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Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Vanbrugh 300 is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to develop a nationwide project that aims to broaden the awareness of Vanbrugh through special displays, free education programmes and lectures, throughout his tercentenary year in 2026.
Thursday 8th October, 6.30pm
Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland, NE26 4QR
Please join us for an evening lecture with Dr Annette Rubery and Dr Nicholas Helm to discuss Sir John Vanbrugh and the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket
When, in the early 1700s, Vanbrugh began making plans for a new London playhouse, he was typically ambitious in his approach. ‘I have drawn a design for the whole disposition of the inside, very different from any other House in being,’ he told his friend Jacob Tonson. The resulting theatre (unveiled in 1705) sought to combine both dramatic and operatic productions in a visually dynamic setting. However, his project was in many respects a failure, and it was not until the 1720s, after numerous alterations and various attempts at management, did it begin to function effectively.
This event tackles the Queen’s Theatre in the Haymarket from two related perspectives.
Firstly, Dr Nicholas Helm will explore the question of ‘architectural essence’ in theatre design, and how Vanbrugh engaged with this in a very particular – and pioneering – way. While Christopher Wren had already demonstrated an architectural formula for scenic and musical theatre as early as 1674 at Drury Lane, Vanbrugh used the Haymarket project to look for his own, more Italianate formula. Dr Helm will explore Vanbrugh’s personal drive, and natural exuberance, and assess how this led him to try to challenge architecture not merely to accommodate scenic or musical theatre, but to celebrate a union between architecture and performance.
Theatre historian Dr Annette Rubery will then take up the story from a cultural perspective, introducing some of the figures associated with the theatre, such as the painter James Thornhill and the composer George Frideric Handel. She will attempt to reconstruct the life of the building with reference to its scenery, repertoire and acoustics, and will argue that – far from being a disaster – Vanbrugh’s bold experiment was a vital political tool at a time of national turmoil.
Tickets are FREE but must be reserved on a first come, first served basis. The link to sign up will be available shortly.
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This nationwide series of VANBRUGH300 lectures, held across the great houses designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, has been generously supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with The Georgian Group.
Dr Nicholas Helm is a practising architect and founder of Helm Architecture. His work combines contemporary design with sustained engagement in architectural history. He has a longstanding interest in Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor, first developed during his studies at the Architectural Association. He approaches the Haymarket as both researcher and designer, and his recent projects include Shakespeare North Playhouse and the Rose Revealed on Bankside.
Dr Annette Rubery is an independent scholar who specialises in the 18th century. She is a member of the Biographers’ Club and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She is currently writing a group biography about John Vanbrugh and his theatrical circle, with a special focus on the Queen’s Theatre in the Haymarket.
