Welcome to Wilton's Music Hall, the oldest Grand Music Hall in the world. Here you will find listings and historical information as well as all that's happening in our Mahogany Bar. Please email info@wiltons.org.uk to join the mailing list or for any other questions.
Opening Times
~ Last Updated 01/09/10 at 6:30pm ~
What's On ~ September:
(Jump to Sept / October)
Friday 10th Sept: The Fitzrovia Radio Hour
Starts 7:30pm, Tickets £10, (available through ticketweb, click here to buy).
The Fitzrovia Radio Hour consists of three scripted dramas sincerely pastiching 1930s and '40s radio plays. From horror and detective stories to romance and science fiction, these dramas are accompanied by live sound effects (including the most inventive use of cabbages since rationing ended) and also include live music, video elements and off-mic bickering. Due to end at approximately nine, afterwards will be swing dancing until late!
"Deliciously spoofed radio plays of the 1940s and 50s" - What's On Stage, "A collision of comedy heritage" - The Independent. See www.fitzroviaradio.co.uk for more information.
Saturday 11th Sept: The Destroyers invite you to "The Great Cash Crash Bash"
Doors 7:30, starts 8:30pm, tickets £12 (available from ticket sellers, click here to buy)
Rather than taking a break after playing at just about every festival going this Summer, riotous 15 piece gypsy punk rabble The Destroyers will be celebrating the unveiling of their new video 'Where Has The Money Gone?' here at Wilton’s Music Hall. Originally a B‐ side to their debut single, ‘Out Of Babel’, ‘Where Has The Money Gone?’ is a rousing live favourite and deserved of its own exposure. The song was originally inspired by the story of Hedge fund manager Rene Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet who committed suicide after losing nearly $1.4 billion in Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Now somehow appropriately anthemic, the song takes on new meaning in a world gripped by the gnarly teeth of the economic recession.
See http://thedestroyers.co.uk for more information. Special guests Leo Altarelli and Abie’s Ragtime Miracle Tonic will also be performing.
Thurs 16th & Sat 18th Sept: La Bohème
Start time 7:30pm, Tickets £30 (available through ticketweb, to buy click here)
For only two nights the Co Opera Co will be staging La Bohème, the famous story of two ill-fated bohemian lovers complete with 15 piece orchestra. For more information see www.co-opera-co.org. This opera will be sung in Italian. Co-Opera Co. is a training opera company aimed at professional opera singers in the early stages of their careers, undergraduates nearing the conclusion of their course, budding conductors, directors, and répétiteurs. Already having performed to an audience of 700, who were seen cheering and crying respectively, we are excited that this much loved show will be coming to our intimate venue.
Friday 17th Sept: Cabaret from The Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year
Starts 8:00pm, This event will be in our Mahogany Bar, Free (no need to book).
Stephen Sondheim was born in New York in 1930, and is widely acknowledged as the most innovative, most influential and most important composer and lyricist in modern Broadway history. His competition has been set up to recognise the brightest new talent in the Broadway industry and Alex Young is this years award winner. This will be an informal treat; a night of cabaret in our bar . Part of 
.
Tuesday 21st Sept: Paban Das Baul
Starts 7:30pm, tickets £15 (coming soon).
Paban Das Baul was born in 1961 in Murshidabad a district of West Bengal. A celebrated Bengali musician, he is well known for the emotional beauty of his vocals and his genius of improvisation in percussion. Paban Das Baul draws on his heritage using Tantric, Vaishnava, Sufi and Buddhist influences to embellish his art and music. Taking a break from shuttling between Bengal and France, where he composes and collaborates with musicians from all over the world, Paban will be joining us with Urmimala Sen, his partner. Bengali food will be available on the night.
Wed 22nd & Fri 24th Sept: 'Heel' featuring Noel Wallace
Starts 8:00pm, Tickets £10, (available to buy from ticketweb, to buy click here).
With lighting by Filippo de Capitani, Noel Wallace returns to Wilton's with an evening of solos. Noel Wallace is a dancer whose performances display an incredible discipline and rhythm. He was the English National Ballet's first black dancer and has worked with talent such as Bejart Ballet, Brian Eno, Dennis Morris and David Fielding. Noel has been a resident artist at a number of arts institutions including the ICA and his use of shadow and space makes him perfectly suited to Wilton's.
Thursday 23rd Sept: Wilton's Magic Show
Starts 7:30pm, Tickets £12, £8 conc. (tickets available through ticketweb, to buy click here)
Continuing her residency here at Wilton's, Katherine Rhodes returns once more to delight us with her extraordinary magic and to bring forward and develop some of the UK's brightest new talents.
Sunday 26th Sept: A Very Musical Evening in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust
Starts 7:00pm, Tickets £30 + booking fee, all proceeds go to charity (tickets available through ticketweb, to buy click here).
Aled Jones will host an outstanding evening of musical talent as various celebrity artists from the worlds of pop, jazz, musical theatre and comedy come together in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. The evening will also include a Prize Auction as well as a Word Auction, where multi-award winning theatre composer and lyricist duo Stiles and Drewe will create a song during the interval based on words provided by the audience. This night's line up so far includes Jonathan Groff (Glee), Gareth Gates (Pop Idol/Les Mis), James Bourne (Busted/Loserville), The Priscilla Divas, Stiles and Drewe, The Casablanca Steps, Lawrence Layton (C4’s Fear of Flying) and Graham Gouldman (10CC) plus other guests to be announced. (Line up subject to change)
Every year 2000 teenagers in the UK are diagnosed with cancer. Teenage Cancer Trust focuses on the needs of those with cancer, leukaemia, Hodgkin's and related diseases by providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. Units cost over £2million each to build and Teenage Cancer Trust aims to complete at least 22 units in the UK. All monies raised by this event will go towards initiatives to make that happen. www.teenagecancertrust.org
Tues 28th, Wed 29th & Thurs 30th Sept: Jill Halfpenny Celebrates The Great British Songbook
Starts 8pm, tickets £17.50 - £35 (tickets available through ticketweb, to buy click here).
