Theatres Exhibition

The Eagle Tavern and Grecian Theatre

This was transformed during the 1820s into the Eagle Tavern whose lawn was the scene for balloon ascents, wrestling and stick-fights.

Grecian Theatre – view of the Chinese Pavilion looking west. Copy of pen and ink wash drawing, c. 1835 (Ref: P14777)

In the early 1830s the Grecian Saloon was added to the tavern, offering a variety of musical concerts ranging from religious Lenten performances to operas rivalling Sadlers Wells, alongside conjuring acts and ‘the lady on the elastic cord’.

The Grecian survived until the end of the 19th century, and is remembered as the venue of the debut of the then 15-year-old future queen of the music halls, Marie Lloyd. A rebuilt Eagle pub still stands, famous as being the place where, according to one theory, local leather workers would pawn – ‘pop’ – their tools - ‘weasels’ – for the price of a drink.

Much of the site of the Grecian Theatre and the pleasure-gardens is now covered by a police station, although a last relic of these still survives as the pub’s beer garden.

The Britannia

Founded by Samuel Lane in 1841 it held 1,000 people and from its earliest days staged classical drama and Shakespeare as well as variety acts.

Britannia Theatre, Hoxton Street – pen and ink sketch of the extension, 1858 (Ref: P03592)  

In 1843 Sallie Barrow first appeared under her stage name Sara Wilton, and the next year took the role of principal boy in the first of the Britannia’s many prestigious pantomimes. She married Sam Lane and between them they founded the famous theatrical family of the Lanes and Lupinos.

The Britannia was enlarged in 1850, adding another 500 seats, but in 1858 was totally demolished and a new theatre built. With two tiers of circle, a pit and a gallery, it was designed to seat 3,200 but audiences far exceeded that number, the record attendance reputed to be 4,790.

Sam died in 1871 and Sara carried on the business but was not as successful as her husband. The Britannia went into decline, though it revived under the management of her nephew Alfred Lane Crauford when he took over in 1881. Sara died in 1899, her funeral procession a major spectacle as it wound through Shoreditch.  

Alfred and his brother took over the theatre but the great days were over, especially with cinema as a new and exciting attraction. After a number of owners, the Britannia was taken over by Gaumont during the First World War and remained a cinema until it was destroyed by incendiary bombs and a land mine in 1940.

The above photos and more theatre images are available to view at the Archives searchroom (please see below for address and opening times).