90-578: The Royal Strand Theatre was located in the Strand in the City of Westminster . The theatre was built on the site of a panorama in 1832, and in 1882 was rebuilt by the prolific theatre architect Charles J. Phipps . It was demolished in 1905 to make way for Aldwych tube station . From 1801, Thomas Edward Barker set up a rival panorama to his father's in Leicester Square , at 168/169 Strand. On
180-888: A Member of the Dramatic Authors' Society by 1860. At the same time, he continued writing for the Strand, the Adelphi, the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , the Haymarket Theatre and the Princess's, among other London theatres. Among Byron's dozens of plays in the early 1860s, his early successes were mostly burlesques, such as Bluebeard from a New Point of Hue (1860); Cinderella (1860); Aladdin, or, The Wonderful Scamp (1861); and Esmeralda, or, The Sensation Goat (1861), all in rhymed couplets. Another success
270-474: A cost of £7,000and opened it on 5 April 1858 as the Royal Strand Theatre . His daughter, Louisa, was acting manager for a couple of years until her marriage to Major Lyon. Henry's eldest son William was also an active manager. Following Henry's depression and suicide in 1863, ownership passed to Henry's widow Mary Ann. Between 1868 and 1871, Eleanor Bufton (married to Arthur Swanborough) managed
360-498: A group of tourists staying the night at Trafalgar Square while about to embark for the Rhineland . The chorus of "Let's all go down the Strand – have a banana" is now recognised as a stereotypical part of Cockney music hall and parodied by English comedian Bill Bailey . John Betjeman used the title of the song for a television documentary made for Associated-Rediffusion in 1967. The same year, Margaret Williams used it for
450-411: A link was built to the tube station at Holborn , and in 1905 the theatre was acquired by Act of Parliament and demolished to enable Aldwych underground station to be constructed on the site. The many actors who were attached to the theatre protested against its deconstruction. The station is now closed but is said to be haunted by an angry actress who still scares people today. Apart from this theatre,
540-467: A noted man-about-town, while continuing to build his playwriting reputation, notably as co-manager, with Marie Wilton , of the Prince of Wales's Theatre . In 1869, he returned to the stage as an actor and, during the same period, wrote numerous successful plays, including the historic international success, Our Boys . In his last years, he grew frail from tuberculosis and died at the age of 49. Byron
630-761: A physician's clerk in London for four years and then studied medicine with his grandfather, Dr. James Byron Bradley, in Buxton . Byron married Martha Foulkes (1831–1876) in London in 1856. He entered the Middle Temple as a student briefly in 1858, but he had already begun writing for the stage and soon returned to that vocation. Byron joined several provincial companies as an actor from 1853–57, sometimes in his own plays and sometimes in those of T. W. Robertson (with whom he acted and starved) or others, but had little success. He described his early attempts at acting, and
720-484: A shop at No. 435 in 1891. It moved to No. 391 in 1893, and is now currently based at No. 399. The Strand Palace Hotel was designed by F.J.Wills and constructed in 1925–1930. The entrance was rebuilt in 1968, with the original being moved to the Victoria and Albert Museum . The Strand underwent extensive redevelopment in the mid-20th century. The length of road from St Mary's eastwards up to St Clement's
810-429: A stage comedy. Australian-born composer Percy Grainger used the name for his 1911 piano trio Handel in the Strand . Virginia Woolf wrote about the Strand in several of her essays, including "Street Haunting: A London Adventure," and the novel Mrs. Dalloway . T. S. Eliot alluded to the Strand in his 1905 poem "At Graduation" and in his 1922 poem "The Waste Land" (part III, The Fire Sermon, v. 258: "and along
900-423: Is seldom otherwise than neat, pointed and amusing. He fires verbal shots in such rapid succession that one laugh has scarcely died away when another is raised. In the delineation of character, too, he is often extremely happy". By 1874, he was showing symptoms of tuberculosis , which caused his retirement in 1882. His first wife died in 1876 at the age of 45, and the same year he remarried Eleanor Mary née Joy,
990-536: The Antonine Itinerary , and which later became known by the name Akeman Street . It was briefly part of a trading town called Lundenwic that developed around 600 AD, and stretched from Trafalgar Square to Aldwych . Alfred the Great gradually moved the settlement into the old Roman town of Londinium from around 886 AD onwards, leaving no mark of the old town, and the area returned to fields. In
