Haymarket Theatre

Haymarket Theatre. Originally a summer theatre, built by John Potter, a carpenter, and opened for the first time, December 29, 1721. It was known at first as "The Little Theatre in the Haymarket," to distinguish it from the other theatre on the opposite side of the street, built by Vanbrugh a few years earlier. [See Haymarket Opera House.] A company of actors, calling themselves "The Great Mogul's Company," hired the house about 1735, and brought out several of Fielding's dramatic satires; especially Pasquin and the Historical Register, These pieces gave rise to what is called the Licensing Act, (10th of Geo. II. c. 28), by which it was enacted that from and after June 24, 1737, no part of any play or performance should be represented for remuneration without the sanction or license of the Lord Chamberlain: that all plays, not already licensed by that officer, should be sent for his approval or prohibition fourteen days at least before the day named for performance, under a forfeit of £50 and the license. Macklin in 1744 was manager of the Little House, and in 1747 was succeeded by Foote, who continued manager for thirty years. In 1750 a troop of French players was introduced at this theatre, but the audience and populace would not allow them to perform. In the riot that ensued "several young men of quality" drew their swords in support of the actors.¹ In July 1766 a patent passed the Great Seal for the establishment of a new theatre to Samuel Foote, Esq., only.² In 1767 it was made a Royal Theatre. In 1777 Foote sold his license to the elder Colman for an annuity of £1600, with permission to play so often, and on such terms, that he could gain £400 more. "What Colman can get by this bargain," Dr. Johnson writes, "but trouble and hazard I do not see." It turned out fortunate; for Foote, though not then fifty-six, played on three occasions only, and died in less than a year from the date of sale. In 1778 George Frederick Cooke made his first London appearance at this theatre as Castalio in Otway's Orphan, and was thought so little of that he did not return to London for twenty-two years. Colman (d. 1795) was succeeded by his son, George Colman the younger, whose season commenced June 14, 1790, and who in 1805 sold a half share of his license to Messrs. Morris and Winston. Here, January 16, 1748–1749, a large audience assembled to see a man get into a quart bottle. The contriver of this silly hoax was the Duke of Montagu, eccentric in his humour as well as in his benevolence. The person who appeared was a poor Scotchman who had some office about the India House.³ On February 3, 1794, George III. and Queen Charlotte visited the theatre, when the rush at the pit doors was so great that fifteen persons were crushed to death, and a larger number injured. Henderson, Bannister, Elliston, and Liston, made their first appearance before a London public on the boards of the "Little Theatre," and here John Poole's Paul Pry was originally performed. The "Little House" was permanently closed, October 14, 1820, and the new Haymarket Theatre (built from the designs of John Nash) publicly opened July 4, 1821. It stands on a piece of ground immediately adjoining the former theatre. It continued practically unaltered till the close of Mr. Buckstone's management in 1879, when it was taken by Mr. Bancroft, who entirely reconstructed the interior (Mr. C.J. Phipps, architect), to the great improvement of its general appearance and the view of the stage. But the principal change was the conversion of the whole area of the pit into "stalls"—the stalls being crimson velvet armchairs, and the substitution of seats in the second circle at pit prices. The reconstructed theatre opened on Saturday, January 31, 1880, when there was a serious "demonstration" by the ejected frequenters of the pit, but the protest having been made, the audience have since silently acquiesced in the alteration. There is a private entrance from Suffolk Street.

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¹ Walpole's George the Second, vol. i. p. 13.
² Gentleman's Magazine for July 1766, p. 339.
³ Sir Walter Scott, in Quarterly Review for June, 1826.

The Haymarket Theatre

The First Haymarket Theatre or Little Theatre was built in 1720 by John Potter, carpenter,¹⁵³ on the site of an inn in the Haymarketⁿ⁵ and a shop in Suffolk Street kept by Isaac Bliburgh, a gunsmith, and known by the sign of the Cannon and Musket.¹⁵⁴ It lay a little to the north of the present theatre, two houses south of James Street, and was, in fact, at the north-west corner of the original Depon's Close or Suffolk Stable ground (see p. 89). The theatre opened on 29th December, 1720, with a French play La Fille à la Morte, ou le Badeaut de Paris performed by a company later known as "The French Comedians of His Grace the Duke of Montague." In 1730 it was taken over by an English company, and its name changed to the "Little Theatre in the Haymarket." Among the actors who appeared there before 1737 when the theatre was closed under the licensing Act of 10 Geo. II cap. 28 were Aaron Hill, Theophilus Cibber and Henry Fielding. From 1741 to 1747, Charles Macklin, Theophilus Cibber, Samuel Foote, and others sometimes produced plays there either by use of a temporary licence or by subterfuge; one advertisement runs "At Cibber's Academy in the Haymarket, will be a Concert, after which, will be exhibited (gratis) a Rehearsal, in the form of a Play, called Romeo and Juliet."¹⁵³

