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Victoria/Royal Adelphi Theatre

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Venue Type & Location

Theatre

Overview

  • Address: Christian Street, near Springfield Street. For a current map, Click Here.

  • Alternate Names: Circus. (1794-1805) Olympic Circus (1805-13), New Olympic Circus (1813-23), Cooke’s Olympic Circus (1823-25), Royal Olympic Circus (1825-31) Queen's Theatre (1831-42), Adelphi Music Hall & Theatre of Varieties (c.1870), New Albert Theatre (1873)

    The theatre was called The Victoria between 1843 and 1845, and as the Theatre Royal, Adelphi between 1846 and its demise in the 1880s. During this latter period it was also known, affectionately, as ‘the Delly’.

  • Performance Space Description: Information about this venue has not yet been compiled; however, some sense of the performance space may be gleaned by following the links at right. In particular:

  • See the 'Bibliographic Sources' link for a provisional list of venue-relevant resources (both primary and secondary). Wherever possible (i.e. when the pertinent text is relatively short and/or easily condensed) this material has been transcribed, and appears beneath the appropriate bibliographic citation.

  • See the 'Events at venue' link for a listing of blackface/minstrelsy-related events that took place in this performance space (with attached bibliographic references).

    Beth Marquis

    • Troupes at Victoria/Royal Adelphi Theatre

    Film Affiliated people Film Type # of event(s)
    Harper, E.R. Harper, E.R. Minstrel Definite Harper, E.R.
    Lynne, Mr. Dramatic Definite Lynne, Mr.
    Millicent, J., the English Juba Millicent, J. Minstrel Definite Millicent, J., the English Juba
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Sanford, Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Burke, Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Ole Bull jun., Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Rainer, Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders Swaine, Minstrel Definite New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    Pelham, Richard Pelham, Richard W. Minstrel Definite Pelham, Richard
    Phillips, Ethiopian Minstrel & Nigger Dancer Minstrel Definite Phillips, Ethiopian Minstrel & Nigger Dancer
    Uncle Tom's Cabin Troupe (Liverpool-Adelphi, 52) Smithson, Dramatic Definite Uncle Tom's Cabin Troupe (Liverpool-Adelphi, 52)
    Yankee Mellor Minstrel Definite Yankee Mellor

    Events at Victoria/Royal Adelphi Theatre

    Event Date Venue Location Film
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Uncle Tom's Cabin Troupe (Liverpool-Adelphi, 52)
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Uncle Tom's Cabin Troupe (Liverpool-Adelphi, 52)
    Minstrel Show - Liverpool, Lancashire Yankee Mellor
    Minstrel Show - Liverpool, Lancashire Yankee Mellor
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Lynne, Mr.
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire New Orleans Ethiopian Serenaders
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Harper, E.R.
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Millicent, J., the English Juba
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Phillips, Ethiopian Minstrel & Nigger Dancer
    Variety - Liverpool, Lancashire Pelham, Richard
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Pelham, Richard
    Dramatic - Liverpool, Lancashire Pelham, Richard

    Bibliographic Sources

    View a list of abbreviations.

    • Theatrical Journal (London) November 24, 1852: 375:2.


    • ”1805 Olympic Circus opened in Christian street. This had succeeded the Philip Astley's circus established at Christian street in 1789 and seemed to be a venue for a lot of equestrian events. In 1824 a sewer burst and expensive alterations were needed. After an argument over liability between the proprietors and John Cook, proprietor of the circus Cooke decided to build an establishment of his own and bought land at Great Charlotte street, and Roe street. He named it the New Olympic Circus. This later became successively the Royal Ampitheatre and the Royal Court (see below). In 1831 the place was rebuilt and renamed the Queen's Theatre. After various changes it was renamed The Victoria in 1843. Then in 1846 W. J Hammond, formerly of the Liver Theatre Church street and the Theatre Royal rebuilt the interior and reopened it as Theatre Royal Adelphi commonly known as the 'Delly'.”
    • Liverpool: Edward Howell, 1908
      pp177-206. VICTORIA

      ” Mr. Holloway opened the Christian Street playhouse under the name of the Victoria. The initial performance took place on November 13, 1843,” (191)

      “[…]About 1846, a townsman, W. J. Hammond, who had been in partnership with Mr. Raymond at the Liver, and who had made an attempt to manage the local Theatre Royal, took the theatre under his care. Down to this time the building had been outwardly a very plain-looking structure, with an ordinary brick front, while the interior had become dirty and dingy with time. Mr. Hammond decided to revive the departed glories of the house. Accordingly, he gutted the building, refitted and decorated the interior in a most beautiful manner, and put an ornamental face on the front wall, surmounting the whole with several statues, one of which was blown down in the 'sixties, and the others afterwards removed. He re-opened the house as the new Theatre Royal Adelphi, on Easter Monday, April 13, 1846, when Charlotte and Susan Cushman appeared as Romeo and Juliet before a crowded house, though the prices had been increased, the charge for the best seats being 75. 6d. No bonnets were allowed in the boxes, there being a retiring-room for ladies. The prices of admission were afterwards considerably reduced.[…]” (192)