I LLINOI S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Brittle Books Project, 2010. THEATRES AND MUSIC REITri-Nx of all premises iii the Administrative County of London hicensedl for pu-lblic entertainments (other than those merely. licensed temp orarily),showin for each place the borough or city in which sitnated, the approximate accommoda- tiarn, the ©bjee-ts of licence, and any conditions attached to theliCrave, and (sip far as theatres and m usic halls.a~re concerned) 'the rateable value in foice. Ordered by .the Theatres and Music Halls Committee to be printed, 22nd July, 1908.) ~Ito LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL~, Local Government and Statistical Department, ;County Hall, Spring Gardens, S.W. Janiaary,-1904. PRINTEJDron THE' LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL BY JAB. TIIUSCOTT AND SON, LTD., And may be purchased,, either directly or through any Bookseller, from jS,_ KING AND SON, 2 AND 4, G. PAT SMITH-STREET, VICTORIA-STREET, WESTMINSTER, S.W., Agents ,Jtr.the sale (f the Publieatians of' the Lendon :Jount 1 tottici1. COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION In Public Domain. Published prior to 1923. This digital copy was made from the printed version held by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It was made in compliance with copyright law. Prepared for the Brittle Books Project, Main Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by Northern Micrographics Brookhaven Bindery La Crosse, Wisconsin 2010 ~oun iOf imdn THEATRES AND MUSIC HALLS. RETURN of all premises in the Administrative County of London licensed for public entertainments (other than those merely licensed temporarily), showing for each place the borough or city in which situated, the approximate accommoda- tion, the objects of licence, and any conditions attached to the licence, and (so far as theatres and music halls are concerned) the rateable value in force. EDGAR HARPER, Statistical Officer. (Ordered by the Theatres and Music Halls Committee to be printed, 22nd July, 1903.) LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL, Local Government and Statistical Department, County Hall, Spring Gardens, S.W. January, 1904. PRINTED FOR THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL BY JAB. TRUSCOTT AND sON, LTD.. And may be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from P. 5. KING AND SON, 2 AND 4, GREAT SMITH-STREET, VICTORIA-STREET, WESTMINSTER, S.W., Agents for the sale of the Publication of the London County, Council. No. 682.-Price 6d., post free 7d. [7985 MEMORANDUM. In London, in common with the rest of the country, all places for public enter- tainment are regulated and controlled in accordance with certain statutes. In dealing with the subject, Parliament has recognised two distinct classes of premises, and has enacted separate legislation for each class. The classes comprise premises licensed for (a) the performance of stage-plays, and (b) music and dancing, or music only. Stage-play Licences for stage-plays are governed by the Theatres Act, 1843 (6 and 7 licences. Vic., cap. 68). In accordance with this Act the Lord Chamberlain acts as licensing authority for theatres other than patent theatres "within the parliamentary bound- aries of the cities of London and Westminster, and of the boroughs of Finsbury and Marylebone, the Tower Hamlets, Lambeth and Southwark, and also within those places where Her Majesty, her heirs and successors shall, in their royal persons, occasionally reside." The rest of the county falls within the jurisdiction of the Council as successors to the justices of the peace. Music and Licences for music and dancing, or for music only, are governed by the dancing licences. Disorderly Houses Act, 1751 (25 Geo. II., cap. 36), and the Public Entertainments Act, 1875 (38 Vict., cap. 21). In this connection the Council is now the licensing authority for the whole of the county, the powers having been transferred from the Court of Quarter Sessions by the Local Government Act, 1888. Protection against The Metropolis Management and Building Acts Amendment Act, 1878 (41 fire, and 42 Vict., cap. 32), imposes certain powers and duties on the Council (as suc- cessors to the Metropolitan Board of Works) in connection with the structural defects and protection from fire in all places of public entertainment, whoever may be the licensing authority. Section 11 of this Act applies to those places in existence at the passing of the Act, and section 12 to those places to be provided thereafter. Both sections are so important that it may perhaps be as well to set out the salient words of the actual text as follows- 11.