‘chief blogger’ keeping readers informed of the project’s progress.