Regency Hot Spots: Theatre (Leamington Spa)

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In the early 1800s, the theater was temporarily located in a building in High Street adjoining the hunting stables until 1814 when a small theatre was built on Bath Street.  It opened with the play of the Earl of Warwick and the Fortune’s Frolics farce (Moncrieff’s Guide to Leamington Spa (1830)).

Here is an ad from the opening:

THEATRE BATH STREET LEAMINGTON SPA J Simms has the honour of announcing to Nobility and Gentry of Leamington and its Vicinity the New Theatre will be opened for a short period the present season and by the beginning of the next hopes that the ornamental paintings and other will be executed in such a style of elegance as afford them entire satisfaction It will be his study provide Actors of merit and respectability and the opportunity will be taken of performing the newest which may conie out and by attending to a proper of Plays by the most eminent and favourite Authors trusts to the liberality of the public for remuneration his earnest endeavours will be to provide rational interesting pieces for their amusement THE THEATRE WILL BE OPENED On TUESDAY EVENING the 26th of October 1813 with AN OCCASIONAL ADDRESS By Way of Prologue WRITTEN BY MR BISSET To be spoken by Miss SIMMS After which will be presented Dr FRANKLIN's celebrated Historical Play of the EARL OF WARWICK End of the Play the favourite Ballad of LILLA OF LEAMINGTON Written also by Mr Bisset Will be sung by Mr Pover To which will be added the laughable Farce of FORTUNE'S FROLIC A Song by Miss Godwin and Comic Songs by Messrs SWENDALL and SMOLLET Dress Boxes 4s Upper Boxes 3s Pit 25 Gallery 1s Nights of performing Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays Doors open at six o clock and to begin at seven A Descriptive Guide of Leamington Priors (1814).

Leamington Spa was a place, like Bath, known “as a place of gaiety, the resort at all seasons of the fashionable and the wealthy” for which the theatre offered entertainment (New Guide to the Royal Leamington Spa, the Neighbouring Towns, and Surrounding Country (1839)).

THEATRE In Bath STARKT opposite the BATH Hotel Mr John SIMMS Proprietor and Manager The Days of Performance during the Season are Mondays Wednes days Fridays and Saturdays The Performances commence at Seven and the Terms of Admission are Boxes First Tier 48 Second Tier 38 Pit 23 Gallery Is Second Price Boxes First Tier 25 Second Tier 18 60 Pit 18 Gallery 60 New guide. An historical and descriptive account of Warwick and Leamington. (1816)

 

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