1747 – An Entertainment of Quality

In 1747 a Bristol actor named John Hippisley recognised the obvious need for a purpose-built and dedicated theatre in Bath, and issued a proposal addressed to ‘The Nobility and Gentry of Bath’ which stated:
 
“Plays are like mirrors made, for Men to see, How bad they are, how good they ought to be. Theatrical Performances, when conducted with Decency and Regularity, have been always esteem'd the most rational Amusements, by the Polite and Thinking Part of Mankind: Strangers, therefore, must be greatly surpris'd to find at Bath, Entertainments of this Sort in no better Perfection than they are, as it is a Place, during its Seasons, honour'd with so great a Number of Persons, eminent for Politeness, Judgment and Taste; and where might reasonably be expected (next to London) the best Theatre in England.

The present Playhouse, or Play-Room, is so small an incommodious, that ‘tis almost impossible to have Things better done in it than they are. The Profits arising from the Performance, as now conducted, will not support a larger, or better, Company of Actors, and nothing can be more disagreeable than for Persons of the first Quality, and those of the lowest Rank, to be seated on the same Bench together.