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#17327719362941080-548: The Bishop of Carlisle , Salisbury House, used for royal lodgings in the 15th and 16th centuries, Bedford House demolished in 1704, Hungerford House, which was demolished and replaced, in turn, by Hungerford Market and Charing Cross station and Northumberland House , a large Jacobean mansion, the historic London residence of the Dukes of Northumberland ; built in 1605 and demolished in 1874. Northumberland Avenue now occupies
1170-591: The City of London , and is part of the A4 , a main road running west from inner London. The road's name comes from the Old English strond , meaning the beach or edge of a river, as it historically ran alongside the north bank of the River Thames . The river side of the street was home to grand houses, interspersed with slum alleys, between the 12th and 17th centuries. Historically important mansions built between
1260-486: The Greenwich Theatre , and resources were shared between the two theatres. According to Erroll Sherson, writing in 1923, the Strand was burlesque's first real nursery and its permanent home. Here graduated Marie Wilton (later Lady Bancroft), Patty Oliver and Edward Terry; each would later maintain the burlesque tradition at the Prince of Wales's , The Royalty , and The Gaiety , respectively. For some years,
1350-914: The Haymarket Theatre in London. He returned to acting, making his London acting début, in 1869, achieving much greater success than in his early attempts, as Sir Simon Simple in his comedy Not Such a Fool as He Looks . He followed this with successful outings as Fitzaltamont in The Prompter's Box: A Story of the Footlights and the Fireside (1870), The Prompter's Box (1870, revived in 1875 and often thereafter, and later renamed The Crushed Tragedian ), Captain Craven in Daisy Farm (1871) and Lionel Leveret in Old Soldiers (1873). Byron's acting
1440-463: The Middle Ages , the Strand became the principal route between the separate settlements of the City of London (the civil and commercial centre) and the royal Palace of Westminster (the national political centre). In the archaeological record, there is considerable evidence of occupation to the north of Aldwych, but much along the former foreshore has been covered by rubble from the demolition of
1530-728: The Olympic , Opera Comique , Globe , Old Gaiety and many others were swept away by the scheme, they were replaced by the Gaiety , Aldwych and New Theatres , and a realignment of the Lyceum . Strand, London The Strand (commonly referred to with a leading "The", but formally without ) is a major street in the City of Westminster , Central London . The street, which is part of London's West End theatreland , runs just over 3 ⁄ 4 mile (1.2 km) from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar , where it becomes Fleet Street in
1620-608: The Tudor Somerset Place, a former royal residence, to create a large platform for the building of the first Somerset House , in the 17th century. The landmark Eleanor's Cross was built in the 13th century at the western end of the Strand at Charing Cross by Edward I commemorating his wife Eleanor of Castile . It was demolished in 1647 by the request of Parliament during the First English Civil War , but reconstructed in 1865. The west part of
1710-469: The 11th century. In 1313, ownership passed to the Knights of St John. Henry VIII gave the house to William, Baron Paget in the early 16th century. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester , rebuilt the house in 1563, originally calling it Leicester House. It was renamed Essex House after being inherited by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex , in 1588. It was demolished around 1674 and Essex Street, leading up to
1800-513: The 1620s it was acquired by the royal favourite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham , and after an interlude during the Civil War it was returned to George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham , who sold it to developers in 1672. It was then demolished and new streets and buildings built on the site, including George Street, Villiers Street , Duke Street, Of Alley, and Buckingham Street. Cecil House , also called Exeter House or Burghley House,
1890-418: The 1850s and edited the journal Westminster Review from 1851. George Eliot lived at No. 142 between 1851 and 1855. Virginia Woolf regularly travelled along the Strand, and a King's College building named after her is in nearby Kingsway . The Strand is the subject of a famous music hall song " Let's All Go Down the Strand ", composed by Harry Castling and C. W. Murphy . The song opens with
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#17327719362941980-418: The 1880s, has been attributed to Byron on stylistic grounds. Byron is described by Jim Davis in the introduction to his 1984 collection, Plays by H. J. Byron , as the most prolific playwright of the mid-Victorian period, as he produced over 150 dramatic pieces. The Times called Byron a master of "genial wit and humour". It also commented that "The secret of his success... lay chiefly in his dialogue, which
