Garrick Theatre (Leman St)
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The Garrick Theatre, also known as Garrick's Subscription was a small theatre located in Leman St, Whitechapel. The theatre opened in 1831, and closed in about 1881. The theatre was named for the actor, David Garrick, who had made his début at the nearby Goodman's Fields Theatre on October 9, 1741, playing the role of Richard III.
The performance on May 11, 1840 was Marie! and Virginius the Rum’un!, from an existent playbill[1]. The plays were probably melodramas and some indication of the fare available at the time.
The first theatre burned down in 1846, and was rebuilt to open in 1851, as The Albert and Garrick Royal Amphitheatre. From 1854, it was under the management of Lawrence Levy until 1864. He returned to manage the theatre between 1867 and 1868. In 1856 E.B. Gaston was Stage Manager[2]. The second theatre had a capacity of 462.
A young Barney Barnato is reputed to have begged pass outs from theatre leavers, to sell them on to others for a halfpenny[3]
After actor-manager J. B. Howe's bankruptcy in 1875, the theatre remained empty until 1879. Actress-manageress May Bulmer then ran the theatre until it was demolished, having a personal success in the light opera A Cruise to China[4]. The site of the theatre is today occupied by the old Leman Street Police Station, built in 1891.
[edit] References
- ^ Collection of University of Exeter accessed 4 Mar 2007
- ^ University of Kent - Playbill collection accessed 4 Mar 2007
- ^ Rhodes and Barnato - in Cecil Rhodes by Ian D. Colvin accessed 4 Mar 2007
- ^ Victorian Web - Theatres in Victorian London accessed 5 Mar 2007
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