DALY'S THEATRE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19666, 9 July 1929, Page 2

DALY'S THEATRE.

TO BE SOLD.

(raOM OUR OWN OOItRESPOKDENT.) LONDON, May 23. Daly's Theatre, the famous playhouse known all over the world as the home of musical comedy in its prosperous days, is to be sold. The theatre won for itself a unique position as the home of what became Known as "George Edwards's Productions." Daly's, ideally situated in Leicester Square, has always ranked as one of the handsomest and most comfortable of West End theatres. Its construction sprang from the immense success achieved by the American company during their season at tiie Lyceum in the autumn of 1891, ana Mr Augustin Daly's determination, provoked by the difficulty he experienced of obtaining suitable quarters for a later visit, to ensure them a home of their own. It was Mr George Edwardes, however who sent out invitations for the ceremony of laying the corner stone by Miss Ada Rehan, of "the new theatre which he is constructing tor Mr Augustin Daly." Mrs Bancroft named the coming theatre "Daly s by breaking a bottle of champagne upon the foundation stone "with a. force grievous to many dresses and hats " The house took two years to build. It was opened in 1893 with "The Taming of the Shrew," Ada Rehan being Katherine. Augustin Daly did not have the greatest success with some of his productions. After a year or so Daly s passed into the possession of George Edwardes, who arranged as his initial venture to transfer to it the musical comedy "A Gaiety Girl," then a big success at the Prince of Wales's. It proved the first of a string of popular pieces of a like order, including "The Geisha," "San Toy," "The Greek Slave," "A Country Girl," "The Cingalee," "The Little Michus," and "The Merveilleuses." On an average each play enjoyed a run of 18 months. Fortune did not always smile upon Mr Edwardes's efforts, but "The Merry Widow," produced in 1907, proved a triumph, both artistic and financial. When George Edwardes died the work he had carried on for so many vears was taken up by Mr Robert Evett. Under his regime "The Maid of the Mountains" was staged. It ran for 1352 performances. In 2? years, in fact, it was necessary to stage only 19 new productions at Daly's, each of which had an average run of close on 600 performances. In 1922 Daly's was acquired by Mr James White for a figure understood to be over £200,000.