Sadler's Wells Theatre Archive

An archive for today's Sadler’s Wells

In previous blogs we have focused primarily on the large collection of material that we hold concerning the beginnings of Sadler's Wells Theatre, and the first half of the 20th century, when the theatre was refurbished and reopened by Lilian Baylis in 1931. But for anyone interested in contemporary dance and choreography, the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Archive is a treasure trove.

We hold programmes and publicity material relating to some of the today’s most noted dance companies, choreographers, designers, musicians and, of course, dancers. Matthew Bourne, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Balletboyz, Sylvie Guillem, Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor, Nitin Sawhney and Hofesh Shechter are just some of the associated artists that perform regularly at the theatre today.

The cover and inside of the programme for the world premiere of Matthew Bourne's production of 'Swan Lake' at Sadler's Wells on 9 November 1995

We also hold material related to other noted performers and companies that have performed at Sadler’s Wells in the last thirty years. These include Carlos Acosta, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Michael Clarke, Paco Pena, Rambert Dance Company, Nederlands Dans Theatre 1 & 2, La La La Human Steps, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Batsheva Dance Company and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The cover and inside of the programme for Tanzheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch's performance at Sadler's Wells in September 1982.

 
One of the biggest pleasures of working with such a diverse and comprehensive archive is that you get a feel of  how Sadler’s Wells Theatre has developed over its 330 years, as well a glimpse into the wider picture of how the world of theatre, dance and opera developed in general over that time.

'Because We Must'...wish you a Happy New Year 2013

Staff at the Sadler's Wells Theatre Archive at Islington Local History Centre wish all of our blog readers and contributors a very happy and prosperous New Year 2013.

Our blog title begins rather cryptically - Because We Must. This in fact was the name of the show performed twenty-five years earlier at the Wells throughout Christmas and New Year 1987/88. BWM was the creation of innovative dancer and choreographer Michael Clark. 

Below: Image of front cover of programme for Because We Must
held in the archive (double click picture to enlarge)

The first performance of BWM took place at Sadler's Wells on 16 December 1987. Choreographed by Michael Clark and performed by his company, dancers included Leigh Bowery, Leslie Bryant and, of course, MC. The production challenged the conventions of dance, including the use of complex costumes and music composed by Graham Lewis, founder member of the legendary punk and post-punk band Wire.  

Meanwhile, look out for future blogs detailing our annual stocktaking closure week (7-12 January inc.) and news about Islington Local History Centre's latest archive cataloguing project, the Sickert Family Collection, due to begin in January. At this collection's heart are the works, correspondence and ephemera of British artist Walter Sickert (1860-1942), whose early career included performing at Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1880.

London's Dance House in the 21st century

Following the excitement of the recent launch of the online Sadler's Wells Theatre Archive catalogue and accompanying display,  today's timely blog brings our ongoing history and development of Sadler's Wells Theatre up-to-date.

Our previous installment, posted earlier this month, describing A new theatre for a new millennium, focused on the building and opening of a new Sadler's Wells in 1998. The theatre's success continued into the 21st century, witnessing changes in management and the introduction of commissioned and co-productions.

Ian Albery retired as Chief Executive Officer in October 2002 and was succeeded by Jean Luc Choplin, who once worked with the great Rudolf Nureyev when Managing Director of the Paris Opera ballet. A few years later, Choplin left to take up a post at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.  In 2004  Alistair Spalding became Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director of Sadler’s Wells and remains in post in 2012.  He has been responsible for programming at the theatre since February 2000 (when he joined as Director of Programming).  

Upon Alistair Spalding's appointment as CEO, the theatre expanded to become a production house, as well as a receiving house. Internationally renowned artists such as Sylvie Guillem and Akram Kahn were introduced as associate artists at the Wells, allowing joint collaboration on new works.

In the last five or so years, Sadler’s Wells has commissioned and co-produced over 75 productions, including the new ballet The Most Incredible Thing which saw the theatre work with pop stars The Pet Shop Boys and radical choreographer Javier De Frutos.

Matthew Bourne, arguably the country's most famous contemporary dance choreographer, is a resident artist at Sadler’s Wells; his company New Adventures were invited to be a resident company at the theatre in 2006. Many of  Bourne’s most famous works have enjoyed their premieres at the theatre, including his 1995 all male production of Swan Lake, his  revised production of Nutcracker (2002),  Edward Scissorhands (2005) and Cinderella (Christmas 2010/11) - see image below. 

