SLHS Theatre4 - Swan Theatre

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Edward Flower’s Great Idea

As is well documented the Duke Of Wellington’s reduction in tax on beer had enabled Edward Fordham Flower (right) to enter into brewing. Flower’s Brewery went from strength to strength. He had two passions horses (perhaps picked up from his faltering start in America) and the writings of Shakespeare.

In 1862 he realised that it would soon be 300 years since the birth of his beloved Shakespeare (b 1564) and so he resolved to celebrate this in some special way.

Indeed in 1864 there was a huge celebration advertised but, sadly, few outside of Stratford seemed inclined to attend. Amid great criticisms in London it passed off rather weakly.

However Edward decided that that was not going to be an end to it. There was to be a permanent memorial to him in his hometown. Edward’s son Charles stepped in. There must have been some pretty enormous discussions with Town Council, land owners, financiers, a large number of wealthy donors and the Board governing the brewery. Anyway a new enormous theatre was proposed. The Achitects Edward Dodgshun and William Unsworth completed their plans in 1876 (right) and they set to work (below).

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Banks Of River Avon

Construction Of The Swan Theatre 1864

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FLOWER’S PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Once completed it dwarfed everything around it

Edward Flower’s Defiant Speech

The ShakespeareBlog takes up the story..

1. Flower kept silent, but he did not forget this insult. When he rose to speak at the ceremony for the opening of the theatre over two years later he referred directly to this article:
   

2. ”A new line of criticism has been taken up by some who say we are presumptuous in undertaking it. They say we do not represent literature, science, scholarship, clergy or law; they say we are not inhabitants of that great metropolis which ought to monopolise such great works. They say, in fact, we are a set of Respectable Nobodies! All I can say is that, the “Nobodies”, having waited three hundred years for the “Somebodies” to do something, surely blame ought not to attach to us; rather let criticism  be given to those great social and literary “Somebodies” who have done nothing.”
   

3. He continued: “It is quite true we are nobodies. We know that, and therefore do not despair because we cannot accomplish great things at a single effort. We shall be ready to go on quietly and patiently with our work, knowing that we do so in a true spirit of love and reverence for the great man for whose memory we do it”.
   

4. “Many of the great somebodies would have been willing enough to have joined our ranks, only that we desired to admit those only who were willing and able to give some real assistance: we don’t want names only. How many similar projects have been started, with long lists of committees, and patrons, and presidents – great and illustrious names, and names only – which have collapsed because the real hard-working element has been overwhelmed by the ornamental superstructure”.

OPENING

The Swan 1890

Notable is the Lord Ronald Gower’s Shakespeare Memorial Statue (first erected in 1888) now by Clopton Bridge

not far from Cox’s Yard -see chimney in far background to the right.

DISASTER STRIKES

Terrible Fire

After all they had overcome it beggars belief that on 6th March 1926 that fire engulfed Stratford’s Holy Of Holies.

William Unsworth’s drawing 1876

Click on picture to go to a full page view of all four elevations.

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Modern Facilities

The first actress that Sir Peter Hall managed to employ as resident in 1958 was Peggy Ashcroft. She went on to star in many leading roles giving the RSC international success and for which she was made a Dame. There is now a very modern rehearsal room within the Swan’s roof space that bears her name.

Dame Peggy Ashcroft Rehearsal Room

Criticisms Abound

Just before the foundation stone of the theatre was laid in 1877 the Daily Telegraph wrote critically again:

1. “We beg distinctly and indignantly to protest against the whole paltry and impertinent business… They have no mandate to speak in the name of the public or to invest with the attribute of a national undertaking …[what is] to be half theatre and half mechanics institute… The Governors and Council are respectable nobodies”.
   

Unperturbed The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was opened by the Avon on 19 April 1879 (However construction continued until 1881). We know it now as The Swan Theatre and there are others so named around the UK.

One of the earliest sketches or how it might be

The fire burnt the entire theatre area down