Known more commonly as Astley’s Amphitheatre, this London theatre was opened in 1773 by Philip Astley, located on Westminster Bridge Road. The theatre was quite popular for its shows and as a circus, and was known for its equestrian shows. The theatre went by a variety of names, including Royal Amphitheatre (1804–1823; 1825–1842), Davis’s Royal Amphitheatre (1823–1825), and Astley’s Theatre (1863–1867), among others. The theatre was popularized by Charles Dickens, who published a short story about the theatre. Astley’s also appears in The Old Curiosity Shop and Hard Times. The theatre was demolished at the end of the nineteenth century.