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The Secret Victorianist at Wilton's |
Wilton’s Music Hall is a relic of London’s Victorian East
End – a nineteenth-century music hall attached to an eighteenth-century
terrace, which has functioned over the years as a venue for entertainment,
drinking, prostitution, religious congregation and, er, rag storage.
Its heyday was in the 1860s when music hall – comedy, dance,
song and dramatic tableau (all uncensored unlike full-length plays) – was all
the rage in London but this is a relic which is also very much alive. While I
joined one of Wilton’s regular historical tours, and enjoyed a cocktail in the Mahogany
Bar, the great thing about the Hall is that its role as a performance venue
continues, with a busy programme of dramatic and cultural events.
Wilton’s isn’t a museum. Throughout it feels definitively ‘lived
in’. Adaptations to the Hall prior to its opening in 1859 and subsequent to a
fire suffered in 1877, have given the building a somewhat haphazard air, with
doors and windows leading nowhere and keeping the venue watertight a real
challenge. Meanwhile the auditorium itself is decidedly shabby chic. You can
still see the gilt of the barley twist pillars (which feature in many period
dramas filmed here) and remnants of the older decorations, but the mirrored
walls, bright paints and incredible gas-lit chandelier are all gone, while the
original stage is covered for conservation reasons.
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Wilton's Music Hall (Credit: James Perry) |
This is not to say it’s not impressive. The auditorium is a
tardis-like surprise, sandwiched as it is between narrow terraces, and the
fairy lights strung up around it give a magical feel. The rowdiness of
Champagne Charlie’s songs has been replaced by something which is much more
serene but is absolutely still worth sampling.
As with most of Britain’s most fascinating buildings, Wilton’s
survival has at times been perilous. It took the rallying of recent generations
of actors, performers and poets to save it from demolition and work on the
building has been slow. With recently secured National Lottery funding and
ongoing renovation work to the terrace, Wilton’s attractiveness as a modern
venue and historic attraction should only increase. The digitisation of its
archive would also be invaluable for academics studying performance, local history
or ephemera of the period.
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The Mahogany Bar (Credit: James Perry) |
But for now, for only £6, you can take a trip back in time
on the tour, or alternatively head to Wilton’s for a drink or some great
entertainment – two things this London stalwart has been providing for the best
part of two centuries.
Do you know of any London sites you think the Secret
Victorianist should visit? Let me know here, on Facebook or by
tweeting @SVictorianist.
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