2070-646: The 18th century until it was demolished in 1775. The house was rebuilt as a series of government buildings. The Stamp Office, later to become the Inland Revenue was established in Somerset House in 1789. In the late 20th century, a number of art galleries were set up on vacant parts, including the Courtauld Institute of Art and the King's College London School of Law . Savoy Palace was
2160-491: The 21st century, only the Adelphi, Vaudeville and Savoy remain. The Piccadilly branch line from Holborn to Aldwych was built partly to serve theatre traffic. The Coal Hole tavern was founded at No. 91 in the early 19th century, and frequented by coal-heavers working on the Thames. The impresario Renton Nicholson held song-and-supper evenings at the inn, featuring tableaux vivants . The actor Edmund Kean established
2250-570: The Acts, but tickets could not be sold at the theatre. This was circumvented by selling them at neighbouring shops; and at one point the public were admitted free on purchase of an ounce of rose lozenges for four shillings (stalls), or half an ounce of peppermint drops for two shillings (the pit) from the neighbouring confectioners. The theatre was again closed under the Patent Acts in March 1835, and
2340-633: The Blitz but was in poor shape until John Betjeman led a campaign to restore it in the 1970s. Essex Street Chapel , the birthplace of British Unitarianism , abuts onto the Strand. The original chapel was built in 1774, but damaged in the Blitz. It was restored after the war, and now serves as the denominational headquarters of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches . The print seller Rudolph Ackermann lived and worked at No. 101 The Strand between 1797 and 1827. His shop
2430-499: The City of London to be more likely. St Mary le Strand was designed by James Gibbs and completed in 1717, to replace a previous church demolished to make way for Somerset House. It was the first building to be designed by Gibbs, who was influenced by Wren and Michelangelo . The column on top of the church was originally designed to support a statue of Queen Anne , but was replaced with a spire following Anne's death in 1714. It survived
2520-593: The Great Fire in 1666, but was declared unsafe and rebuilt by Christopher Wren in 1679. The building was damaged during the Blitz in 1941, gutting much of the interior, and was rebuilt in 1958 by Sam Lloyd, since when it has served as the central church of the Royal Air Force . The church is one of two possible origins for the "St Clement's" in the nursery rhyme " Oranges and Lemons ", though more contemporary accounts suggest St Clement's, Eastcheap in
2610-602: The King of the Caribee Islands! Byron also wrote for periodicals, and in 1861, he became the first editor of Fun magazine, where he showcased the comic talents of the then-unknown W. S. Gilbert . He became editor of Comic News in 1863. He also founded the short-lived Comic Trials and wrote a three-volume novel , Paid in Full , in 1865. In 1867, he became the editor of Wag , another humour magazine, and in 1877,
2700-501: The Knife (a success in 1865) and A Hundred Thousand Pounds (1866). They also staged one of T. W. Robertson's biggest successes, Society , in 1865. Upon his severing the partnership and starting theatre management on his own account in the provinces, he lost money, ending up in bankruptcy court in 1868. However, he produced many of his plays at these theatres while continuing to write for London theatres. One successful provincial work
2790-562: The London residence of John of Gaunt , King Richard II 's uncle and the nation's power broker. In the 14th century the Savoy was the most magnificent nobleman's mansion in England. During the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, rebels, led by Wat Tyler , inflamed by opposition to the poll tax promoted by John of Gaunt, systematically demolished the Savoy and everything in it. In 1512 it was rebuilt as
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2880-671: The Pirate and the Pearl , also at the Strand, which later played in New York. This was so well received that Byron abandoned the law to concentrate full-time on theatre. Another successful Strand burlesque in 1858 was The Maid and the Magpie; or, The Fatal Spoon an early play to include a dance at the end of a song. This starred Marie Wilton as Pippo and was also revived in New York. In 1859, he wrote another successful burlesque, The Babes in
2970-811: The Pirate and the Pearl; The Maid and the Magpie, or The Fatal Spoon (an early play to include a dance at the end of a song); and The Babes in the Wood and the Good Little Fairy Birds . The celebrated burlesque on Kenilworth , first performed in 1859 and played over many years, brought the Strand great prosperity. It had a strong cast including Louisa Swanborough as the Earl of Leicester, H. J. Turner as Mike Lambourne, Mrs. Charles Selby as Queen Elizabeth, Marie Wilton as Sir Walter Raleigh, Patty Oliver as Amy Robsart, Charlotte Saunders as Tressillian, John Clarke as Varney and James Bland as Wayland Smith; Bland