--" Whenever it appears to the Board that any house or other place of public resort within the metropolis which was at the time of the passing of this Act authorised to be kept open for the public performance of stage- plays- . under the authority of letters patent . or of a licence granted by the Lord Chamberlain . or by justices of the peace, or that any house, room or other place of public resort containing a superficial area for the accommodation of the public of not less than 500 square feet, which was at the time of the passing of this Act authorised to be kept open and which is kept open for dancing, music or other public entertainment of the like kind, under the authority of a licence granted by any court of quarter sessions, is so defective in its structure that special danger from fire may result to the public frequenting the same . the Board may, with the consent of the Lord Cham- berlain in the case of theatres under his jurisdiction, and of Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State in all other cases, if in the opinion of the Board such structural dlefects can be remedied at a moderate expenditure S. require the owner of such house, room, etc. to make such necessary alterations . within a reasonable time . ." 12.-" The Board may from time to time make . regulations S. for the protection from fire of houses or other places of public resort within the metropolis to be kept open for the public performance of stage-plays, and of houses, rooms, or other places of public resort . containing a superficial area for the accommodation of the public of not less than 500 square feet, to be kept open for public dancing, music, etc., . under the authority of letters patent, . or of licenses by the Lord Chamberlain . or by any justices of the peace, or by any court of quarter sessions, which may be granted for the first time after the passing of this Act. From and after the making of any such regulations, it shall not be lawful . to keep open any such house, etc. until the Board grant to such person a certificate in writing under their seal to the effect that such house, etc. was on its completion in accordance with the regulations . ." Provisional Section 13 provides for the granting of provisional licences in the case of licences. premises about to be constructed or in course of construction, but such licences are not of any force until confirmed by the licensing authority. Means of exit. Further duties are imposed on the Council under section 45 of the Metro- politan Board of Works (Various Powers) Act, 1882 (45 Vict., cap. 66), in connection with the improvement and regulation of means of exit, etc. " Af $L, 'ii r-- By the Baths and Wash-houses Act, 1896 (59 and 60 Vict., cap. 59), pro- Swimming baths. vision is made for the grant by the Council of licences for music or dancing, or for both purposes, in respect of public swimming baths. found most convenient Method of In dealing with the subject in this return it has been classification. to separate the various premises licensed for public entertainment into the three following classes- (i.) Theatres. (ii.) Music halls and theatres of varieties. (iii.) Concert balls, dancing-rooms and other places of entertainment. The first class does not comprise all the premises licensed for the per- formance of stage-plays, for there are several places licensed both for stage-plays and for music and dancing, though they are not theatres in the generally accepted meaning of the term, the stage-play licence being only made use of occasionally. Such cases have been relegated in this return to one of the other two classes. The second class comprises those premises where variety entertainments are regularly given, and the character of which may, perhaps, be further indicated by the fact that smoking is permitted in the auditorium. The third class consists of those places which are not included under either of the first two classes. premises which either possess a licence Intoxicating An asterisk (*) denotes those liquor licences. for the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquors or are annexed to premises so licensed. I.-THEATRES. Statistics. There are in all 53 premises where the public performance of stage- plays takes place regularly. Of these, two (Drury-lane and Covent-garden) enjoy letters patent direct from the Crown, 41 are situated within the licensing jurisdic- tion of the Lord Chamberlain, and the remaining 10 are licensed by the Council. The total rateable value of these theatres amounts to £115,837, and they provide seating accommodation for about 64,151 persons. Adopting another basis of classification, the total may be divided into 27 central theatres with seating accom- modation for about 27,967 persons, and 26 suburban theatres with accommodation for about 36,184 persons. No justices' licence is required for the sale and consumption of intoxicating Intoxicating liquors. liquors in theatres, an excise licence (which is granted as a matter of course) being all sufficient for the purpose. It will be noticed, however, that in the case of one theatre licensed by the Council the prohibition of the sale or consumptio' intoxicating liquors on the premises is made a condition of the licence, and in another case a similar restriction is confined to the auditorium only.