‘A kind of republic’: The City of London Theatre, 1837–1870

Abstract

Theatregoing in nineteenth-century London was a mass activity. It was also one that extended beyond the playhouses of the West End. Between 1837 and 1870, the City of London Theatre was one of a number of venues catering mainly to the inhabitants of the East End. Locating the City within a distinctive East End theatre complex, this article traces the life cycle of a significant social and cultural institution that combined entertainment with elevation in an accessible and attractive way. Demonstrating the growing interconnectedness of metropolitan life, the article shows how theatres like the City of London worked hard to give audiences the best in dramatic presentation that the capital had to offer. It also highlights the importance of different managerial strategies, the interplay between theatres and the authorities, and the crossovers between theatres and political movements such as Chartism.