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36-649: The Surrey Theatre , London began life in 1782 as the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy , one of the many circuses that provided entertainment of both horsemanship and drama ( hippodrama ). It stood in Blackfriars Road , near the junction with Westminster Bridge Road , just south of the River Thames in what is now the London Borough of Southwark . The Royal Circus was opened on 4 November 1782 by

72-758: A dirt-floored riding arena separated by orchestra pit ; scene and arena were connected by ramps, forming a single performing space. Signor Manfredi presented the first equestrian drama in the United States with his production of " La Fille Hussard " during the 1802–1803 season in New York at the Park Theatre. The Circus of Pepin and Breschard presented an adaptation of Don Quixote de la Mancha "on horseback and on foot, with combats" in New York City on August 12, 1809. Pepin and Breschard's company presented hippodramas in

108-455: A fleet of cabs, provided by the police. In less than ten minutes the interior was ablaze, and the theatre was burnt down shortly after midnight. A new theatre, designed by John Ellis, seating 2,161 people in four tiers, opened on 26 December 1865. Little of note took place until 1881, when George Conquest took over, staging melodramas, many of them written by himself, and pantomimes . The Surrey flourished until his death in 1901. The theatre

144-567: A misalliance between the circus and the theatre ... that actually inhibited the development of the circus". Horses appeared in Western European theater in the second half of the 18th century, both on stage and in aerial stunts (flying Pegasus ). Hippodrama emerged at the turn of the 19th century in England, introduced by Philip Astley in outdoor settings. At this time, the Licensing Act 1737

180-418: A rope, by which he was to have been lowered to the stage. The flight was successfully accomplished, but after he had grasped the rope and had descended a few feet it parted, and Mr. Conquest fell a long distance, striking the stage with a heavy thud. Assistance was promptly given, and a well-known physician, who chanced to be in a private box, was speedily at his side. The performances were hurriedly finished, and

216-593: A well-received modern form that can be considered hippodrama, which tours internationally, using as many as 30 horses per show and playing for up to two thousand people at a time. A modern one-of-a-kind hippodrama directed by Franz Abraham , an equestrian reenactment of Ben Hur , took place at the O2 arena , London on September 15, 2009. The show employed one hundred animals (including thirty-two horses) and four hundred people. George Augustus Conquest George Augustus Oliver Conquest (4 May 1837 –14 May 1901)

252-619: The Old Vic , Rudolph Cabanel , it was converted into a theatre by Robert Elliston . He renamed it the Surrey Theatre, being determined to perform Shakespeare and other plays. He reopened on Easter Monday and to avoid trouble with the law, which did not allow dialogue to be spoken without musical accompaniment except at the two patent theatres , he put a ballet into every such production, including Macbeth , Hamlet , and Farquhar 's The Beaux' Stratagem . Contemporary reviewers noted that

288-531: The 1899 show recreated the novel's chariot race with live horses and real chariots running on treadmills against a rotating backdrop. When the novel's author Lew Wallace saw the elaborate stage sets, he exclaimed, "My God. Did I set all of this in motion?" Film, introduced at the turn of the 20th century , finally replaced hippodrama as the show for the masses. In recent times, the Cavalia circus/show/production company (and other similar companies) have produced

324-618: The Lambeth streets teemed with prostitutes. Elliston left in 1814, and the Surrey became a circus again until Thomas Dibdin reopened it as a theatre in 1816. The arena where the equestrian exercises had been displayed was converted into a large pit for spectators, and the stables became saloons. Fanny Fitzwilliam and Sally Brook starred in melodramas , but the theatre had little success overall. John Baldwin Buckstone made his first London appearance at

360-589: The Murder at the Roadside Inn , which ran for 260 nights. Productions of Dickens dramas, among others, followed. Ira Aldridge , the first successful black actor, appeared here in the 1840s. C. Z. Barnett 's adaptation, A Christmas Carol; or, The Miser's Warning played in 1844. Richard Shepherd, who succeeded Alfred Bunn in 1848, remained at the theatre until 1869 and established its reputation for 'rough-and-tumble' transpontine melodrama. On 29 January 1865, during

396-588: The United States from at least 1809 until 1815. Christoph de Bach produced similar entertainment in Vienna. Astley's 1810 financial success with The Blood Red Knight may have influenced the decision of reluctant management of Covent Garden and Drury Lane theatres to join the lucrative business. The first hippodrama on the legitimate stage of London was an equestrianized production of " Blue Beard " at Covent Garden in February 1811. The same stage later that season saw

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432-651: The United States, as well as in England and France, and the Lafayette Circus in New York City, inaugurated in 1825, was the first American theatre building specifically designed for hippodrama, followed by the Philadelphia Amphitheater and the Baltimore Roman Amphitheatre. Hippodrama shows attracted working class audiences that included labourers and seamen, "ready to riot at the slightest provocations"; "in fact, much of recorded rowdyism of

