08/08/2026
Sadler’s Wells Theatre – More Than 340 Years of Performance
Behind the contemporary façade of Sadler’s Wells Theatre on Rosebery Avenue, Islington, lies an extraordinary theatrical history stretching back more than three centuries.
The story began in 1683, when Richard Sadler opened a “Musick House” on the site. Shortly afterwards a mineral spring was discovered in the grounds and its waters were promoted for their supposed medicinal qualities. Visitors came both to take the waters and to enjoy the entertainment — and the combination of Sadler’s name and his well gave the theatre the name it retains today.
A succession of theatres followed. During the nineteenth century Sadler’s Wells became particularly celebrated for Shakespeare under the management of actor Samuel Phelps, but by the early twentieth century its fortunes had declined.
Its revival owed much to the remarkable Lilian Baylis, already associated with the Old Vic, who campaigned for a new theatre on the historic site. The resulting fifth Sadler’s Wells opened in 1931, designed by F.G.M. Chancellor of Frank Matcham & Co.
There is an important distinction here. Frank Matcham himself had died in 1920. Chancellor had worked with him for many years and became the senior figure in the practice after Matcham’s death. The 1931 theatre was therefore a product of the continuing Matcham architectural practice, but was designed by Chancellor rather than Matcham himself.
Sadler’s Wells subsequently played an enormously important part in the development of British dance. Ninette de Valois’s Vic-Wells Ballet eventually evolved into the Royal Ballet, while the theatre also became closely associated with opera.
By the late twentieth century, however, the 1931 building could no longer meet the technical requirements of a major international dance theatre. A comprehensive redevelopment followed, resulting in the present Sadler’s Wells, which opened in October 1998, created through a collaboration involving RHWL Architects and Nicholas Hare Architects.
Although much of Chancellor’s theatre was removed, the redevelopment was not an entirely new building on a cleared site. Foundations and elements of the brick structure of the 1931 theatre were retained and incorporated into its successor, maintaining a physical link with the earlier building.
The modern auditorium seats around 1,500 and was conceived particularly for dance. Behind the scenes is a substantial stage, approximately 23.5 metres wide at its broadest point, with a 15-metre proscenium opening and a fly tower rising to a grid approximately 22.5 metres above stage level. Its computer-controlled flying and extensive technical facilities allow Sadler’s Wells to accommodate major productions and dance companies from around the world.
Today Sadler’s Wells presents and produces everything from ballet and contemporary dance to flamenco and hip-hop.
So while the building in this photograph is essentially a theatre of 1998, it represents a remarkable continuity: the same Islington site has welcomed audiences since 1683, when Londoners first ventured there for music, entertainment — and the supposedly health-giving waters of Mr Sadler’s well.
📍 Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London 🎭
