On 20 September 1808, London’s Theatre Royal, Covent Garden burned to the ground.

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Terry F. Robinson, “National Theatre in Transition: The London Patent Theatre Fires of 1808-1809 and the Old Price Riots”

On 18 September 1809, London’s Theatre Royal, Covent Garden reopened to the public, after having been destroyed by fire. 18 September 1809 also marks the beginning of the Old Price Riots at Covent Garden Theatre, which continued for sixty-seven nights.

Articles

Terry F. Robinson, “National Theatre in Transition: The London Patent Theatre Fires of 1808-1809 and the Old Price Riots”

The Old Price Riots began on 18 September 1809 and concluded on 15 December 1809. The riots were a consumer protest movement staged by theatregoers of Covent Garden Theatre for a total of sixty-seven nights, demanding a return of old prices for seats at the theater. Day after day, week after week, from September through December, protestors made noise, brandished placards, fashioned O.P. medals and faux money, created signature O.P. songs, and even performed an O.P. Dance. Hardly relegated to the environs of Covent Garden, the event dominated London’s theatrical and print culture in the form of news reports, pamphlets, broadsides, and graphic images, which circulated throughout the metropolis and beyond. Image: George Cruikshank, The O.P. Spectacles (17 November 1809; (© Victoria and Albert Museum, London).

Articles

Terry F. Robinson, “National Theatre in Transition: The London Patent Theatre Fires of 1808-1809 and the Old Price Riots”

[caption id="attachment_3199" align="aligncenter" width="700"] "Killing no Murder" Author: Cruickshank, 1809[/caption]

The rebuilt Covent Garden Theatre opened on the 18th of September 1809 and “Old Price Riots” began, which continued for 64 days.

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Terry F. Robinson, “National Theatre in Transition: The London Patent Theatre Fires of 1808-1809 and the Old Price Riots”