Modern Day Sadler’s Wells bears little resemblance to the original theatre of the same name which could have been described – and actually was by many well known members of the audience – as a scandalous den of debauchery!

The theatre began as a meeting place for well heeled aristocrats who visited to sample the so called ‘healing waters’ extracted from a well which had been discovered on Richard Sadler’s property.

To make it a more attractive place Richard began to provide the pleasant music of Dulcimer, Pipe and Tabour.

It became so popular that between five and six hundred people would visit each day to buy a glass of Mr Sadler’s water.

However, in order to retain his visitors, Sadler began to provide entertainments that were no longer the ‘crème de la crème’ and it eventually became known as ‘A nursery of debauchery’!

The ‘healing waters’ were later used to brew strong beer and the gentle music was replaced by various types of bawdy entertainment.

Over the years various managers endeavoured to maintain Sadler’s Wells as a centre of entertainment but it wasn’t until 1925 when the redoubtable Lilian Bayliss, who, at the same time, was the manager of the Old Vic Theatre was persuaded to start a campaign to reopen the now derelict Sadler’s Wells and this extraordinary woman managed to raise sufficient funds for it to be bought and registered as a charity.

The present theatre is the sixth to be built on the same site since 1683.