In March 2009, Sadler's Wells launched the Global Dance Contest, an online competition to find new dance talent from around the world. The competition runs for four years, with winners each receiving a cash prize and an invitation to perform at Sadler's Wells Sampled, an annual showcase of the best in dance from around the world. The first winner was Shu-Yi Chou, a 26-year-old choreographer from Taiwan. His work [1875] Ravel and Bolero was performed at Sadler's Wells on 30 and 31 January 2010. UK based James Wilton won the competition in 2012 with The Shortest Day. 

October 2012's productions include Akram Kahn's Desh and Irish choreographer Marguerite Donlon's Rambert Dance Company debut with Labyrinth of Love. And, the ever-popluar Matthew Bourne's New Adventures Company take up residency at Christmas 2012/13 with its production of the classic ballet Sleeping Beauty. 

Below: Rambert Dance Company's Labyrinth of Love (2012)

From its humble beginnings in the 17th century, Sadler's Wells continues to entertain and educate, innovate and inspire new generations of audiences and performers alike. The future is truly 'all singing and dancing' for Islington-based Sadler's Wells Theatre - London's Dance House. 

 

The World and Sir Cliff come to the Wells - visiting company performances

In last week's blog - A Grimey Affair - mention was  made about how, following the departure of its two resident companies during the 1960s, Sadler’s Wells became a venue for international and UK based companies wanting to launch their careers. In fact, the archive's largest series relates to these visiting performers and is, therefore, worthy of a dedicated blog post.

Over the past 18-months it's been quite a herculean task to separate, sort and catalogue these visiting companies production files. This particular job is almost completed and so far over 300 files featuring productions performed at Sadler's Wells,  and covering four decades (late-1950s to the 1980s), have been catalogued and indexed. 

Many companies and their productions have become part of theatre history at Sadler's Wells, whereas others were local or amateur affairs but not without merit. Productions files include shows by Marcel Marceau, the Finnish National Opera, the Iraqi National Dance Company, Moscow Arts Theatre and the National Dance Theatre of Jamaica, as well as performances by Lindsay Kemp and the London Contemporary Dance Theatre. The files are of potential interest to those studying or possessing an interest in theatre management and its history.

A wide range of material reveals a complex 'behind-the-scenes' process from initial contact between theatre and company to post-performance analysis. Information includes correspondence, seating numbers, press releases and cuttings, publicity, and performer and company agreements. These all combine to produce a fascinating insight into what the audience doesn't see with regard to administrative preparation for a performance. Also held are files relating to productions that ended up as 'nearlies' - those that didn't quite reach the stage.

My personal favourites amongst the visiting production files are the national folk music and dance companies from the Far-East performing at the Wells during this period, in many cases bringing their country's culture to these shores for the very first time and often amidst a backdrop of political tension at home. 

Below is just a few examples of items from the production files:

1. Letter of thanks from the Mayor of Islington to Sadler's Wells following a premiere (1969)
2. Flyer for Kalakshetra [Indian Dance Theatre]. The production was cancelled at the last moment (1971)
3. Press cutting anticipating the performance of  Kalakshetra [Indian Dance Theatre] (1971)
4. Announcement that following cancellation of Kalakshetra, Cliff Richard is to make his stage debut at Sadler's Wells in Graham Greene's The Potting Shed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Grimey Affair: the fall and rise (and fall) of opera at Sadler's Wells

Our previous blog - Pas de deux - looked at the mixed fortunes of ballet at Sadler's Wells following the end of the Second World War in 1945. Not to be out done by its dance partner, opera at the theatre was to experience drama equal to any production narrative.

In 1945, rifts within the Sadler’s Wells Opera company began to appear, with many company members feeling that there had been favouritism shown during the casting of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes; the opera received its premiere at the Wells  on 7 June 1945, and was a critical and popular success. However, the division amongst personnel proved to be irreparable and Britten and singer Peter Pears left Sadler’s Wells in December that year to form the English Opera Group.

Below: A scene from Peter Grimes at Sadler's Wells, 1945.

Sadler's Wells Opera struggled at first to rebuild and was not helped by the fact that Sadler’s Wells received public funding of just £40, 000 a year, meaning that productions needed to be staged on a budget;  Covent Garden Opera was receiving a healthy £145, 000 pa. However,  the fortunes of opera at the Wells improved and the  early 1950s saw renowned theatrical directors, such as George Devine, work on successful productions. Performance standards and company morale improved and, during the 1950-1 opera season, The Guardian declared, “Excitement at Sadler’s Wells: Lack of Distinction at Covent Garden." The paper judged Sadler’s Wells to have moved “into the front rank of opera houses."  Praise indeed!

The mid 1950s saw calls for the Sadler’s Wells Opera Company and Covent Garden to merge, which were resisted. In 1960 the touring Carl Rosa Opera Company was disbanded and Sadler’s Wells Opera recruited some of its members, creating a second company and taking over some of its touring dates. There were now two Sadler’s Wells Opera companies of equal standing who interchangeably performed at Sadler’s Wells or toured.

