, 1889-05-12
SADLER'S WELLS.
A Famous Old Theatre Which
Is Still in Existence.
A CRADLE OF THE MIMIC ART.

1t Dates Back to the E~IIEabothan Era-It
Used to he Miles Out Of Londo but 1t
Is In Town Now-storIes About Grim
aid tho Famous Clown.
Let the curtain rise on the oldest theatre in
existence, Sadlers Wells theatre. Not only
tine oldest, but the most remarkable, the scene
Of some OF tho grandest triumphs OF the
scenic art, the cradle Of some Of the greatest
actors the world has seen
Il is in London.
In London now, but when 1t was first built
it was miles out Of town 1t stands In n part
Of the city which n century and a half ago
was in the country near the Fleet river.
Its position was for years almost romantic,
and it is oven now possessed Of elements Of
the picturesque. The New river ran through
its courtyard, skirted by immensely tall pop
lars, while close against tho theatre stood n
gigantic elm OF venerable age which spread
Its ranches over the river. Under those
poplars tho actors used To pace to learn their
parts Even up TO 1870 tho houso was 50
much in the country that Myddelton square
whcrc stands tho church which is seen In the
Illustrations was an immense field where
pcoplo used to be stopped and robbed OF their
road homo from the play. Today the parish
in which Sadlers Wells is situated has n pop
ulntiou greater than New York and the trav-
clcr must 60 four miles further to find n field.
The illustration represents tho stage end OF
the theatre seen from n portion Of the court
yard.
Tho outbuilding with skylights Mt the rear
WINS one OF tho paint rooms, the other being
In the roof betwoon the lantern and the box
Office building Tho ou~tbuilding beyond the
stage door was a scene dock.
ORIGIN OF THE
So much for the theatre. Now for its his
tory
Near the site Of the theatre some five or six
mineral springs bubbled up Having mcdi-
cinal virtues, their owners established spas,
with music rooms, to which fashionable
loungcrs md invalids rcsorted as in the mod
ern Baden Baden.
1t L. believed there wcro exhibitions of u
theatrical nature at tho music rooms at Sad
lers Wells rs far back as tho Eliznbothan
erh-there certainly wns such sport rs bear
batting.
In Sadlcr's time the music room was a large
wooden building Up to May, 1908, II WINS
called Sndler's Musical house and concerts
were regularly advertised there, tho orchcs-
ira consisting Of "~violins, hautboys, trum-
pets, drumsi" In IGg1 it was called Miles
Music house, and in that year great crowds
usod 10 60 10 see n man eat a 1.-Two FOWL
Sadlcr died about 100, and one Francis
Forccr, n harrister, left the law TO manage IL,
which he did, with variety entertainments,
until 1870. It was then Managed by n Mr..
Rospmnn, who in 1868 replaced It with n brick
building at IA cost OF S2l,O00. Old prints of
the date OF 1855 establish tho identity Of the
present building with tho samo nrcade-the
principal addition Inns been raising tho roof.
IL was surrounded by beautiful willows, elms
and poplars
In 1886 scenery WIS introduced there for
thu h~arloqulnndes md variety entertain
ments, tho admission TO which included a
n pint Of wine.
The theatre has since become world fnmous.
In the first place It is almost tho very cradle
OF spectacular scenic art, dividing honors
with Covcut Garden under John Rlchs mnn-
ngemcnt, and Drury Lnno when Clarkson
Staniicld was the artist.
1t was nm acknowledged home of panto-
mime even when the marvellous clown Joe
Grimaldi first appeared there rs n monkey at
tho ago Of 3, no less than lO7 years ago, and
its excellence in TINT regard remained unim-
pnired for n century.
In lG2 RosOmnn gave up tho management
10 King, tho famous comedian Of Covent
Garden. who held 1t till l7s2, when he sold it
for El2,oOo Charles Dibdin, tho elder, bo-
gan to write plays and songs for tho house
about l775.
In 1850 Mark Lonsdnle was conductor and
had n hand in the management.
THE TWO
The elder Griinaldi was employed ASA clown
ut this theatre, where his famous son made
his debut at the ago OF 3 in April, l7S2, pro
sutnhbly at tho Easter revival of the prior
Christmas pantomine Poor little Joe one
VtvlV mao Asu. ..I - 4 80
attached 10 n chain when the chain slipped
and tho mite Of u monkey went flying into
tho pit He had tho charm of n cat's immu-
nifty, for he was none tho worsei
What changes Of fashion tho old theatre
has seni At the period we speak of, when
little Grimaldi was . years old, his parents
used to druss him on Sundays in the fashion
able costume Of the time, and this was his
rig: A green embroidered coat, white satin
waistcoat, embroidered green knee brooches,
white silk stockingS shoes with paste buckles,
n shirt with u lace front crnvnt, a three
cornered hat, ruhlcs and n cano. There's a
model for n modern dude to set tho fashion
with.
MISS RoMANZINI N EpMUND KEAN.
In l1s6 Miss Romanzini Mrs. Blandl made
her debut there and two seasons later Bra
ham, the greatest OF all tenors, appeared.
About that time Henry Siddons, husband of
the great actress, became ono of tho proprie-
tors In 1901 Master Carey, Tho Pupil of
Nature" destined to become afterwards ia
nous as Edmund Kean, appeared Chis second
appearance on any stagc), and recited Rollo's
speech from "Pizarro.n His groat-grnndfa-
ther, HenryCaroy tho author of sally in Our
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