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History

Early years London Short Let

The Old Lyceum Theatre was first built in 1765 on an adjacent site, and in the late 18th century, musical entertainments were given by Charles Dibdin. Famed actor David Garrick London Short Let also performed at the Lyceum. Between 1794 and 1809, the building was used as a circus, brought by Philip Astley when his amphitheatre was burned down at Westminster, and then a chapel, a concert room, and for the first London exhibition of waxworks displayed by Madame Tussaud in 1802.[3]

The theatre became a "licensed" house in 1809, and until 1812 it was used for dramatic performances by the Drury Lane Company after the burning of their own theatre, until London Short Let the erection of the new edifice. In 1816, Samuel Arnold rebuilt the house to a design by Beazley and opened it as "The English Opera House", but it was destroyed by fire in 1830. The house was famous as the first theatre in London to be lit by gas and for hosting the London première of Mozart's opera Cosi Fan Tutti.[4] During this period, the "Sublime Society of Beef Steaks,"[5] which had been founded in 1735 by theatre manager Henry Rich, had its home at the theatre for over 50 years until 1867.

London Short Let

The members, who never exceeded twenty-four in number, met every Saturday night to eat beefsteaks and drink port wine.[6] London Short Let
c. 1835 Engraving: Eliza Vestris in The Alcaid

Present site

In 1834, the present house opened slightly to the west, with a frontage on Wellington Street,[7] under the name "Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House". The London Short Let theatre was again designed by Beazley and cost £40,000. Composer John Barnett produced a number of works in the first few years of the theatre, including The Mountain Sylph (1834), credited as the first modern English opera (it was completely sung, with no spoken passages); It was followed by Fair Rosamund in 1837, Farinelli in 1839 and Blanche of Jersey in 1840. In London Short Let 1841–43, composer Michael Balfe managed the theatre and produced National Opera here, but the venture was ultimately unsuccessful. The house then became associated with adaptations of Charles Dickens's novels and Christmas books.[8] For instance, an adaptation of Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit ran for over 100 London Short Let performances from 1844–45 here, a long run for the time.