In 1754 John Potter, who had been rated for the theatre since its opening, was succeeded by John Whitehead. In 1758 Theophilus Cibber obtained from the Lord Chamberlain a general licence under which Samuel Foote tried to establish the Haymarket as a regular theatre. With the aid of the Duke of York he procured a royal licence to exhibit plays during four months in the year from 10th May to 15th September during his life; he also bought the lease of the theatre from Potter's executors and, having added to the site by purchasing adjoining property, he enlarged and improved the building which he opened on 14th May, 1767, as the Theatre Royal.ⁿ⁶ Several successful seasons followed, but Foote finally got himself into difficulties by his custom of caricaturing well-known persons on the stage and this, combined with increasing ill-health, resulted in his selling both theatre and patent to George Colman on 16th January, 1777.²⁸

During the season of 1793–94 when Drury Lane Theatre was being rebuilt, the Haymarket was opened under the Drury Lane Patent. The season was notable for a "Dreadful Accident" which occurred on 3rd February, 1794, "when Twenty Persons unfortunately lost their lives, and a great Number were dreadfully bruised owing to a great Crowd pressing to see his Majesty, who was that Evening present at the Performance."¹⁵⁵

George Colman senior died in 1794 and the theatre descended to his son. George Colman junior, though successful both as playwright and manager, dissipated his gains by his extravagance. For a time he lived in a room at the back of the theatre and he was finally forced to sell shares in the latter to his brother-in-law, David Morris.²⁸ Monetary difficulties increased and for a while Colman managed the theatre from the King's Bench Prison where he was confined for debt. The old theatre was pulled down in 1820.

The second Haymarket Theatre. All the buildings on the east of the Haymarket from the theatre southward were rebuilt circa 1820 in connection with John Nash's schemes for the improvement of the neighbourhood. Nash persuaded the proprietors of the theatre to rebuild on a site a little south of the old one so that the portico should close the vista from Charles Street. A lease dated 20th June, 1821, was granted to David Edward Morris of "a plot of ground on the east side of the Haymarket and west side of Great Suffolk Street with a Theatre and a Messuage thereon" for 99 years at a rent of £356 9s. 6d.¹⁵⁶ The theatre was opened on 4th July, 1821, with The Rivals.ⁿ⁷

The main front feature of the elevation to the Haymarket comprises a pedimented portico of six Corinthian columnsⁿ⁸ which extends in depth to the edge of the pavement and includes the whole frontage with the exception of an entrance doorway on each flank.ⁿ⁹ The back of the portico is in two stages, the lower being occupied by arched entrances and the upper by windows agreeing with the intercolumniations. To the main wall of the front above the pediment is a series of nine circular windows with iron frames and radiating bars—the whole being treated as a panelled frieze with the main cornice continuing the whole width of the building and acting as a tie to the main façade (Plate 86a).

The elevation to Suffolk Street is in stucco similar to the Haymarket front with the lower stage rusticated. A group of five arched windows masks the back of the stage, while above the main cornice is an attic with elliptical windows interspaced by pilasters (Plate 88a).

Until recently, when the premises on the north side of the theatre were rebuilt, the front wall of the old theatre was retained (see Plates 85a, 86a).

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ⁿ⁵ Brayley states that it was called the King's Head. An inn of this name is shown on the plan of St. Martin's parish given in the 1720 edition of Strype's Stow on a level with the north end of Great Suffolk Street.

ⁿ⁶ It is sometimes stated that he rebuilt the theatre entirely, but this seems unlikely. Fitzgerald states that he "incorporated a house in Little Suffolk Street with the theatre, removed two shops which were in front, in the Haymarket, built a portico, increased the number of avenues and added a second gallery to the auditory."

ⁿ⁷ For the later history of this theatre and an account of the plays produced there the reader is referred to Allardyce Nicoll's History of Early 19th Century Drama and Cyril Maude's The Haymarket Theatre.

ⁿ⁸ Mr. John Summerson is of opinion that the columns are of brick construction covered with "Hamelin's Patent Mastic." In view of the fact that Nash was partial to the use of cast iron columns the practice here adopted is interesting; probably the scale was too great for the columns to be made in one piece.

ⁿ⁹ The small circular window in the tympanum of the pediment is a modern insertion.

²⁸ Dict. Nat. Biog.
¹⁵³ E. W. Brayley, London Theatres, 1826.

¹⁵⁴ Middx. Reg. 1729, VI, 379.

¹⁵⁵ Contemporary Pamphlet.

¹⁵⁶ Appendix to Fourth Report H.M. Woods and Forests.