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A performance at Daly's was a cross section of the era. Here was taste, here was artistry, here was the best of everything. And in
Victorian and Edwardian days the best only was good enough. Quality mattered more than quantity. Here, under the selective power of the Guv'nor, were the best artists,
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Edwardes, nicknamed "the Guv'nor", ran Daly's in a lavish manner. He employed an orchestra of 40 players, and about 160 other staff in addition to the principals, supporting actors and chorus. The theatre cost him more than £3,000 a week to run. He liked to joke that he made all his money in the
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put it, "London had not responded to the
Americanised classics as Daly had hoped." Although the theatre retained his name for the remaining forty-three years of its existence, his company never returned, and for the next twenty years Daly's Theatre was run by Edwardes.
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provinces, with touring productions of his West End hits. His chorus was celebrated, particularly the female members. In his history of Daly's (1944) D. Forbes-Winslow lists ten future stars who were in the chorus at Daly's at the start of their careers, including
410:(1899), which ran for 768 performances. Forbes-Winslow rates Edwardes as a perceptive picker of composers: Jones wrote well-received scores for all four of these shows. In the first decade of the 20th century Edwardes's first new production at Daly's was
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with
English words by Hood and Ross, ran for 778 performances from June 1907 until July 1909. Mander and Michenson comment that it marked the introduction of Viennese operetta to London, albeit adapted into musical comedy.
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was transferred there in 1935. By the mid-1930s Daly's was the last surviving theatre in
Leicester Square, which had been taken over by large cinemas. It eventually closed in 1937 after the last performance of
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facade was more elaborate than that of most London theatres. Likewise, the entrance hall and foyer were elaborately executed and decorated. The auditorium had a seating capacity of over 1,200 in three tiers.
646:, which according to Mander and Mitchenson was a failure so abject as to have passed into stage history. White, overwhelmed with debts, killed himself in 1927 and the following year the theatre was bought by
695:, featuring a large relief panel in two corners depicting the spirits of sight and sound. This building was demolished, but the marble frontage was retained, and the site was redeveloped as the
185:, bounded by Lisle Street, Ryder's Court and Cranbourne Street, and raised the money – a little under £40,000 – to build a theatre. The architect was Spencer Chadwick, who was assisted by
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169:, presented a season of comedies, old and new. The season was well received, and Daly brought his company to London again four times between 1885 and 1891. They played at the
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and
Edwardes's daughter, Dorothy Sherbrook, became co-directors of Edwardes's company with Evett as managing director. The first production under the new regime was
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in May to make way for another
Bernhardt season at Daly's, followed by Augustin Daly's next – and as it proved last – season with his company. Daly's comedy
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as the resident composer and musical director, and Daly's became well known for a string of highly successful musical comedies. A second edition of
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569:(1916), which ran for 241 performances. The following year the company's finances were put back on a secure footing with the enormous success of
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321:. The latter had not been professionally staged in London since 1841, and despite respectful reviews and a starry cast including Rehan, Lewis,
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and other theatres, but the enthusiasm of the press and public suggested that Daly should have a permanent London base. The London impresario
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brought his company to London – the first time an entire
American company had performed in the West End. The company, which included
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636:, were well reviewed. In 1927 the theatre's policy of presenting musicals was briefly and disastrously abandoned in favour of
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124:(1927) was a notable failure. By the mid-1930s Leicester Square had become better known for cinemas. Daly's was sold to
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took over the management of the theatre. Daly's returned to musical comedies but found little further success.
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In 1905 Edwardes turned to continental Europe for the first time, presenting the
British premiere of
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the best composers, the best scenery, the best clothes, the prettiest girls, that could be found.
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114:(1917), which ran for 1,352 productions, but after that the fortunes of the theatre declined;
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Edwardes died in
October 1915. He left £49,780 but also substantial liabilities. The tenor
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This article is about Daly's
Theatre in London. For other theatres owned or operated by
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Edwardes staged four more new shows, all English adaptations of continental operettas:
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After this the theatre was occupied by two visiting European companies, those of
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In 1922 the trustees of the Edwardes estate sold the theatre for £200,000 to
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Eden, David and William Parry (2004). Notes to Hyperion CD CDA67486
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189:. The theatre was one of the first in London to be built using the
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108:(1907). After Edwardes died in 1915 Daly's had one more great hit,
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The theatre was built for and named after the American impresario
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315:(an adaptation of a German play) was followed by Shakespeare's
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cinema complex. It changed hands again, and as of 2022 is the
513:(1912) – all with English words by Hood and Ross, and in 1913
241:, which was not well received and closed after three weeks.
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ran the house, where he presented a series of long-running
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Former buildings and structures in the City of Westminster
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who demolished it and erected a large cinema on the site.
81:. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937.
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takes over the running of the theatre from the departing
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in a French season. In September 1894 Edwardes presented
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that followed did better, but as the theatre historians
102:(1896), and English adaptations of operettas, including
535:, with music by Rubens and Ernest Steffan and words by
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succeeded Welchman in 1933, and under his management
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333:, it did not attract the public. The production of
469:and Ross had a shorter run (196 performances) but
365:. Of Edwardes's management Forbes-Winslow writes:
691:and E. A. Stone with a marble facade sculpted by
77:. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off
1209:Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
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1116:(second ed.). London: New English Library.
