here for "their majesties' servants," the playactors, in the times of Queen Anne and her successor. George I., is not known, but as Hutton tells us that in 1730 the amusements of the stage rose in elegance so far that threepenny performances were given "in a stable in Castle Street," we may be sure the position held by members of the profession was not very high in the estimation of our townsfolk previous to that period. Indeed, it would almost seem as if the acting of plays was quite an innovation at the time named, and one that met with approval, for shortly after we read of there being theatres in Smallbrook Street, in New Street, and "a new theatre" in Moor Street. The first-named closed in 1749 or 1750; the second is supposed to have been on the site of the present Theatre Royal, but it could not have been a building of much importance as we find no note of it after 1744; the third, built in 1739, was taken possession of by the disciples of Wesley, and on March 21, 1764, was opened as a chapel. Previous to the last event, however, another theatre had been erected (in 1752) in King Street, leading out of New Street, near to the Free School, which, being enlarged in 1774, is described by Hutton as having few equals. In this year also (1774) the Theatre Royal was erected (at a cost of nearly £5,700) though the latter half of its title was not assumed until August, 1807, on the occasion of the Royal assent being given to the house being "licensed."
A bill had been introduced into the House of Commons for this purpose on the 26th of March, 1777, during the debate on which Burke called Birmingham "the great toyshop of Europe" but it was thrown out on the second reading. The King Street Theatre, like its predecessor in Moor Street, after a time of struggle, was turned into a place of worship in 1786, a fate which, at a later date, also befell another place of public entertainment, the Circus, in Bradford Street, and the theatrical history of the town, for a long term of years centred round the Theatre Royal, though now and then spasmodic attempts were made to localise amusements more or less of a similar nature. One of these, and the earliest, was peculiarly unfortunate; early in 1778 a wooden pavilion, known as the "Concert Booth," was erected in the Moseley Road, dramatic performances being given between the first and last parts of a vocal and instrumental concert, but some mischievous or malicious incendiary set fire to the building, which was burnt to the ground Aug. 13 of the same year. Four years later, and nearly at the same date (Aug. 17) the Theatre in New Street met with a like fate, the only portion of it left being the stone front (added in 1780) which is still the same, fortunately coming almost as safely through the next conflagration. The proprietors clear&d away the ruins, and erected a more commodious structure, which, under the management of Mr. William Macready, was opened June 22, 1795. In the meantime, the King Street Theatre having been chapelised, the town appears to have been without any recognised place for dramatic entertainments other than those provided in the large rooms of the hotels, or the occasional use of a granary transmogrified for the nonce into a Thespian arena. On the night of the 6th of January, 1820, after the performance of "Pizarro," the Theatre Royal was again burnt out, but, possibly from having their property insured up to £7,000, the proprietors were not so long in having it rebuilt, the doors of the new house being opened on following Aug. 14. This is, practically, the same building as the present, which has seats for about 3,500, the gallery holding 1,000. Many of the first artists of the profession have trod the boards of the Old Theatre since the last-named date, and Birmingham has cause to be proud of more than one of her children, who, starting thence, have found name and fame elsewhere. The scope of the
