The Old Vic

The Old Vic stands in Waterloo, a short walk from the Thames. Built in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it became the Royal Victoria Hall in 1880 and is now a 1,000-seat producing theatre. The building survived wartime bombing and was listed in 1951. Emma Cons ran it as a temperance hall, and her niece Lilian Baylis turned it into a Shakespearean powerhouse. The theatre nurtured the National Theatre under Laurence Olivier and later hosted the Prospect Theatre Company. Many leading actors began or shaped their careers here. Ira Aldridge, a black American actor, made his second British appearance in 1825 in an abolitionist play. In the 1920s the Old Vic Company, led by Sir John Gielgud, staged landmark productions. Kevin Spacey became artistic director in 2003, followed by Matthew Warchus in 2015. The theatre has also pioneered broadcasts, including the first live opera relay in 1923. Inside, the auditorium mixes restored Victorian features with modern comforts. The stage has hosted Hamlet with Derek Jacobi and other classics. The building still carries plaques to Emma Cons and traces of its coffee-tavern past. Nearby Morley College grew from its penny lectures. A visit offers a chance to stand where generations of actors have performed, in a place that helped shape London’s theatre world.