Nineteenth-century theatre
In the early 1800s, theatre attendance lessened, owing partly to economic decline and poor standards of acting and production. Patronage by the middle classes also fell as a result of theatre’s increasingly bad reputation and raucous nature. Consequently many closed or were converted to other uses.
The Industrial Revolution saw many people from the country migrate to the expanding industrial towns. This resulted in the decline of rural theatres, although some touring companies around the country continued to operate, but mainly from barn fit-ups. However, in the more populated urban centres there was a significant increase in theatre building.
In 1843, the Theatres Act removed the patent monopoly and allowed other theatres to present drama, with censorship still controlled by the Lord Chamberlain. This encouraged the building of new theatres, invariably by speculators seeking profit.
The act also legislated against the consumption of alcohol in the auditorium. This led to the closure of many small saloon theatres, which relied upon alcohol sales to stay in business. Yet, the same legislation enabled magistrates to grant public houses licences to offer a variety of entertainment, licences which led to the creation of a new form of popular theatrical entertainment known as music hall. Very soon, concert or supper rooms were built onto public houses which could sell alcohol and serve meals during their musical productions. They were usually well-lit rooms with a flat floor and a simple open platform stage with little or no scenery. The audience would sit on benches or at tables in front of the stage, or on balconies against one or more of the walls. They could come and go freely during the evening and were not restricted to performance times.
Eventually a specific type of theatre building was developed to cater for this new form of entertainment, called a music hall. They had fewer tables in front of the stage, using the space for benched seating to accommodate more people. Hundreds were built in working class areas as money-making concerns. Just like theatres, successful music halls were demolished and replaced by larger halls to accommodate even more customers.
New theatres were built with boxes, in which only a few people sat. Although they were close to the stage, they did not have the best views. But, they allowed the rich to sit apart from the rest of the audience in a prominent position, enabling them to be seen and admired in all their finery and jewellery. In some theatres the boxes were large enough to be used as a social space, with curtains that could be closed so that the occupants could enjoy supper or drinks.
By the middle of the nineteenth century theatre building was becoming a specialist architectural discipline, led by architects such as J T Robinson and C J Phipps. They were tasked with building even bigger theatres, with grander front of house arrangements and more luxurious social areas.
Often, older theatres were demolished and rebuilt to accommodate larger audiences. In the auditorium, rectangular galleries began to be replaced by horseshoe-shaped balconies that enveloped the stage and provided better viewing.
The intention was to bring respectability to theatre-going and make it more socially acceptable for the middle classes. To achieve this, different classes were segregated: financially by the cost of the tickets; and physically by the requirement to use separate entrances and exits and circulation routes. The rich entered via illuminated entrances, with grand staircases and rich carpets: the cheaper seats via smaller side or rear entrances, with less grand staircases and public areas. Also, the benched pit in front of the stage was replaced by more comfortable seats and carpeted aisles for the rich. The cheaper seats were now restricted to the rear stalls behind a wooden barrier, known as the ‘pit’, and the balcony or gallery.
Although theatre was enjoyed by much of the population, it was not always accessible throughout Britain. In rural areas of Wales the portable theatre was popular. These theatres toured the country and could be dismantled and moved easily. They were well supported in the small towns and villages which could not sustain permanent theatrical venues, and lasted until World War I.
