Everything about The Opera Comique totally explained
The
Opera Comique was a 19th-century opera house constructed between
Wych Street and Holywell Street with entrances on the East
Strand. The theatre opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, for the construction of the
Aldwych and
Kingsway. It is perhaps best remembered for hosting several of the early
Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
History
The Opera Comique opened in 1870, followed shortly by construction of the adjoining
Globe Theatre in Newcastle Street. The two theatres, both owned by Sefton Parry, were built back to back and called the "Rickety Twins," on the site of the former Lyon's Inn, an old
Inn of Chancery, previously belonging to the
Inner Temple. The theatre, built partly underground, had three entrances through long narrow tunnels from three streets (including the Strand) and was therefore nicknamed the "Theatre Royal, Tunnels". It was reportedly hastily built, and draughty, and its long flight of stairs leading down to the level of the stalls was a dangerous fire hazard. However, it was nicely decorated. Parry built the theatre cheaply, hoping ‘to make handsome profits in compensation when the area was demolished, which was even then in contemplation.’
The theatre was opened in October 1870 with a French company led by the veteran actress
Pauline Virginie Déjazet and was followed by the Parisian company,
Comédie-Française, who made the theatre their base during the
Franco-Prussian War.
The first home-grown production at the theatre was a musical play in 1871, based on a
Molière work, called
The Doctor in Spite of Himself, with music by
Richard D'Oyly Carte, which was a failure. The theatre then turned to presenting French works in translation however the public didn't approve of its French name and repertoire, and the theatre wasn't popular. In 1873, Italian tragedienne
Adelaide Ristori, appeared there.
In November 1877, however, Carte took on the lease and returned to produce the première of
Gilbert and Sullivan's
The Sorcerer, a proudly English
comic opera, at the theatre. This was followed in 1878 by the patriotic
H.M.S. Pinafore (during the performance on
31 July 1879, Carte's former business partners tried to seize the set), which became a nearly unprecedented hit, running for 571 performances. Two more successes followed,
The Pirates of Penzance (1880), and finally
Patience (1881), which was later transferred to Carte's larger new theatre, the
Savoy Theatre. During this period, Carte also presented various companion pieces with the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, including the 1877 revival of
Dora's Dream by Arthur Cecil and
Alfred Cellier;
The Spectre Knight (1878); revivals of
Trial by Jury; several pieces by
George Grossmith beginning in 1878:
Beauties on the Beach,
A Silver Wedding,
Five Hamlets, and
Cups and Saucers; revivals of Gilbert's
After All!; a
Children's Pinafore (1878);
In the Sulks (1880); and
Uncle Samuel (1881).
Once the
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company left the theatre, its fortunes declined. Later productions includied farces and burlesque, such as
Mother-In-Law (1885, by George R. Sims), which was paired with
Vulcan, by Rose and Harris.
The Opera Comique was rebuilt in 1895 and closed in 1899, to be demolished in 1902 when the maze of slums in the area was redeveloped to create
Aldwych (named after old
Wych Street) and
Kingsway.
Further Information
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