St George's Hall

St George's Hall, in Langham Place, London, was a venue that became closely associated with amateur theatre in the last two decades of the nineteenth century. It was a venue that had a favourable reputation amongst the upper and middle classes, which was seen to be presenting respectable amusements under the leadership of the German Reed family.

The Busy Bees and Strolling Players were some of many amateur theatre societies that presented work at the venue.

St. George's Hall was home to William Poel's experimental amateur productions, which considered what the original conditions of Shakespeare's theatre may have been like. In 1881, for example, he staged Hamlet there.

Records of the venue have brought to light the following amateur theatrical events and companies:

• 1893, 28 January - the eighteenth season of the Strolling Players. They perform Sydney Grundy's one-act comedietta Man Proposes and Joseph Derrick's three-act comedy Confusion.
• 1893, 1 and 7 February - The Irving Amateur Dramatic Club perform Shakespeare's Cymbeline.
• 1893, 2 February - The Old Love and the New by the Strolling Players.