468-543: The Wild Horse of Tartary , first staged in England in 1823, became a hit of Astley's Amphitheatre in 1831 and was performed by travelling companies in the United States from 1833; in the 1860s it became a trademark show for Adah Isaacs Menken . Adaptations of William Shakespeare ( Richard III ) were another common choice. Highwaymen real and fictional proved figures to hang stores on: Dick Turpin 's Ride to York and Paul Clifford Equestrian drama became popular in

504-427: The cause of the accident and rehearsed a fresh opening, with George Conquest Jr. in his father's part. Although the elder George Conquest eventually recovered from his fractured hip his acrobatic career was over. The pantomime could not go on without him appearing and the public quickly lost interest in it. Cancellations came from the managers of theatres where the production was to tour, and Theodore Moss, who had brought

540-412: The composer and songwriter, Charles Dibdin (who coined the term "circus" for that usage), aided by Charles Hughes, a well-known equestrian performer. The entertainments were at first performed by children with the goal of its being a nursery for young actors. Delphini, a celebrated buffo , became manager in 1788 and produced a spectacle including a real stag-hunt. Other animal acts followed, including

576-414: The curtain fell. During the excitement behind the scenes, and the infux of strangers to learn the result of the accident, many exaggerated reports naturally galned circulation, and among these was one which subsequently found its way into print, to the effect that the broken rope gave evidence of having been cut. Following the accident, the theatre remained closed for two days while the company investigated

612-572: The debut of the first play written specifically to include horses, Timour the Tartar , which premiering at New York's Olympic Theatre the following year. Hippodrama plays, tailored for the masses, revolved around colourful Eastern subjects ( Timur /Tamerlane, the conqueror of Central Asia, or the Ukrainian military leader Mazepa ) and the European military past ( Marlborough's Heroic Deeds ). Mazeppa, or

648-564: The form similarly, as “[...] literally a play in which trained horses are considered as actors, with business, often leading actions, of their own to perform.” Evolving from earlier equestrian circus, pioneered by equestrians including, most famously, Philip Astley in the 1760s, it relied on drama plays written specifically for the genre; trained horses were considered actors along with humans and were even awarded leading roles. A more negative assessment came from Anthony Hippisley-Coxe, who described hippodrama as "a bastard entertainment born of

684-472: The genre in the late 1880s and 1890s, helped by the invention of specially designed stage machinery built for the production of equestrian dramas that included movement by horses on stage that could range from simple horse and buggy rides, to displays of circus equestrianism, to (most notably) onstage horse races. The 1899 hippodrama Ben-Hur was notable for its elaborate use of spectacle, including horses running inside elaborately constructed cradles to create

720-560: The last scene of the pantomime Richard Coeur de Lion , a fire began above the chandelier . The audience evacuated safely, but before the cast could leave the entire theatre was plunged into darkness, as the gas supervisor cut the gas supply to prevent an explosion. Panic ensued backstage, but the cast were led to safety through the burning scenery by the efforts of Green (acting manager), Rowella (the 'clown'), Evans (the 'pantaloon'), Vivian (the 'sprite') and others. The cast, still in their flimsy stage clothes, were conveyed to their lodgings in

756-406: The like kind”. Astley's horse acts in his circus were allowed within his license. However, Astley wanted to produce shows more like “legitimate theater.” He soon realized that he could produce real drama as long as the action was performed on horseback, giving rise to hippodrama. He adapted common stories and plays in a way where they could be performed on horses. Not only that, but the horses were

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792-734: The main actors. The horses had their own business, or leading actions, to perform that helped carry out the plot. Also at this time, gradual closing of country fairs and discharge of cavalrymen and grooms after the end of the Continental Wars provided both experienced staff and public interest to the new show. Early hippodrama were presented in London at Astley's Amphitheatre, Royal Circus and Olympic Pavilion; and in Paris at Cirque Olympique , where 36 horse riders could perform simultaneously. Theatres built for hippodramas combined proscenium stage with

828-589: The mid-1820s in New York City took place at Lafayette Circus. Hippodrama traveled all the way to Australia. Hippodromes were built in Sydney and Melbourne in the 1850s. “The year 1854 was also the year in which the Crimean War began, so Lewis’s mention of the military value of sport and drama was a pointed one; hippodramas by implication assisted in encouraging men to keep themselves fit and trained in military skills such as horse-riding” (Fotheringham 12). However, hippodrama

864-520: The optical illusion of the famous chariot race . The stage production opened at the Broadway Theater in New York City, became a hit Broadway show , and travelled the United States for 21 years. (Versions also reached Great Britain and Australia.) By the end of its run in April 1920, the play had been seen by more than twenty million people and earned over $ 10 million at the box office. The key spectacle of

900-458: The popular dog act Gelert and Victor , lecture pieces, pantomimes and local spectacles. The popular comedian John Palmer then managed the theatre until 1789, when he was committed to Horsemonger Lane Gaol as "a rogue and a vagabond". It continued in use until 1810, although it had a troubled existence, being burnt down in 1799 and again on 12 August 1805. Rebuilt in 1806 by the German architect of

