Both
cockpits and theatres have long existed on this site. There was a cockpit
here in the early seventeenth century, replaced by a succession of theatres
(some destroyed during riots, others by fire) generally known as The
Cockpit. Sir
Christopher Wren designed the building pictured above in the late
seventeenth century (see a different
view of it). This opened in 1795 with four tiers of boxes, two galleries,
and a number of private boxes ranged on each side of the pit. The stage
was 105 feet in length, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet between stage doors.
The king and queen had their own box, with a canopy of crimson velvet,
and with the box lined with blue satin.
This
building burned down in 1809 and was replaced in 1811. The new
theatre's main entrance was on Brydge Street.
Two
kings, George II in 1716 and George III in 1800, had attempts
made upon their lives within the theatre.
