Oxford Music Hall

Oxford Music Hall stood at the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road in Westminster, London. It began in 1861 when Charles Morton turned the Boar and Castle public house into a music hall. Designed by Finch Hill and Edward Paraire, the hall had deep balconies on three sides and a wide stage in front of an apse. It opened on 26 March 1861 with singers Charles Santley and Euphrosyne Parepa-Rosa on the bill. Within weeks, The Times noted the hall was ‘more or less thronged’ every night. Morton and his brother-in-law Frederick Stanley ran the hall, moving acts between the Oxford and the Canterbury in coaches. The hall soon became one of London’s most popular venues. Performers such as Marie Lloyd, George Robey and Arthur Roberts appeared regularly on its stage. The hall was also known for its lively barmaids and a bar that stayed open late. In March 1862 the barrister Arthur Munby visited and described a crowded, noisy crowd of mainly men drinking and watching performances. The building burned down twice in the 1860s and 1870s but was rebuilt each time by the same architects. By 1873 a square proscenium replaced the apse and benches replaced supper tables, reflecting changes in how music halls were used. Later the hall offered more popular musical forms and became a Syndicate Hall in 1891. It was rebuilt again in 1893 with 1,040 seats, a domed ceiling and an opulently decorated interior. Notable performers such as Harry Tate made their solo debuts here. In 1917 it became a legitimate theatre and The Better ’Ole ran for 811 performances. The building was renamed the New Oxford Theatre in 1921 and presented plays and films until it closed in 1926. Today the site is occupied by a Primark store, but the memory of the Oxford Music Hall lives on in London’s theatrical history.