Sadler's Wells

Sadler's Wells, theatrical venue located in north London, comprising the Sadler’s Wells Theatre (around 1,600 seats) and the Lilian Baylis Theatre (200 seats). The Sadler’s Wells Theatre is known for its programmes of opera, ballet, and contemporary dance, while the smaller-scale Lilian Baylis Theatre (opened in 1988) is used for experimental and multimedia performances, as well as for theatre and contemporary dance.

As a venue for entertainment, Sadler’s Wells traces its origins back to Richard Sadler’s “Musike House” of the late 17th century. This was given a boost in popularity in 1683 by the rediscovery of wells on the site, which encouraged people to visit, take the health-giving waters, listen to music, and stroll around the gardens. Over the following centuries, the theatre’s performances (and with them, its fortunes) oscillated from jugglers, dancing dogs, and the great Grimaldi, to classical drama, until the theatre eventually closed in 1915.

The Sadler’s Wells Theatre was then rebuilt through the influence of Lilian Baylis, and reopened in 1931 with an alternating programme of drama and opera. A group of dancers under Ninette de Valois staged the first programme of ballet later that year, and the ballet programme became a regular event. The ballet company ultimately became the Royal Ballet and moved to Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House after World War II. In the post-war period, the Sadler’s Wells Opera became known for its innovations and introductions of foreign operas, as well as for its productions of the classics. The company moved to the London Coliseum in 1968, to form the English National Opera.

Sadler’s Wells Theatre was rebuilt again with the aid of a grant of £30 million from the Arts Council of England; the total cost of the two-year rebuilding scheme was £48 million. During the renovations the Sadler’s Wells company made the Peacock Theatre in central London its temporary home, presenting touring international dance companies such as Momix, NDT 2, Compania Antonio Gades, and Kodo, as well as British companies such as the Rambert Dance Company, the City Ballet of London, and the British Youth Opera. The Sadler’s Wells Theatre officially reopened in October 1998, with a performance from the Rambert Dance Company, and the theatre was dedicated to Baylis. It aims to continue to present the work of a wide range of dance companies.