870:, 3 July 1895, p. 5; and "The London Theatres",
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967:, 22 February 1922, p.10; "Madame Pompadour",
531:and Ross. Edwardes's last show for Daly's was
392:opened in September 1895 and was followed by
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1145:with photos and several original programmes.
971:, 21 December 1923, p. 8; and "Cleopatra",
814:, 27 May 1893, p. 9; and "Daly's Theatre",
297:In February 1895 Edwardes presented another
66:Daly's Theatre and Leicester Square, c. 1905
1214:Renaissance Revival architecture in England
1184:Buildings and structures demolished in 1937
597:, which ran for 306 performances, and then
1077:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
1041:, cinematreasures. Retrieved 29 March 2019
1112:Mander, Raymond; Joe Mitchenson (1976) .
687:Warners built a large cinema designed by
1138:Photos and information about the theatre
593:(1920) with music by Fraser-Simpson and
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455:(1905), which ran for 400 performances.
442:(1904), which ran for 365 performances.
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1057:Daly's: The Biography of a Theatre
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840:"French Plays at Daly's Theatre",
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483:Between the end of the run of
149:In 1884 the American producer
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896:Forbes-Winslow, pp. 34 and 42
270:gave the British premiere of
996:The End of Daly's Theatre",
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1204:Charles J. Phipps buildings
1055:Forbes-Winslow, D. (1944).
827:"The Christmas Novelties",
810:"Eleonora Duse in London",
605:, which had a similar run.
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1194:Theatres completed in 1893
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145:Background and early years
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1189:Former theatres in London
950:"New Songs For 'Sybil'",
671:was revived in 1934, and
572:The Maid of the Mountains
553:The Maid of the Mountains
336:A Midsummer Night's Dream
111:The Maid of the Mountains
1023:"Warner West End 1938",
963:"The Lady of the Rose,"
831:, 29 December 1894, p. 6
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262:, transferring from the
205:The theatre opened with
16:Former theatre in London
1159:Drawings of the theatre
1114:Lost Theatres of London
1029:, 1 October 1993, p. 22
954:, 3 November 1921, p. 8
757:23 September 1937, p. 8
724:"The London Theatres",
504:The Count of Luxembourg
318:Two Gentlemen of Verona
268:Carl Rosa Opera Company
264:Prince of Wales Theatre
208:The Taming of the Shrew
923:Forbes-Winslow, p. 206
648:Isidore W. Schlesinger
632:, 1925), all starring
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461:(1906), with music by
416:(1902), with music by
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914:Forbes-Winslow, p. 42
905:Forbes-Winslow, p. 34
663:That's a Pretty Thing
587:. It was followed by
585:Harold Fraser-Simpson
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341:Mander and Mitchenson
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233:Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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1099:. London: Rockliff.
1026:Screen International
975:, 3 June 1925, p. 10
887:, 10 July 1895, p. 5
857:, 26 June 1895, p. 5
844:, 18 June 1895, p. 3
818:, 19 June 1894, p. 6
728:, 21 June 1884, p. 6
614:The Lady of the Rose
523:in an adaptation by
313:The Railroad of Love
250:La Dame aux camélias
48:51.51111°N 0.12944°W
874:, 6 July 1895, p. 7
684:who demolished it.
520:The Marriage Market
498:The Dollar Princess
195:Italian Renaissance
75:City of Westminster
44: /
1153:University of Kent
883:"Daly's Theatre",
866:"Daly's Theatre",
853:"Daly's Theatre",
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539:, Unger and Ross.
537:Frederick Lonsdale
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348:The Edwardes years
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53:51.51111; -0.12944
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624:(Fall, 1923) and
458:The Merveilleuses
452:The Little Michus
390:An Artist's Model
384:Edwardes engaged
304:An Artist's Model
277:Hansel and Gretel
219:, and in 1894 by
163:Mrs G. H. Gilbert
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477:Franz Lehár
426:Adrian Ross
422:Paul Rubens
404:(1898) and
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167:James Lewis
116:Noël Coward
51: /
1168:Categories
1059:. London.
510:Gipsy Love
475:(1907) by
467:Basil Hood
463:Hugo Felix
395:The Geisha
379:The Geisha
248:, playing
191:cantilever
99:The Geisha
36:51°30′40″N
1105:470106222
1073:cite book
998:The Times
973:The Times
969:The Times
965:The Times
952:The Times
755:The Times
626:Cleopatra
620:, 1922),
155:Ada Rehan
1093:(1957).
800:57719734
653:In 1929
640:'s play
493:Leo Fall
487:and the
118:'s play
39:0°7′46″W
1049:Sources
872:The Era
829:The Era
812:The Era
726:The Era
643:Sirocco
407:San Toy
215:, with
132:History
121:Sirocco
1120:
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1065:857543
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175:Gaiety
171:Lyceum
23:, see
709:Notes
599:Sybil
533:Betty
1118:ISBN
1101:OCLC
1079:link
1061:OCLC
796:OCLC
432:and
420:and
361:and
329:and
225:and
197:and
165:and
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