936-868: The production to Wallack's, claimed to have lost $ 10,000. Conquest returned to England and took over the Surrey Theatre in Lambeth in 1881, staging melodramas and pantomimes as he had at the Grecian. In March 1891 he played the Greek, Ciro Panitza in My Jack , and in 1893 the Miser in Mankind . The last production in which he appeared was Sinbad and the Little Old Man of the Sea &c. with Dan Leno and wife in 1897. His last recorded appearance

972-675: The theatre, George Conquest (1858–1926), Fred Conquest (1871–1941) and Arthur Conquest (1875–1945). In 1851, Benjamin Conquest acquired the Grecian Theatre and Eagle Tavern in the City Road , Hackney, London. The theatre had previously produced light opera and was originally a music hall , but Conquest senior switched to Shakespeare which was unsuccessful. He then tried melodrama which was more popular and he produced over 100 such shows written by George, often adapted from French productions. George

1008-636: The theatre, on 30 January 1823, as Ramsay in The Fortunes of Nigel . George Holland also appeared at the theatre, in 1826. When Elliston returned in 1827, the theatre's fortunes changed. In 1829, Douglas Jerrold 's melodrama Black-Eyed Susan , with T. P. Cooke as William , the nautical hero, ran for over 300 nights, which was extraordinarily successful for the time. Elliston made his last appearance at this theatre on 24 June 1831, twelve days before he died. Osbaldiston then took over and, among other plays, produced Edward Fitzball 's Jonathan Bradford; or,

1044-535: Was a playwright, theatrical manager, acrobat and pantomimist described as "the most stunning actor-acrobat of his time". Conquest was born in 1837, the son of Clarissa Ann née Roxbey (c. 1804–1867) and theatrical manager Benjamin Conquest (c. 1804 – 12 July 1872). He was educated in France. In 1857 he married Elizabeth Ozmond (died 1890), with whom he had eleven children, including Lydia, Elizabeth, Amy, Louisa, Daisy, Laura and Ada, and three sons who were also active in

1080-672: Was also an acrobat and pantomimist and produced and appeared in nearly 50 pantomimes with Henry Spry . George helped to run the Grecian and inherited it on his father's death. The theatre was rebuilt in 1858, again in 1876, and sold in 1879 following which George Conquest went on a tour of the United States in 1880 in The Grim Goblin , which had played with great success at the Grecian in 1876. Conquest and his company arrived in New York in July 1880 and began rehearsals before opening in New York at Wallack's Theatre on 16 August 1880. Conquest

1116-607: Was at a benefit for Charles Cruikshanks in 1898. His son George took over the theatre on his father's death. Conquest died of a heart attack at his home in Brixton Hill on 14 May 1901. Hundreds of people came to his funeral at West Norwood Cemetery , and flowers were sent by Henry Irving , J. L. Toole , Herbert Campbell and Dan Leno , among others. He left an estate valued at £64,000. Of him, his old friend and collaborator Henry Spry wrote: I have known George Conquest over forty-six years, and never knew him to be guilty of

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1152-456: Was built by Alberto Cavos in 1847. The American Hengler's Circus prospered in the 1850s under the heading of Hengler's Colossal Hippodrama , but elsewhere popularity of the genre faded by the middle of the century. It was revived in France under Napoleon III , especially with the 1863 production of the Battle of Marengo and in 1880 Michel Strogoff . The United States saw a brief revival of

1188-572: Was in effect, which allowed only three venues to perform “legitimate theater” ( patent theatre ). These included Covent Garden , Drury Lane , and the summer theatre in the Haymarket . These theaters had patents on real drama. Other theaters, such as Astley's Amphitheatre and the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy (latterly the Surrey Theatre ), were only granted licenses for “public dancing and music” and “for other public entertainments of

1224-529: Was not as big in Australia as it was in England. It did leave an impact, though. Hippodrama helped change Australian theater building designs. There had to be a way for the horses to get onstage, so the theaters started to build ramps leading up to the stage. Also, the stages had to be big enough to hold a circus ring. From then on, the stages were built bigger. The Equestrian Circus in Saint Petersburg, Russia

1260-432: Was remodelled by Kirk and Kirk, as a music hall , but did not prosper, becoming a cinema in 1920. It finally closed in 1924, and the building was demolished in 1934. The site is now occupied by modern flats. Hippodrama Kimberly Poppiti defines hippodrama as "plays written or performed to include a live horse or horses enacting significant action or characters as a necessary part of the plot." Arthur Saxon defines

1296-488: Was seriously injured in a stage accident on opening night of The Grim Goblin at Wallack's, as described in an account in The New York Clipper : Just before the close of the piece, Mr. Conquest and his son attempted "phantom flights", which terminated in a sad disaster. Mr. Conquest made a diagonal ascent from the stage to the flies where he caught a horizontal bar out of the sight of the audience, and then grasped

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