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King Street Theatre 1751 - 1780 Lady Huntingdon's Chapel 1786 - 1842

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
I came across this theatre after learning that Stephenson Street was once named King Street (see Stephanson Street thread). I've extracted a few snippets of information from Wikipedia, summarised below. It would be great if we could add any other information to this, once important, Birmingham Theatre.

* It was the first purpose-built theatre to open in Birmingham - it had earlier theatres, but King Street was an ambitious project based on established London patent theatres

* Opened on 25 September 1751 with its first performance being a "Shakespeare Night and Concert of Vocal and Instrumental Musicians". Box seats were 3 shillings, pit was 2 shillings, and gallery 1 shilling.

* Performances started at 7pm, season ran from June to September.

* King Street was built for actor-manager Richard Yates – then at the peak of fame at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - after a highly successful company visit to Birmingham the previous year

* 1760 theatre was under the direction of Thomas Hull. (Regular patrons included William Shenstone, a recognised leader of local society in the era of the Midlands Enlightenment).

* By June 1762, Hull maintained the theatre company with Joseph Younger, who retained his connection with the theatre until 1779

* It closed its doors in 1780, the building sometime thereafter was put to use as a Methodist chapel
 
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Showell's Dictionary tells us the theatre was, at one point, enlarged and was eventually "chapelised"! The date of its building varies from Wiki.

..... another theatre had been erected (in 1752) in King Street, leading out of New Street, near to the Free School, which, being enlarged in 1774, is described by Hutton as having few equals. ......

The King Street Theatre ...... was turned into a place of worship in 1786 ......
 
In the 1760s then, it was a shabby building in a dingy and dismal street with no lighting. Surprised that the Theatre gained success. But in the context of the poor conditions, the rebuilding and elegant refitting of the theatre in the 1770s makes sense. Also, competition from the New Street theatre must have been a driving force in cleaning up the King Street theatre, too.

Does anyone know when the Theatre/later Methodist Chapel was demolished ?
 
The theatre was a Lady Huntingdon Connexion chapel and the lease expired in King Street in 1842.

King Street chapel, a former theatre, was registered for public worship in 1786. It continued in use until 1842, when, the lease expiring, the congregation moved to Peck Lane.

According to Showells Dictionary the site was cleared in 1851. Wonder what happened on the site/at the building from 1842 until 1851.
 
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It's quite a long time for it to be left unoccupied.

The listed pieces in the 1849 sale (in addition to the building materials and fixtures, pews, gallery etc) of various vehicles might suggest some form of pre-sale occupation or activity (?)

And it seems to have been a fairly substantial building (c1849) having modern shop fronts at street level and two further storeys above. The 'modern shop fronts' suggest to me that it was put to other uses once Lady Huntingdon's congregation moved out.

On a couple of points about the Connexion chapel:

It's claimed that the internal arrangements were known to lend themselves to spectacular revivalist effects.(Source: British History Online: Religious History). What on earth does that mean ?!! Was the service/worship a theatrical experience ?

The architectural pieces in the 1849 sale eg iron Gothic arch church window, Gothic arch doors (nearly new), make me think further alterations were made to the theatre when it became a chapel.
 
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The listed businesses in King St in 1845 are below, though if it was known that it was a short term occupation, then probably not listed.

PO directory 1849.jpg
 
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