Britannia Theatre

Infobox Theatre
name = Britannia Theatre

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caption = c.1890 Playbill
address = Hoxton High Street
(now Hoxton Street)
city = Hackney, London
country =
designation = "Demolished"
latitude = 51.534557
longitude = -0.074279
architect =
owner = Sam and Sarah Lane
capacity = 3000 seated and standing
type = Theatre, melodrama and pantomime
opened = Easter Monday 1841
yearsactive = 1840–1900 (circa)
rebuilt = 1858 Finch Hill
closed =
othernames = Royal Britannia Saloon and Britania Tavern
1913–1940 Gaumont Cinema
production =
currentuse = Block of flats (on site)
website = The Britannia Theatre (1841–1900) was located at 115/117 High Street, Hoxton, London. [http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Britannia.htm "Britannia Theatre Hoxton"] (Arthur Lloyd theatre history) accessed 20 December 2006] The theatre was badly damaged by a fire in 1900. The site was reused as a Gaumont cinema from 1913 to 1940, when this too was destroyed. The site is marked by a London Borough of Hackney historic plaque.

A typical night's entertainment would include 3–4 plays, with variety acts in the intervals between. Many Music hall acts would appear during the interval, and sometimes their acts were woven into the performance. The plays varied, from Shakespeare, Victorian melodrama and comedy. During the winter season pantomime was performed. [ [http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/icons/playbills/londonbritannia.htm "Playbills, productions and cast lists"] (Britannia Theatre Hoxton), in the Templeman collection of the University of Kent accessed 20 December 2006]

Unusually for a theatre, food and drink were served in the auditorium, in the style of contemporary Music halls.

History

Origins

Samuel Haycraft Lane was born in Lympstone, Devon in 1803. In 1821, he decided to escape the life of a fisherman and walk to London. After living hand to mouth and educating himself, with the help of a friend, William Brian, he encountered a troupe of actors who he had previously met on his journey. He helped the leader of the troupe, Jack Adams, to find premises for performance at the Union Tavern in Shoreditch. This hall catered for 500–seated and a similar number standing. Jack Adam's company performed a successful programme of drama, song, dance and acrobatics. Sam married Jack's daughter Mary, in 1835.Crauford, Alfred L. "Sam and Sallie: A novel of the theatre" (London: Cranley and Day, 1933).]

The troupe always had ambitions to perform serious drama, and in 1839, the company performed "Othello", breaking the law on theatrical performance, as they were not a Patent theatre. Lane lost his licence and paid a substantial fine. [http://www.craxford-family.co.uk/crauart1.php "The Making of the Britannia Theatre" Alan D. Craxford and Reg Moore] (extracts from "Sam and Sallie" at a family history website) accessed 21 December 2006] With the increase in London's population, and the increasing popularity of live entertainment, the law was finally changed with the Theatres Act 1843. ["The Theatres Act 1843" (6 & 7 Vict., c. 68) (also known as the "Theatre Regulation Act")]

In 1840, Lane and his colleagues thought they had identified a loophole whereby performances could be offered without charge, with profits made from the sale of programmes, food and drink. The Britannia Tavern in Hoxton was identified as suitable premises. This was the former "Pimlico" tea gardens, an Elizabethan tavern and had a large hall attached, holding about 1,000 people."Ruling the Britannia" Sian Mogridge 10 March 2008 "Hackney Today" pp 23] The "Royal Britannia Saloon and Brittania Tavern" was opened on Easter Monday 1841 by Sam Lane. The theatre was a success. Sadly, private life was more difficult, Mary became pregnant, and slipped and fell at a rehearsal, both she and the baby died. By 1858 having purchased the leases of surrounding properties, the theatre was rebuilt in larger form, with 3000 seats. This building designed by Finch Hill, consisting of two circles, a pit and a gallery and had a reported record attendance of 4,790.

The Britannia was notable for melodramas. These included "The String of Pearls" (1847), the first stage adaptation of the story of Sweeney Todd, written specifically for this venue by George Dibden Pitt. [Robert Mack (2007) "Introduction" to "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street". Oxford University Press.] The theatre had a resident dramatist, C.H. Hazlewood, who wrote many melodramatic spectacles for it, often based on successful novels of the time, including an adaptation of "Lady Audley's Secret" (1863).

