A glimpse into the birth of Calcutta Theatres

During colonial rule, the first English theatre in Calcutta was built in 1753, which in 1775 came to be known as ‘The New Playhouse’ or ‘Calcutta theatre’. The theatre received help and guidance from the then most celebrated actor, David Garrick. The Calcutta theatre house was prominent and lasted longer, hosting a variety of performances, especially English plays with music and songs, staged by amateur artists. Initially, female roles were enacted by men. Notable performances included the staging of the Shakespearean tragedies Hamlet, the Merchant of Venice, and The Clandestine Marriage in 1984. Tickets were sold for different types of seating, such as one Gold Mohur for a box seat or eight Sicca Rupees for a seat in the Pit.

During this time, several short-lived but delightful theatres emerged, including Mrs. Bristow’s residential theatre, Wheeler Place theatre, and the popular Chowringhee theatre. The most remarkable English theatre was the Sans Souci theatre, where for the first time, a young Bengali, Baishnav Charan Auddy, appeared as Othello with an English lady, Mrs. Anderson, as Desdemona. The play was well-received with words of applause and encouragement.

Due to increasing demand for vernacular plays, the first Bangla Theatre was established by Russian linguist and musician Gerasim Stepanovich Lebedev on Beadon Street, Calcutta in 1795. Renowned playwright of the time, Michael Madhusudan Dutt’s play ‘Sharmistha’ was performed here in 1873. The Indian Renaissance inspired educated Bengalis to establish native theatres in the early 19th century, with the first being the Hindu Theatre of Prasanna Kumar Tagore.

(A snippet from Calcutta Gazette, published on Thursday, May 18th 1786, Calcutta Gazette.

“Handel’s Messiah’ was performed on Thursday last with astonishing success. The songs and recitatives would have been applauded in any theatre in Europe; and the management of the choruses exceeded every expectation. Equal praise is due to the instrumental performers, who perfectly captured the spirit of the composer and, with refined taste, added the most correct execution.” )