Wilton's is the world's last surviving Grand Music Hall and London's best kept secret. This stunning and atmospheric building is led by Frances Mayhew and produces an exciting programme of imaginative, diverse and distinct entertainment including theatre, music, comedy, cinema and cabaret.
Secreted away at the end of an alley amongst the congestion of Tower Hill, it seems apt that as soon as you clap eyes on Wilton’s Music Hall the surroundings no longer seem to exist. With parts of it dating back to the early 1800’s, Wilton’s is a landmark of heritage that somehow manages to transcend its age with a current line-up of events and random jollies. A dilapidated building that’s kept sacred by the work of the Wilton’s Trust, the place has character by the (exposed) brick load. Crumbling walls, fairy lights, pianos and well-trodden boards make this a place that every Londoner should see. The Mahogany Bar itself may have lost the very bar it was named after, but that doesn’t detract from the lively mix of in-the-know hipsters, locals and relic hunters who fill it with ease. Apart from this main room there is of course the main music hall, which brings you theatre, gigs, cabaret and recreations of the art of music hall entertainment itself. As if this weren’t enough, there is also a Mezzanine Room in which to relax, as well as the Green Room that comes complete with ping-pong table for fans of the fashionable sport.
There are various snacks served in the bar – mainly consisting of filled beigels on this occasion – and a discerningly stocked bar, full of St. Peter’s Ale along with a couple of draught beers. Wilton’s makes for the kind of place to show off the fantasy of London, and while the technology around us propels us ever faster into the future, the past is still where it’s at
