From tennis court to opera house

Barlow, Graham Francis (1983) From tennis court to opera house. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

From Tennis Court to Opera House The thesis is divided in three volumes. Volume I contains the narrative relating the reconstruction of three theatres, the Duke's Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, the New Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields and the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket. Volume II contains the graphic material, the plates that illustrate the narrative, and the Appendix. Plans and other related drawings are placed within the text in Volume I. Volume I is in three parts and includes the bibliography. Volume I, part 1, contains a projected reconstruction of the Duke's Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, (LIF I and LIF II), which existed from 1661 down to 1714. Volume I, part 2, contains a reconstruction of the Duke's Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, 1718-1745. Volume I, part 3, contains a reconstruction of the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket, 1705-1709. In each part which is devoted to an individual theatre, the plot on which the theatre was built is established. This is followed by a limited discussion of the managerial difficulties encountered by the entrepreneurs against the background of contemporary theatrical activity. The section then concludes with a projected reconstruction of that particular theatre in the light of an analysis of graphic and textual evidence. The theatre is described verbally and in graphic form, each reconstruction being accompanied by plans and elevations of the theatre under consideration. Part 1 traces the conversion by Sir William Davenant of Lisle's Tennis Court into the Duke's Theatre, Lincoln's Inn Fields which is considered to be the first modem theatre in England, A reassessment of the land leases for the plot on which the theatre stood shows that it was considerably larger than had been thought. On this revised plot the reconstruction is projected. Part 2 presents new evidence that establishes the site and structure of the third theatre that was built on the site of Lisle's Tennis Court, the New Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, (LIP III), built by Christopher Rich. Within this structure a projected reconstruction is offered of the theatre that operated between 1714 and 1745. Part 3 contains an analysis of designs by Sir James Thornhill. This pictorial evidence provides material allowing a projected reconstruction of the original theatre, the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket, built by Sir John Vanbrugh. The account and reconstruction of this theatre is limited to the years 1705-9, for these were the years during which it retained its original form. The state of the theatre following the alterations of 1709 is already well documented. This section concludes with a brief account of the influences upon Vanbrugh's theatre architecture and assesses his achievement. This collection of reconstructions can be read in two ways; either as an account of theatre architecture arranged historically, tracing the development through Lincoln's Inn Fields I and II and then diverging by two paths following first that pursued by Thomas Betterton and the Lincoln's Inn Fields Company who moved into the Queen's Theatre, and then moving on to study Lincoln's Inn Fields III; or alternatively, one may trace the series of theatres built in Lincoln's Inn Fields and then return to the building activities of 1705 and the Queen's Theatre.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Adviser: J BI McDonald
• Keywords: Architecture
• Date of Award: 1983
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1983-73940
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 14 Jun 2019 08:56
• Last Modified: 14 Jun 2019 08:56
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/73940