3060-626: The Queen's Building opened in 1968. The architect John Nash redeveloped the western end of the Strand in the 1830s, including the construction of Charing Cross Hospital , later (1990s) converted for use as Charing Cross police station . The street became well known for theatres, and at one point contained more than any other; including the Tivoli Music Hall at No. 65, the Adelphi , Gaiety , Savoy , Terry's and Vaudeville . In
3150-483: The Savoy Hospital for the poor. It gradually fell into dereliction and was divided into multiple tenancies. It was demolished in 1816–1820 to build the approach road to Waterloo Bridge . eventually being demolished in the 19th century. The Savoy Hotel now occupies this site. Durham House , the historic London residence of the Bishop of Durham , was built circa 1345 and demolished in the mid-17th century. It
3240-489: The Strand and the river included Essex House , Arundel House , Old Somerset House , Savoy Palace , Durham House , York House and Cecil House , none of which survive. The aristocracy moved to the West End during the 17th century, and the Strand became known for its coffee shops, restaurants and taverns. The street was a centre point for theatre and music hall during the 19th century, and several venues have survived to
3330-475: The Strand including several palaces and townhouses inhabited by bishops and royal courtiers, mainly on the south side, with their own river gates and landings directly on the Thames. The road was poorly maintained, with many pits and sloughs, and a paving order was issued in 1532 to improve traffic. What later became Essex House on the Strand was originally an Outer Temple of the Knights Templar in
3420-643: The Strand was in the parish of St Martin in the Fields and in the east it extended into the parishes of St Clement Danes and St Mary le Strand . Most of its length was in the Liberty of Westminster , although part of the eastern section in St Clement Danes was in the Ossulstone hundred of Middlesex. The Strand was the northern boundary of the precinct of the Savoy , which was approximately where
3510-646: The Strand's programme began with a short drama, many written by H. T. Craven , including, The Postboy , Milky White , and Meg's Diversion . Then followed a burlesque by H. J. Byron , W. Brough , or F. C. Burnand . Under the Swanboroughs, the theatre enjoyed success, with Ada Swanborough performing in H. J. Byron's burlettas and featuring a cast that included James Thorne, Edward O'Connor Terry , Miss Raynham, Mrs. Raymond, H. J. Turner and Marie Wilton,. These began with The Lady of Lyons, or Twopenny Pride and Pennytence; Fra Diavolo Travestie, or The Prince,
3600-455: The Strand, including Charles Dickens , Ralph Waldo Emerson and Virginia Woolf . The street is the main link between the two cities of Westminster and London . It runs eastward from Trafalgar Square , parallel to the River Thames , to Temple Bar which is the boundary between the two cities at this point; the road ahead being Fleet Street . Traffic travelling eastbound follows a short crescent around Aldwych , connected at both ends to
3690-672: The Strand, up Queen Victoria Street"). John Masefield also referred to a "jostling in the Strand" in his poem "On Growing Old". The poem "Buses on the Strand", written in 1958 by Richard Percival Lister , featured in TFL 's "Poems on the Underground" scheme in 2013, appearing in tube carriages all over London. The scheme celebrated of the 150th year of the London Underground with works by poets with close London connections. The Strand Magazine , which began publishing in 1891,
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3780-469: The Strand, was built on the location by property speculator Nicholas Barbon . Arundel House was originally the town house of the Bishops of Bath and Wells . It was owned by William FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton between 1539 and his death in 1542, with ownership passing to Thomas Seymour in 1545. After Seymour was executed in 1549, the property was sold to Henry FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel , and
3870-540: The Strand. The road marks the southern boundary of the Covent Garden district and forms part of the Northbank business improvement district . The name was first recorded in 1002 as strondway , then in 1185 as Stronde and in 1220 as la Stranda . It is formed from the Old English word 'strond', meaning the edge of a river. Initially it referred to the shallow bank of the once much wider Thames, before
3960-670: The Wolf Club at the venue, which is now commemorated by the Wolf Room. Charing Cross railway station was built on the Strand in 1864, providing a boat train service to Europe, which stimulated the growth of hotels in the area to cater for travellers. These included the Charing Cross Hotel, attached to the station itself. Today, there are several luggage outlets and tourist agents on the Strand, as well as old postage stamp dealers. The philatelist Stanley Gibbons opened
