Charles Morton (impresario)
Encyclopedia
Charles Morton was a Music hall
and theatre
manager. Born in Hackney, he built the first purpose built tavern Music hall, the Canterbury Music Hall
, and became known as the Father of the Halls.
in Covent Garden
and decided to offer a harmonic meeting, held on Saturdays, in the back room of the public house. Soon, a Thursday evening programme was added to accommodate the crowds and admit women, giving the venue wider appeal than the old time song and supper rooms, which were male preserves. Entry was free, but the profits from the sale of food and drink allowed the construction in 1852 of a 700 seat hall on the site of an adjacent skittle alley. This made sufficient profit to fund the building of a 1,500 seat hall, around the old hall. The old building was demolished in one weekend and the New Canterbury opened in December 1856. In 1855, and again in 1856, Morton was prosecuted under the Theatres Act 1843
for the presentation of 'legitimate drama' in sketches – this still being reserved to a small number of licensed theatres. Even this setback was turned to advantage by taking advertisements in The Times
– the first such for this type of behaviour.
Their success at the Canterbury allowed Stanley and Morton to build The Oxford
, in Holborn
, as a competitor to the nearby Weston's Music Hall
, opening on 26 March 1861. The pair managed both the Canterbury & Oxford halls, with acts moving between the halls in coaches. With their interests now established in the West End, on Boxing Night
1867, Morton relinquished management of the Canterbury to William Holland.
, in Leicester Square
. The theatre fell into financial difficulties following the decision by the Middlesex Magistrates not to grant a Music and Dancing Licence in October 1870. It was destroyed by fire in December 1882. Morton took it over and made a success, presenting a programme of variety. The theatre re-opened on 18 October 1884, with Morton in charge.
Morton announced his retirement in 1891, but in 1892, he was persuaded by the Newson-Smith Syndicate to take over the failed Royal English Opera House. He re-opened it as the Palace Theatre of Varieties
, with a programme of variety theatre and continued to manage the theatre profitably, until his death in 1904.
. Many aspects of the entertainment had already been tried elsewhere, especially in the northern provinces and by the 1840s, the artistes themselves had already formed a benevolent society
. Morton was able to combine these ideas into a package of entertainments and make them widely popular with many imitators. He went on to anticipate the move from the halls to the large variety theatres of the Edwardian era and to manage some of the most profitable and notable.
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
manager. Born in Hackney, he built the first purpose built tavern Music hall, the Canterbury Music Hall
Canterbury Music Hall
The Canterbury Music Hall was established in 1852 by Charles Morton on the site of a former skittle alley adjacent to the Canterbury Tavern at 143 Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth. It was the first purpose-built music hall in London, and Morton came to be dubbed the Father of the Halls as hundreds...
, and became known as the Father of the Halls.
Canterbury Hall
Morton and Frederick Stanley, his brother in law, purchased the Canterbury Arms, in Upper Marsh, Lambeth, in 1849. Morton had been impressed with the entertainments at Evans Music-and-Supper RoomsEvans Music-and-Supper Rooms
Evans Music-and-Supper Rooms, 43 King Street, Covent Garden, was a famous venue for music and singing in early nineteenth century London, providing the type of entertainment which later evolved into music hall....
in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
and decided to offer a harmonic meeting, held on Saturdays, in the back room of the public house. Soon, a Thursday evening programme was added to accommodate the crowds and admit women, giving the venue wider appeal than the old time song and supper rooms, which were male preserves. Entry was free, but the profits from the sale of food and drink allowed the construction in 1852 of a 700 seat hall on the site of an adjacent skittle alley. This made sufficient profit to fund the building of a 1,500 seat hall, around the old hall. The old building was demolished in one weekend and the New Canterbury opened in December 1856. In 1855, and again in 1856, Morton was prosecuted under the Theatres Act 1843
Theatres Act 1843
The Theatres Act 1843 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It amended the regime established under the Licensing Act 1737 for the licensing of the theatre in the UK, implementing the proposals made by a select committee of the House of Commons in 1832.Under the Licensing Act 1737 The...
for the presentation of 'legitimate drama' in sketches – this still being reserved to a small number of licensed theatres. Even this setback was turned to advantage by taking advertisements in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
– the first such for this type of behaviour.
Their success at the Canterbury allowed Stanley and Morton to build The Oxford
Oxford Music Hall
Oxford Music Hall was a music hall located in Westminster, London at the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. It was established on the site of a former public house, the Boar and Castle, by Charles Morton, in 1861. The hall was converted into a legitimate theatre in 1917, but the...
, in Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
, as a competitor to the nearby Weston's Music Hall
Weston's Music Hall
Weston's Music Hall was a music hall and theatre that opened on 16 November 1857 at 242-245 High Holborn. In 1906, the theatre became known as the Holborn Empire.-Early years:...
, opening on 26 March 1861. The pair managed both the Canterbury & Oxford halls, with acts moving between the halls in coaches. With their interests now established in the West End, on Boxing Night
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
1867, Morton relinquished management of the Canterbury to William Holland.
Variety theatre
In 1877, Morton became the manager of the Alhambra TheatreAlhambra Theatre
The Alhambra was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End of London. It was built originally as The Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts opening on 18 March 1854. It was closed after two years and reopened as the Alhambra. The building was...
, in Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
. The theatre fell into financial difficulties following the decision by the Middlesex Magistrates not to grant a Music and Dancing Licence in October 1870. It was destroyed by fire in December 1882. Morton took it over and made a success, presenting a programme of variety. The theatre re-opened on 18 October 1884, with Morton in charge.
Morton announced his retirement in 1891, but in 1892, he was persuaded by the Newson-Smith Syndicate to take over the failed Royal English Opera House. He re-opened it as the Palace Theatre of Varieties
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
, with a programme of variety theatre and continued to manage the theatre profitably, until his death in 1904.
Legacy
His biography, Sixty Years Stage Service was published in 1905 by his brother and Henry Chance Newton and did much to establish his reputation as The Father of the Halls. Morton appears to have been the first to coin the term "Music hall" and popularised the concept through aggressive advertising in The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. Many aspects of the entertainment had already been tried elsewhere, especially in the northern provinces and by the 1840s, the artistes themselves had already formed a benevolent society
Benevolent Society
The Benevolent Society, founded by Edward Smith Hall in 1813, is Australia's first charity. It is an independent, non-religious, non-profit organisation which aims to help people overcome the barriers preventing them from participating fully in society...
. Morton was able to combine these ideas into a package of entertainments and make them widely popular with many imitators. He went on to anticipate the move from the halls to the large variety theatres of the Edwardian era and to manage some of the most profitable and notable.
External links
- Charles Morton (Arthur Lloyd)