Curious and eventful stories from Sadler's Wells Theatre

 An illustrated talk by Carys Lewis

(Project Archivist: Sadler's Wells collection)

Carys Lewis will give a talk on 20 October at Sadler's Wells Theatre’s Kahn Lecture Theatre about key events in the history of the theatre using materials from the Sadler’s Wells archive  collection housed at Islington Local History Centre.

The early history of the theatre will be illustrated by playbills, scripts and drawings - and the oldest item in the collection, a pamphlet describing a murder in 1712. Carys will also explore more recent history, including the Sadler's Wells Fund of the 1920s, which restored the theatre to its former glory, and the Vic-Wells Ballet School that trained Dame Margot Fonteyn.

Sadler's Wells was founded in 1683 and has since staged nearly every form of entertainment imaginable, including drama, opera, novelty acts, cinema and, of course, dance. Join us to hear about the fascinating archive which documents the theatre’s long and exciting history.

Admission is free but booking is essential. To book contact Islington Local History Centre on 020 7527 7988 or email [log in to unmask]

Carys Lewis is based at Islington Local History Centre (Finsbury Library) and is currently cataloguing the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Archive.