4050-697: The Wood and the Good Little Fairy Birds . He soon wrote other burlesques for the Strand, the Olympic Theatre , and the Adelphi Theatre , as well as a sequence of Christmas pantomimes for the Princess's Theatre , beginning in 1859 with Jack the Giant Killer, or, Harlequin, King Arthur, and ye Knights of ye Round Table and followed the next year by Robinson Crusoe, or Harlequin Friday and
4140-629: The alleyways around the Strand were regular haunts for pickpockets and prostitutes during this time. The Rose Tavern, at the eastern end of the street, was frequented by lawyers during the 18th century. It was later demolished and became Thanet Place. The Crown and Anchor in Arundel Street was the main meeting place for the Catholic Association, and helped established the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 . It
4230-614: The approach to Waterloo Bridge is now. All of these parishes and places became part of the Strand District in 1855, except St Martin in the Fields which was governed separately. The Strand District Board of Works was based at No. 22, Tavistock Street . Strand District was abolished in October 1900 and became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster . From the 12th century onwards, large mansions lined
4320-609: The church of the Nativity of Our Lady and the Innocents in the process. After Somerset was executed in 1552, it became an occasional residence for Princess Elizabeth . When she became Queen in 1558, she returned part of the house to Seymour's family (with ownership passing to his son, Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford ); the remainder was an occasional meeting place for the Royal Society. After Elizabeth's death in 1603, it
4410-495: The college acquired Strand House, Bush House and other buildings in the Aldwych Quarter. The Royal Courts of Justice , at the eastern end of the Strand, was designed in the mid-1860s by G.E. Street as a replacement for the older courts at Westminster Hall , though construction was so delayed that he died shortly before Queen Victoria opened the courts in 1882. The West Green extension to the courts opened in 1911, while
4500-491: The construction of the Victoria Embankment . The name was later applied to the road itself. In the 13th century it was known as 'Densemanestret' or 'street of the Danes', referring to the community of Danes in the area. Two London Underground stations were once named Strand: a Piccadilly line station (which was renamed Aldwych station ) that operated between 1907 and 1994 and a former Northern line station which today forms part of Charing Cross station . 'Strand Bridge'
4590-461: The current day. At the east end of the street are two English Baroque churches: St Mary le Strand by James Gibbs and St Clement Danes by Christopher Wren . This easternmost stretch of the Strand is also home to King's College , one of the two founding colleges of the University of London . Other notable structures include the Royal Courts of Justice and Australia House . Several authors, poets and philosophers have lived on or near
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#17327719362944680-472: The death of Robert Barker, in 1806, his younger brother, Henry Aston Barker took over management of the Leicester Square rotunda. In 1816, Henry bought the panorama in the Strand, which was then known as Reinagle and Barker's Panorama, and the two panoramas were then run jointly until 1831. Their building was then used as a dissenting chapel and was purchased by Benjamin Lionel Rayner , a noted actor, in 1832. Rayner engaged Charles Broad to convert and extend
4770-408: The direction of a very clever American actor, John S. Clarke, it was no longer one of the attractions of the London theatrical world. The musical comedy A Chinese Honeymoon opened in October 1901 and ran at the theatre for a record-breaking 1,075 performances, until closing in 1904. In the 16th century, Strand had hosted many grand houses by the River Thames and the area began to be built up. By
4860-430: The end the 18th, it had become a notorious rookery - an overcrowded slum. The area had been unaffected by the Great Fire of London and survived with narrow streets, unsuited to the new traffic. A scheme was instituted to build a new road, Kingsway between Holborn and Strand, culminating in a grand crescent, Aldwych . After many false starts, the scheme was begun in 1901 by the London County Council . To go with this
4950-446: The hardships of the journeyman touring actor, in an 1873 essay for The Era Almanack and Annual called "Eighteen Parts a Week". He began writing burlesques of melodramas and extravaganzas in the mid-1850s. In 1857, his burlesque of Richard of the Lion Heart premièred at the Royal Strand Theatre . His successful works in 1858 included The Lady of Lyons, or, Twopenny Pride and Pennytence and Fra Diavolo Travestie; or, The Prince,
5040-483: The hit operettas Madame Favart and Olivette . It also hosted W. S. Gilbert and Frederic Clay 's comic opera Princess Toto in 1876. The theatre was rebuilt in 1865, re-opening 18 November 1865, destroyed by fire on 21 October 1866 and again rebuilt. In 1882, the theatre was condemned as having inadequate fire precautions and closed on 29 July. It was rebuilt by Charles J. Phipps , re-opening on 18 November 1882 with improved access. The cost to Mrs. Swanborough