An Arts Council report from the late 1960s reveals the two Sadler’s Wells opera companies consisted of 278 paid artists and 62 guest performers, it had outgrown Sadler’s Wells and when the lease of the London Coliseum came up for renewal the Sadler’s Wells Opera Company transferred there; it was later renamed English National Opera. The last performance at Sadler’s Wells by the opera company was on 15 June 1968 with a revival Peter Grimes.

 On the departure of its two resident companies, Sadler’s Wells became a venue for international and UK based companies wanting to launch their careers. The theatre attracted a diverse range of performers during the 1970s including Netherlands Dance Theatre, who controversially performed nude, the mime artist Marcel Marceau (see below), and the Black Theatre of Prague.

In 1988 the Lilian Baylis studio at Sadler's Wells was opened. It was hoped it would be home to a permanent theatre company but this was not possible for funding reasons. 

 

Opera briefly returned during the 1980s, when the theatre established the New Sadler's Wells Opera company to perform light opera. The company severed its ties with the theatre to become a touring company around 1986. 

The story of Sadler's Wells continues in a future blog.

Pas de deux: post-Second World War ballet comings and goings

As promised in the previous blog, our ongoing brief history of Sadler's Wells continues with a look at life at the theatre following the Second World War.

In 1946, with the re-opening of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the ballet company was invited to become the ROH's resident company. Ninette De Valois decided that a second company was needed to continue ballet performances at Sadler's Wells. This led to the creation of the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet.  The company could perform smaller ballets, which may have looked lost on the big stage of Covent Garden,  while enabling younger dancers and choreographers, such as Kenneth MacMillan, to get experience before transferring to Covent Garden. 

However, a review of the last performance at Sadler’s Wells by the Sadler’s Wells Ballet before their move to Covent Garden, from an anonymous news cutting found in the archive,  somewhat attacks Sadler's Wells Ballet's patrons:

“Sadler’s Wells audiences are not sincere. By their inattention during the performance and their hysterical applause at the end they stand self-condemned. They constitute an interesting social phenomenon, perhaps, but they are a very real menace to the progress of ballet. A critic must judge any ballet in its historical setting, compare it with the great works of the past, and compare it with other works of the same company; and not be led away by the sudden popularity of this, or that dancer.”

Below: an example of many news cuttings containg performance reviews in the archive.

Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet company later relocated to Covent Garden, where it was incorporated into the Royal Ballet's charter in 1956, becoming The Royal Ballet Touring Company. After years as a touring group, it returned to Sadler's Wells in 1976, establishing itself as the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet.  The late 1980s saw Darcey Bussell dance in the corps of the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet before transferring to the Royal Ballet.  During this decade, the Birmingham Hippodrome and Birmingham City Council invited Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet to re-locate to Birmingham.  It did so in 1990 and changed its name, yet again, to Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB). Since the departure of the company there has not been a resident ballet company at Sadler's Wells but BRB regularly return to Sadler’s Wells and performed at the theatre in 2011 and will again in October 2012.

Full marks to all for keeping up with the ever changing names of Sadler's Wells' ballet companies. Meanwhile, look out for our next blog - 'A Grimey Affair'  - which concentrates on the fall and rise (and fall) of opera at the Wells!

Women at Sadler's Wells - an introduction

When Sadler’s Wells opened in 1683, it was 23 years after actresses first appeared on stage. Prior to 1660, female roles were acted by adolescent boys but after the Restoration, Charles II encouraged theatre managers to employ women.

The earliest evidence I have found of a woman performing at Sadler’s Wells is 1740, when Mrs Rayner danced ‘The Parting Lovers’. Undoubtedly there were female performers before 1740 but our press cutting collection does not begin until 1737 to verify this. Additionally, the majority of early press cuttings consist of adverts for performances with few performer names given.

Other early female performers include Miss Rayner (presumably a relation of the above) who in 1748 demonstrated her skills on the rope whilst having candlesticks attached to her feet, while in 1759 Miss Isabella Wilkinson performing on the wire fell and broke both legs.

Sadler’s Wells’ history is richly scattered with women who have steered its fortunes, including:

• Mary Warner, joint manager in the 1840s

• Mrs Bateman, who restored the theatre in 1879

• Lilian Baylis, who re-opened the theatre in 1931

• Dame Ninette de Valois, who established its reputation for ballet in the 1930s

• Dame Margot Fonteyn, who trained and danced at Sadler’s Wells in the 1930s and 40s.

Throughout the project I will blog about the inspirational women who have helped Sadler’s Wells survive.