The Music Hall and Theatre History Website

Homepage - Site index - Contact me

____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Britannia Theatre 115 - 117 High Street, Hoxton

Above - The Britannia Theatre, Hoxton - Courtesy Peter Charlton

The Britannia Theatre, Hoxton was built in 1858 and is considered to have been one of the most important 'Saloon Theatres' of its period. These were quasi-drama houses adjoining public houses. Originally there had been a 'Saloon Theatre' behind the Britannia Public House built for Samual Lane. This was so successful that in 1858 he commissioned Finch Hill & Paraire to build him a new Theatre with a horse-shoe shaped auditorium. Finch Hill & Paraire, of 441 Oxford-street, had previously built a number of early music halls, and were the architects for the Theatre Royal, Holborn in 1866.

The Britannia Theatre was later managed by Sara Lane, Sam Lane's widow, who was an actor and singer of some repute, and the Britannia was so popular with local audiences, with it's spectacular melodramas, that it soon became known as the Drury Lane of East London.

In 1923 the Britannia was converted into a Cinema and gave up live productions, showing films exclusively.

Sadly the Theatre was bombed during the war in 1940 and mostly demolished, although there were still some fragments remaining until the 1970s.

Arthur Lloyd is know to have performed here in 1865.

The Britannia Theatre, Hoxton by Ronald Mayes

This fascinating little theatre, which stood in High Street Hoxton was unknown to any save its supporters in the North of London, drawn mainly from the districts of Hoxton and Kingsland. It stood on the site of an Elizabethan hostelry and gardens, called the "Pimlico" which was a favourite resort of London citizens for many a long year.

On Easter Monday 1841, The Royal Britannia Saloon-Britannia Tavern, Hoxton as the house was originally called was opened by Samuel Lane. His widow, Sara Lane, succeeded him in 1849, and was the manageress until her death in 1899.

Right - The Britannia Theatre Hoxton.

The theatre was unique in that it continued so long under one management; its actors, in the main, joined the company when young and many remained until their death. Authors too, wrote exclusively for the house, the drama peculiar to the theatre, preaching the gospel of rags. The Christmas pantomimes, which were well staged, usually ran up to Easter.

These early saloons were the forerunners of the music halls, having a particular licence which, whilst preventing the performance of Shakespeare, allowed the consumption of food and drink.

The Britannia held anything between three to four thousand people - the gallery was 3d., the pit 6d., and there were a few stalls at 1s. each.
Mrs. Lane, who was so well beloved of the surrounding districts that she could go alone unmolested where policemen had to go in couples, served up such shockers as "Sweeney Todd, The Barber Fiend of Fleet Street," "Maria Martin," or "The Murder in the Red Barn," &c. In 1851 James Anderson was engaged at a salary of £ 180 per week to play Shakespearean parts.

The old saloon was closed in 1858, and some adjacent houses were bought, on the site of which the Britannia Theatre arose. Here every variety of entertainment was given - "Pepper's Ghost," giants, acrobats, swimmers, Tom King, the pugilist, &-co.

Until almost before her death Sara Lane played "principal boy" in the yearly pantomime and acted as "Queen" at the "Britannia Festival," or annual benefit night. On these occasions the Festival would open about six o'clock with a drama, followed by acrobatic turns, songs, and dances. In the intervals refreshments of gigantic proportion were served. Attendants staggered under loads of sandwiches, fried fish, and hot saveloys. Others laboured carrying round their waist a wide zinc belt divided into compartments for porter and ale and provided with taps for
drawing off the liquid refreshment.

The turn of the evening arrived and the curtain went up showing Mrs. Lane, the Queen of Hoxton, surrounded by members of her troupe. Each member was then presented, and received a present from the manageress, afterwards turning to the audience and saying a few words.

The packed house, who knew the inner lives of the players as well as they did themselves, then threw bouquets - not the usual kind - but articles they thought the recipients in need of - joints of meat, boots, intimate wearing apparel, &c. In fact, stall holders frequently had to put up their umbrellas in case a parcel fell short. The audience then dispersed about midnight, tired but happy.

From 'The Romance of London Theatres' By Ronald Mayes.

Obituary for Frederick Perry who died 4 April 1917

A Famous Drummer
Military Funeral at Abney Park Cemetery

The internment took place yesterday, in the family grave at Abney Park Cemetery, of Mr Frederick William Perry who had the reputation of being one of the finest drummers in the world. His death occurred on Wednesday week, in his eighty-first year, and he is survived by his wife, Mrs Julia Mary Perry, who, a year younger than her husband, is an invalid, and lives at Frampton Park Road, South Hackney, where the couple had resided for the past thirty-five years. (Julia died 1920).

The late Mr Frederick Perry comes of a military and professional family. His father was Band Sergeant-Major of the Coldstream Guards, his grandfather was bandmaster of the Grenadier Guards and his great-great- grandfather also belonged to this latter regiment. The two last named members of the family died in Chelsea Hospital. The deceased, in his earlier days was noted as being one of four men who could properly play the ophicleide, a large brass German instrument used in military bands but now defunct owing to its difficult manipulation. Of his two sons, the elder became bandmaster to the 10th Lincolnshire Regiment, and also held the post of bandmaster to musicians of the Great Western Railway, India, in which country he died. The other son Mr Alfred Perry also served as a trooper in the 13th Hussars, afterwards entering the theatrical profession, with which the deceased drummer's seven daughters also became associated - two under the name of Curette.

A Magnificent War Record.

Mr Perry was corporal drummer in the Honourable Artillery Company for about forty years and was also a member of the Veterans' Corps of Hackney. He has serving with the Forces at the present time 21 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

Another interesting fact, from a local point of view, is that Mr Perry was for fifty-two years drummer at the Britannia Theatre, Hoxton, he being the only musician who sat in the same orchestra for such a long period. In recognition of his services, Mrs Sara Lane, the then proprietress of the theatre made him a public presentation on his fiftieth anniversary, of a gold watch and albert, subscribed for by herself and others connected with the theatre. He was her oldest servant. His association with the "Old Brit" ceased when the Crawfords parted with it about ten years ago. Up to just prior to his death, however, he was still beating the drum and fulfilling engagements.

Many of the drummers in London were Mr Perry's pupils, and he had the distinction of training the late Queen Victoria's trumpeter to beat the drum and play the cornet. He himself received his tuition at the same time as the Duke of Edinburgh.

At yesterday's internment the coffin was covered with a Union Jack belonging to the Hackney Veterans' Corps, and his four grandsons, Messrs William and Thomas Danford, Sydney Woodhurst and Ernest Forrester acted as pall bearers.

Frederick William Perry's obituary courtesy Liz Shea.