5130-442: The humour magazine Mirth . In 1878, he co-wrote a highly successful charity pantomime, The Forty Thieves , together with Robert Reece , W. S. Gilbert and F. C. Burnand . In 1880, four volumes of his plays were published, with fourteen plays in each book. After 1880, as his health greatly declined, so did Byron's playwriting output. The popular three-act comedy The Guv'nor , credited to "E. G. Lankester" and first performed in
5220-439: The manager was T. Payne. Frank Talford wrote the earliest burlesque for the Strand, full of excruciating puns and enlivened by bright songs. Mythological subjects were popular. In one such piece in 1850 the afterwards famous Mrs. Stirling played Minerva, Mrs Leigh Murray was Apollo, and Rebecca Isaacs was Venus. In 1858, the theatre was taken over by the Swanborough family (originally Smith). Henry V. Swanborough rebuilt it at
5310-457: The original building as a theatre. This was built in 1832 in seven weeks, at a cost of £3,000. The theatre opened on 15 January 1832, as Rayner's New Subscription Theatre , with a production of Struggles at Starting . Within weeks, the venture failed and was sold to the actress Harriet Waylett , re-opening on 29 May as The New Strand (Subscription) Theatre with Damp Beds . Again, the theatre lacked support and closed in November 1832. The theatre
5400-411: The owners brought before the magistrates. It reopened on 25 April 1836, with the necessary licence, under the management of Douglas William Jerrold and William John Hammond . The theatre was enlarged in 1836 and a gallery added in 1839. In 1849 the manager was William Farren . For a while in 1851 it was owned by William Robert Copeland , and known as Punch's' Playhouse and Marionette Theatre . In 1856
5490-502: The production of Remonstrance of the Army , demanding the abolition of the monarchy and the trial of King Charles I . In the 18th century, coffee and chop houses were established on the street; Twinings was established at No. 206 in 1706 by Thomas Twining, supplier of tea to Queen Anne. The company claims to be the oldest ratepayer in Westminster. The Grecian Coffee House ran from around 1702 to 1803, while Tom's ran from 1706 to around 1775. Though these premises were well-known,
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#17327719362945580-405: The record for the longest-running play in history and held it for almost two decades. It was also much revived, especially in America. From 1876 to 1879, he wrote several successful burlesques for the Gaiety Theatre, London , such as a burlesque of Dion Boucicault 's Don Caesar de Bazan called Little Don Caesar de Bazan , and The Gaiety Gulliver (1879). Also during that period, he edited
5670-418: The role of Cheviot Hill in a revival of his friend Gilbert's eccentric comedy, Engaged . He continued acting until 1882, when ill health forced him to retire. Not surprisingly, Byron achieved his greatest acting successes in timing of the delivery of his own witty lines. The Times explained that "in such parts as Gibson Greene in Married in Haste , a self-possessed, observant, satirical, well-bred man of
5760-438: The site. The official residence of the Secretary of State, next door at No. 1 the Strand, became the first numbered address in London. Apart from the rebuilt Somerset House, all of these buildings have been demolished and replaced from the 17th century onwards. A New Exchange was built on part of the gardens of Durham House, in 1608–1609, facing the Strand. This high-class shopping centre enjoyed considerable popularity but
5850-514: The sixpenny magazine Mirth. He wrote numerous dramatic critiques and humorous essays for magazines, including the rival of Fun , Punch . During this period, he was a well-known man-about-town, joining, and popular as a guest at, various London dining clubs and, in 1863, becoming a founding member of the Arundel Club. Henry Morley acknowledged with dismay Byron's position in the literary world as chief punster but found in him "a true power of fun that makes itself felt by high and low". He became
5940-400: The skeleton was later put on display. The exchange was demolished in 1829, with the menagerie moving to the Surrey Zoological Gardens , and replaced by Exeter Hall , noted for its Evangelical meetings. This was demolished in 1907, and the site is now occupied by the Strand Palace Hotel . Other significant palaces along the Strand include Worcester House, formerly the Inn, or residence, of
6030-436: The street. The prominent bookseller Andrew Millar is an example of one of the most successful publishers who owned a shop there. In the 19th century, much of the Strand was rebuilt, and the houses to the south no longer backed onto the Thames and no longer had direct boat access, separated from the river by the Victoria Embankment constructed in 1865–1870 and reclaiming 37 acres (15 ha) of land. King's College, London