Britannia theatre in 1865

Charles Dickens was a frequent visitor to the theatre, and noted in the "Commercial Traveller" (1865):

arah Lane

Sam married Sarah Borrow (1822–1899) in 1843. She was the daughter of an old friend, William Borrow, who Lane had appointed to a managerial position in the Britannia. Sarah had begun her own career on the stage, at the age of 17, as a singer and dancer, under the stage name "Miss Sarah Wilton". On Lane's death in 1871, Sarah, succeeded him as proprietor and manager, and continued until her own death in August 1899. She appeared regularly as principal boy, in the Britannia's annual pantomimes and in the annual benefit night, appearing in a final tableaux as "The Queen of Hoxton". Sarah Lane made her last stage appearance at the Britannia's 1898 Christmas show, aged 76. "Sallie" was a well respected and charitable member of the local community. Large crowds lined the route of her funeral procession from the theatre to Kensal Green Cemetery. Her estate was valued at a quarter of a million pounds, a significant sum in 1889. [http://www.craxford-family.co.uk/crauart2.php "The Britannia comes to the Craxfords"] accessed 12 February 2007]

Britannia theatre in 1900

A review of "King Doo-Dah", the Christmas pantomime, 1900, at the Britannia Theatre, appeared in the "News of the World":

Lupino family

The Lupinos were a theatrical family who often claimed that their scion arrived in England in 1620, as a penniless refugee. George William Lupino was a puppetter and the family continued to earn a theatrical living becoming associated with the harlequinade at Drury Lane. George Lupino Hook (1820–1902) adopted the stage name Lupino from performing with the family [Raymond Mander, Joe Mitchenson "Pantomime : a story in pictures" {London, 1973). In the 1881 census, the family are shown living at 50 Merrion Street, Leeds – as performers, with the middle name Lupino (RG/11 4536/28 pp.9).] and was associated with the Britannia, performing in leading roles and taking the role of Harlequin in pantomime. A prolific man, reputed to have had 16 children, many became singers, dancers and actors, receiving their first experience in the company. The eldest son, civil registration as George Emanuel Samuel Hook (1853–1932) became both a clown and a prominent actor, amongst his grandchildren was the Hollywood actress Ida Lupino. [imdb name|id=0526946|name=Ida Lupino accessed 27 February 2008] Lupino Lane was the son of Harry Charles Lupino (1825–1925), a favourite of Sarah Lane and pursued a career in films and musical theatre. [imdb name|name=Lupino Lane|id=0313449 accessed 27 February 2008] [ibdb name|name=Lupino Lane|id=48871 accessed 27 February 2008] Lupino Lane originated "The Lambeth Walk", in the 1937 musical "Me and My Girl"'. [imdb title|id=0420771|title=Me and My Girl (1939 BBC broadcast)] [imdb title|id=0032688|title=The Lambeth Walk (1940)]

End of an era

Soon after the 1900 pantomime, a serious fire damaged the building. The cost of bringing the building up to standard, forced the sale of the lease. It came into the hands of the Gaumont organisation, and became a cinema in 1913. In 1940, together with the nearby Pollock's Toy Museum, it was destroyed in World War II by German bombing.

Legacy

The Britannia theatre was unique amongst theatres of the time, for a number of reasons. Entry to the entertainment was always cheap, the income was made from sales of food and drink. There was an extra-ordinary continuity of management, the theatre was in the hands of the same family throughout its lifetime. The theatre also nurtured talent, many of the regular artistes were taken on at an early stage in their careers and remained with the theatre until retirement. The theatre prospered with the increasing free time and prosperity of its audience, and declined with the introduction of the cinema and later, radio.

Author and critic Compton Mackenzie summed up the enduring legacy of the Britannia, in "Echoes" (1954):

The Britannia Theatre was the subject of a novel called "Sam and Sallie: A novel of the theatre" (1933) by Alfred L. Crauford. The Crauford's had a long association with the Britannia, and Alfred was one of Sarah Lane's many nephews.

Notable performers

*Lupino Lane (actor and film director, actually great-nephew of Sarah Lane)
*Vesta Tilley (male impersonator)
*Arthur Lloyd (Scottish singer, songwriter, comedian)
*Joseph Reynolds (actor)
*George Barnes Bigwood (Resident "low comedian", and occasional stage manager) [Bigwood maintained a large collection of music hall material, much relating to the Britannia. This is now in the University of Kent theatre collection.]
*James Anderson, a renowned Shakespearian actor of the time, was engaged at a salary of £180 a week in 1851.

References

Further reading

*Crauford, Alfred L. (1933). "Sam and Sallie: A novel of the theatre". London: Cranley and Day.
* [http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/icons/playbills/londonbritannia.htm "Playbills, productions and cast lists"] Britannia Theatre Hoxton, in the collection of the University of Kent

External links

* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/717135/index.html "Film: Hoxton... Saturday July 3rd, Britannia Theatre (1920)]