Theatre Royal Drury Lane Sub-Stage Machinery

The impressive sub-stage machinery below Theatre Royal Drury Lane has been moved from the theatre as part of our restoration project.
Following the enlargement of the stage in 1908, Theatre Royal Drury Lane featured a generous stage area 80 inches deep and 40 inches wide. It features six hydraulic sub-stage lifts; two electric lifts installed in the early twentieth century, two hydraulic tilting lifts manufactured in 1890, and two further electric lifts rear stage.
As part of the £60m refurbishment of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane we said goodbye to the sub-stage machinery - but we have created a video showing the spectacle of the stage lifts in action.
The lifts are currently in store and we are looking for opportunities to rehouse them.

[@chass1771]

Fun fact: the hydraulic rams were so big that when they arrived at Dover from Vienna, no transport large enough was immediately available to move them to London. Large hay wains from Scotland had to be brought down to shift them. I was told this by a Master Carpenter who worked at the Lane in the 80s.
I well remember seeing this amazing machinery during my stint working at the Lane. The graphics really don't do justice to the sheer size of the pistons when you got up close to them. If memory serves, they were fed by a 70,000 gallon water tank.

[@bradleyhamilton1045]

I can’t actually believed they were removed?! Surely they’re are somewhere else as a museum piece?

[@householdemail1305]

Pump rooms used to be secret…cool stuff.

[@Mr.BobsDog]

Simply amazing