6120-619: The world, [Byron] was beyond the reach of rivalry. To ease and grace of manner he united a peculiar aptitude for the delivery of the good things he put into his own mouth." Byron continued to write prose comedies with the ambitious semi-autobiographical Cyril's Success (1868), The Upper Crust (starring Toole), Uncle Dick's Darling (1870, starring Henry Irving), An English Gentleman (1871, starring Edward Sothern ), Weak Woman (1875, starring Marion Terry ), and his greatest success, Our Boys (1875–79, Vaudeville Theatre ). With 1,362 performances in its original production, Our Boys set
6210-415: Was Dearer than Life (1867), which received many revivals, beginning with a London revival in 1868 starring J. L. Toole and the young Henry Irving . Another, the same year, was The Lancashire Lass; or, Tempted, Tried and True (1867), a melodrama, also revived in London in 1868. He even collaborated with W. S. Gilbert on Robinson Crusoe; or, The Injun Bride and the Injured Wife , which played in 1867 at
6300-604: Was George de Barnwell; or Harlequin Folly in the Realms of Fancy (1862). Several of these early plays were revived in Britain and received New York productions. Between 1865 and 1867, he joined Marie Wilton , whom he had met through his early work at the Strand, in the management of the Prince of Wales's Theatre . She provided the capital, and he was to write the plays. His first was a burlesque of La sonnambula . However, Wilton wanted to present more sophisticated pieces. She agreed to produce three more burlesques by Byron, but he agreed to write his first prose comedies, War to
6390-433: Was a prolific English dramatist, as well as an editor, journalist, director, theatre manager, novelist and actor. After an abortive start at a medical career, Byron struggled as a provincial actor and aspiring playwright in the 1850s. Returning to London and beginning to study for the bar , he finally found playwriting success in burlesques and other punny plays. In the 1860s, he became an editor of humorous magazines and
6480-729: Was again admired in An American Lady in 1874, with which he began as the manager of the Criterion Theatre , and then Married in Haste (1875) which was much revived. In 1876, he played in his The Bull by the Horns and Old Chums . Other roles included Dick Simpson in Conscience Money (1878), Charles Chuckles in his An English Gentleman (1879) and John Blunt in his Michael Strogoff (1881). In 1881, he played
6570-737: Was born in Manchester , England, the son of Henry Byron (1804–1884, second cousin to the poet Lord Byron and descendant of many Lords Byron ), at one time British consul in Port-au-Prince , Haiti , and Elizabeth Josephine née Bradley. He was educated in Essex and then at St. Peter's Collegiate School in Eaton Square , London. Although his mother wanted him to pursue a career in the Navy , Byron did not do so. Instead, he first became
6660-402: Was built in the 16th century by Lord Burghley as an expansion of an existing Tudor house. Exeter House was demolished in 1676 and Exeter Exchange built on the site. A menagerie was built on the upper floors in 1773, which was later run by Edward Cross , who housed lions, tigers, monkeys and hippopotami. In 1826, an elephant, Chunee , nearly broke free from its cage and had to be destroyed;
6750-524: Was converted into a two-way street. The church of St Clement Danes is believed to date from the 9th century. The name may have come from Harold Harefoot , a Danish king who ruled England around 1035–1040 and is buried in the church, or from a place of refuge for Danes after the conquest of Alfred the Great . It was transferred to the Order of the Knights Templar by Henry II in 1189. It survived
6840-593: Was eventually destroyed in 1737. During the 17th century, many of the grand mansions on the Strand were demolished as the aristocracy moved to the West End . The Duck and Drake tavern on Strand was famed as a venue for the conspirators involved in the Gunpowder Plot . In the time of the Civil War, the Nag's Head tavern was the venue of a meeting between Henry Ireton and some of the Levellers which resulted in
6930-517: Was founded in 1828. The historic King's Building , based next to the church of St Mary-le-Strand , was designed by Robert Smirke and constructed in 1829–1831 to complete the riverside frontage of Somerset House . King's College Hospital opened as a branch of the college in 1840, and became a constituent part of the University of London in 1908. The current campus building was constructed between 1966 and 1972 by E.D. Jefferiss Mathews. In 2015,
7020-472: Was heavy. Attempts were made to recoup the expenditure through a sale, but this was unsuccessful. Mrs Swanborough had to go through the Bankruptcy Court in 1885. Sherson said that, after this, the house ceased to be the old Strand. It came under the direction of Alexander Henderson, who produced adaptations of French light opera with the best results. Though it regained a portion of its vogue under