Jill Halfpenny, star of Legally Blonde, Chicago, Calendar Girls, Strictly Come Dancing and Eastenders, together with her band, perform the songs of Anthony Newley, Gary Barlow, Herb Kretzmer, Eric Clapton, The Beautiful South, Richard O Brien, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Leslie Bricusse and many more. Jill will be supported by her Legally Blonde co-star Chris Elllis-Stanton whose credits include The Boyfriend (Regents Park), Chicago and The Rocky Horror Show(International Tour).
This night is brought to you by our new cabaret nights.
What's On ~ October:
(Jump to Sept / October)
Friday 1st October: Rollin' Stoned + David Sinclair Trio
Doors 7:00pm, tickets £13 (tickets available through 'we got tickets', to buy click here).
The Rollin' Stoned and special guest the David Sinclair Trio return to Wilton's for the third year running.
8.00pm - David Sinclair Trio, 9.00pm - The Rollin' Stoned. See
www.rollinstoned.com and
www.myspace.com/davidsinclair for more details.
Mon 4th, Tues 5th & Wed 6th October: The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, by Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Starts 8:00pm, tickets £12, £10 conc. (available through ticketweb, to buy click here).
Inspired in design and direction by Japanese animation and manga this moving piece of adult puppetry was first performed in Japan in 1703. Adapted from the story by Chikamatsu the suicides described in this play took Place on May 22, 1703 and Chikamatsu (widely regarded as one of the greatest Japanese dramatists in history) was stirred by them to compose his first domestic tragedy. The Love Suicides at Sonezaki has been praised for the simplicity of its plot and it remains one of Chikamatsu’s finest works, if only for the poetry in the love journey.
(
Return To Top)
The Mahogany Bar:
For August only The Mahogany Bar has been piloting a new lunchtime brasserie so you can escape the workplace this Summer and liven up ours! Every Thursday and Friday Jane from Bliss Catering has made a delicious and affordable menue served between 12 midday and 3pm. Although recommended, booking isn't essential. Originally just for August we have now extended our lunches to offer one more opportunity to come. The last week will now be the 2nd and 3rd of Sept.
Our bar is open from 5:00pm - 11:00pm Monday to Friday.
(Food is only served when particular shows are on as specified in the event details above and Thursday and Friday from 12-3pm until Friday 3rd Sept.)
PLANNED CLOSURES: There are currently no planned closures.
Introducing free Monday Night MusicEvery Monday in the bar from 8:00pm, (no need to book)
The Bonfire Band, Robin Harris and Trio Manouche have all had residencies here. Join us for these informal evenings as they return for more one off performances.
Coming up:
30th August: Robin Harris
6th September: Trio Manouche
13th September: The Bonfire Band
20th September: Robin Harris
( Return To Top)
About Wilton's:
Wilton’s is the oldest surviving Grand Music Hall in the world. It belongs to the first generation of public house music halls that appeared in London during the 1850s and which, only fifty years later, had all but disappeared. Now owned by the Wilton's Music Hall Trust and run by a very small and dedicated team of people, it is once again becoming a centre for innovation and excellence, both locally and internationally. Originally 5 terraced houses, John Wilton opened Wilton's Music Hall in 1858. Since then it has been home to the missionaries, survived two world wars, been a rag warehouse and unfortunately become derelict. To find out more about the history of this unique building see our wikipedia entry here.
Also CLICK HERE to take a look at our virtual tour!
( Return To Top)
Hire:
Wilton's is currently closed for all types of hire as our 2010 calendar is full. If you would like to hire Wilton’s next year, please note that we must always give priority to our artistic agenda and we are therefore not able to confirm dates until cleared by our Creative Director. For weddings and other private functions please see our brochure of hire rates and information by clicking HERE before emailing us with preferred dates. For film shoots and photoshoots email us with full details, including type of activity and
technical requirements and we will respond as quickly as we can with prices and availability.
If you would like to hold a production be aware that Wilton's is a producing house and does not accept unsolicited proposals from external artistic bodies.
( Return To Top)
Contact Us:
If you have any questions about the building, future shows, hire or our bar please don't hesitate to get in touch. Call our Box Office directly on 020 7702 2789 or our general administration number 020 7702 9555. You can also email us for more information at info@wiltons.org.uk. Our postal address is:
Wilton's Music Hall,
1 Graces Alley, London,
E1 8JB.
Office opening hours: 10am - 7pm (times may vary due to the small size of our team).
The auditorium is not open to the public unless for an event.
Wilton's is half way down Graces Alley (pedestrian access only), just off Ensign Street, which is between Cable Street and The Highway, near Tower Bridge and St. Katherine's Dock. TUBES: Aldgate East, Tower Hill. DLR: Tower Gateway, Shadwell. BUSES: within 10 minutes walking distance are D3, 115, RV1, 100, 79, 42, 25, 205 and 254. 