THIS coloured print first appeared in James Winston’s The Theatric Tourist of 1805, an early survey of provincial theatres.

The author wrote of Andover that it was ‘an unpropitious town in which to build a theatre’ but it did attract enthusiastic audiences over a period of 30 years and in an age when entertainment was pretty sparse in country towns, it must have been a welcome treat when the theatre company arrived.

Winston captured this building when it was newly built and the first performance was on Easter Monday, 11 April 1803, with a comedy called ‘Speed the Plough’, followed by a musical entertainment called ‘Harvest Home’, presented by Henry Thornton, who was manager of the touring company.

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Andover Advertiser: Andover’s theatre in Newbury Street from The Theatric Tourist (1805)Andover’s theatre in Newbury Street from The Theatric Tourist (1805) (Image: James Winston)

He was also the proprietor of the Theatre Royal in Windsor and his productions were patronised by the royal family, a fact that he used to his advantage in any advertising, especially the overhead sign which was boldly emblazoned with the words, ‘Theatre Royal’, while ‘From the’ and ‘Windsor’ either side were painted in much smaller letters.

In those days, the usual practice was for companies to travel from town to town (on foot) and perform at pre-arranged venues for a two-week period before moving on to the next place on their circuit.

This often meant that there were long periods when the local theatre was shut up and used for other purposes.

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Just such an arrangement was what happened in Andover.

The building itself belonged to Thomas Rawlins, a printer and auctioneer at the corner of High Street and Newbury Street.

He undertook to build the shell of a theatre at the end of his premises in Newbury Street, if Thornton would fit out the interior. Rawlins printed the advertising handbills and when the theatrical company was not in residence, he used the building himself – for storage or as an auction room.

The first advertisement of 1803 informed the reader that it was ‘formed and fitted up with every attention to dramatic order and elegant neatness, with boxes lined, cushioned and carpeted’.

The two lines of boxes around the side and back walls were the most expensive seats at 3/- and 2/6d.

Cheaper seats were the bench seats in the pit near the stage at 2/-, while cheaper still were the plain steps on which to sit in the gallery farther back.

From 1803 until 1834, the Andover theatre was well patronised and Turner Poulter Clarke, who was to be five-time Andover’s mayor, once said it had ‘the noisiest gallery in the kingdom’.

One of the players often in Andover was Mrs Dorothy Jordan who enjoyed her time here visiting friends and acquaintances.

Mrs Jordan was the long-time mistress of William, duke of Clarence, who was later to become William IV, and by whom she had ten children.

The demise of the theatre coincided with the death of Thomas Rawlins in 1834 and the subsequent sale of his property by his son Thomas, also an auctioneer.

Lot 1 was the shop and rear premises at the corner of High Street and Newbury Street which extended along the latter street for 116 feet.

Adjacent to this was Lot 4, which was the theatre building itself.

Traditionally, the site of the theatre has been pinpointed at the gap that exists today just west of Priory Lodge.

However, I suspect Priory Lodge itself may be the site.

It could well date to the 1835-40 period and its position seems to fit in with those measurements.

If you are interested in local history, why not join Andover History and Archaeology Society? Details can be found at www.andoverlocalhistoryarchaeology.uk