7110-667: Was in the Swanborough's first production. Turner also ran a theatrical agency. His final appearance was at a benefit for the Strand General Theatrical Fund (of which he had been treasurer) in April 1882. The first appearance of the popular pantomime character, Widow Twankey , played by James Rogers in Byron's version of Aladdin, took place at The Strand in 1861. Other successful works in the 1870s, included
7200-470: Was later used for Catholic politicians such as Daniel O'Connell to address constituents. The original premises burned down in 1854, but was rebuilt. Simpson's-in-the-Strand originally started at No. 100 in 1828 as a smoking and dining club. It later became a restaurant. The Strand was also notable in the 18th century as a centre for the British book trade, with numerous printers and publishers along
7290-464: Was named after the street. A BBC World Service arts and culture radio series was called The Strand . Bush House , situated on the Strand, was home to the World Service between 1941 and 2012. The standard British Monopoly board has Strand in a group with the nearby Fleet Street and Trafalgar Square . Henry James Byron Henry James Byron (8 January 1835 – 11 April 1884)
7380-445: Was one of the first to have gas lighting fitted. In the 19th century, The Strand became a newly fashionable address and many avant-garde writers and thinkers gathered here, among them Thomas Carlyle , Charles Dickens , John Stuart Mill , Ralph Waldo Emerson and the scientist Thomas Henry Huxley . No. 142 was the home of radical publisher and physician John Chapman , who published contemporary authors from this house during
7470-402: Was owned by Anne of Denmark , wife of James VI and I . The building was renamed Denmark House in commemoration of Anne's brother, Christian IV of Denmark . After James died in 1625, his body lay there intestate for a month. The building was taken over by Parliament in 1645 following the Civil War, renaming it back to Somerset House. It had an irregular series of owners and residents for much of
7560-594: Was owned by the Earldom for much of the 16th and 17th century. In 1666, it became the meeting place of the Royal Society after the Great Fire of London destroyed their previous venue. The house was demolished in 1678 and Arundel Street, adjoining the Strand, was built on the site. Somerset House was built by Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset , regent of England from 1547 to 1549, demolishing three inns and
7650-537: Was re-opened in early 1833 as the New Strand Theatre , by Frances Maria Kelly – who also based a drama school there. The singer, Rebecca Isaacs was the Directress of Operas at the theatre from 1852 to 1853, and again in 1855. The theatre failed because it was unlicensed, and this put it into competition with London's patent theatres . Presenting plays by subscription was one method of evading
7740-631: Was reputed to be the king of the burlesque actors. Leicester was later played by Maria Ternan. The burlesque that lived longest in the memories of old playgoers, according to Sherson, was Brough's, The Field of the Cloth of Gold . Henry Jameson Turner was by far the longest serving actor at the Strand. His first appearances pre-dated the Swanboroughs. He moved from the Lyceum to the Strand in 1849, his first wife, Eleanor, and eldest daughter, Ellen, also appearing with him. He served under both Farren and Payne, and
7830-407: Was subsequently demolished in 1996 and replaced by an office block. In 1998, a statue of Oscar Wilde was built at the junction of Adelaide Street and Duncannon Street, adjoining the western end of the Strand. Between January 2021 and December 2022 Westminster City Council's Strand Aldwych Scheme works took place, pedestrianising Strand between Melbourne Place and Lancaster Place whilst Aldwych
7920-616: Was the home of Anne Boleyn . It had become derelict by the mid-17th century and was demolished in 1660. Durham Street and the Adelphi Buildings were built on its site. York House was built as the London residence for the Bishop of Norwich not later than 1237. At the time of the Reformation it was acquired by King Henry VIII and came to be known as York House when he granted it to the Archbishop of York in 1556. In
8010-455: Was the name given to Waterloo Bridge during its construction; it was renamed for its official opening on the second anniversary of the coalition victory in the Battle of Waterloo . London buses routes 23 , 139 and 176 all run along the Strand, as do numerous night bus services. During Roman Britain , what is now the Strand was part of the route to Silchester , known as "Iter VIII" on
8100-399: Was widened in 1900, subsuming the former Holywell Street which forked from the Strand and ran parallel with it to the north, leaving the two churches of St Mary Le Strand and St Clement Danes as islands in the centre of the road. Gaiety Theatre was demolished, to be replaced by Citibank House, while Villiers House and New South Wales House were both built in 1957–1959. New South Wales House
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