Sadler's Wells Theatre Archive

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!