Looking at the Almeida Theatre

In 1837 land behind the new houses at 138-140 Upper Street was leased to the Islington Literary & Scientific Society where they built the premises now occupied by the Almeida Theatre. That society had been founded in 1833 and originally occupied rooms in Mr Edgeworth’s Academy in the building now numbered 133 Upper Street. Their new building, designed by Gough and Roumieu in the neo-Grecian style, was constructed in record time by William Spencer Dove (founder of Dove Brothers),

By the 1870s the Islington Literary & Scientific Society was struggling to continue as the changing demography of Islington reduced its middle class clientele, and eventually it was wound up. The building was sold in 1875, being operated as the Wellington Club until 1885, when it was purchased by William Booth and radically altered for use as a Salvation Army Citadel.

The Salvation Army ceased to operate there in 1956 after which the building was sold to Beck’s British Carnival Novelties and used as a warehouse and factory to supply their shop at 139 Upper Street. . Following the murder of the Beck’s proprietor in 1972 (by his son-in-law who was appalled to discover he was a transvestite) the building was sold and went through various owners as a warehouse.

Attempts by several organisations to gain planning consent for theatre use finally bore fruit in 1981 when the Almeida Theatre Company was formed by Pierre Audi and friends newly-graduated from Oxford University. They acquired the building with financial support from Pierre’s father, a Lebanese banker, and the Almeida Theatre opened that year.