Evans Music And Supper Room |
| Hob Uid: 1349252 | |
Location :
Greater London Authority
City of Westminster
Non Civil Parish
|
| Grid Ref : TQ3027980912 |
| Summary : A site with a long history as a venue for popular entertainment. Evans Music and Supper Rooms were housed in an early 18th century mansion, at one time the residence of Sir Thomas Killigrew, the founder of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It is stylistically attributed to Thomas Archer and was built for Admiral Lord Oxford in 1716-17. The mansion was turned into a hotel in 1774, one of the earliest in London, and by the 1830s it had a thriving supper room. The original song and supper entertainment was held from the mid-1830s in a basement cofffee room. In the 1840s the huge dining room was converted by W H Evans into a song and supper room which was known as Evans Late Joy's, Joy being the name of the previous owner. It became the haunt of wealthy bohemians and was the first and most famous of its kind and could perhaps claim to be the origin of the music hall. The rooms were taken over in 1844 by John Green who built a large new music hall which covered almost the whole of the rear garden. This hall, by William Finch, opened in December 1855 and comprised a rectangular, flat-floored room with an open stage, backed by a triumphal arch. The hall was enlarged by J H Rowley in 1871. Although licensed to 1881, it ceased to operate in 1880, but remained as a recognisable room well into the 20th century. It was later taken over by the National Sporting Club and alterations were made in 1911-12 by Mewes and Davis. In the 1930s the hall was altered to serve as a fruit warehouse. From 1967-1968 the basement of the building was also the premises of the Psychedelic music nightclub, The Middle Earth (briefly also known as The Electric Garden), before that club moved to the Roundhouse at Chalk Farm Road (see record 1346276). In circa 1977 it was altered to form offices during which the last traces of the music hall were removed. It is a Listed Building. |
More information : Evans Music and Supper Rooms were housed in an early 18th century mansion, at one time the residence of Sir Thomas Killigrew, the founder of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It is stylistically attributed to Thomas Archer and was built for Admiral Lord Oxford in 1716-17. The mansion was turned into a hotel in 1774, one of the earliest in London, and by the 1830s it had a thriving supper room. The original song and supper entertainment was held from the mid-1830s in a basement cofffee room. In the 1840s the huge dining room was converted by W H Evans into a song and supper room which was known as Evans Late Joy's, Joy being the name of the previous owner. It became the haunt of wealthy bohemians and was the first and most famous of its kind and could perhaps claim to be the origin of the music hall. The rooms were taken over in 1844 by John Green who built a large new music hall which covered almost the whole of the rear garden. This hall, by William Finch, opened in December 1855 and comprised a rectangular, flat-floored room with an open stage, backed by a triumphal arch. The hall was enlarged by J H Rowley in 1871. Although licensed to 1881, it ceased to operate in 1880, but remained as a recognisable room well into the 20th century. It was later taken over by the National Sporting Club and alterations were made in 1911-12 by Mewes and Davis. In the 1930s the hall was altered to serve as a fruit warehouse. In circa 1977 it was altered to form offices during which the last traces of the music hall were removed. It is a Listed Building Grade II*. (1-3)
The basement which had once housed Evans' Music and Supper Rooms at 43 King Street, Covent Garden was later used as the premises of the Middle Earth Club (initially briefly known as the Electric Garden) from 1967-1968, before moving to the Roundhouse at Chalk Farm Road. This club was a central focus for the Hippy and psychedelic movements in London. The club consisted of a series of basement rooms for a discotheque, live music, film and light shows. (4) |