As a young man, Rudyard Kipling lived in Villiers Street, and visited Gatti's, and wrote My One and Only, for a Lion Comique[2] at the hall.

[3] Kipling also wrote a story called My Great and Only (1890) describing a visit he made to Gatti's.

Charles Ross, of Gaiety fame, so well known as the Dainty Champion,[7] secures rounds of applause by the rendering of his new characteristic song entitled She’s a real good mother .

Thus they were 'tried on the dog', as the ordeal was called, and many a famous artiste started his or her career under the 'old arches'.I remember seeing there the début of the Levy sisters, who became such favourites and made such fortunes afterwards.

There was no stage at the 'Old Arches', only a platform in the centre of the hall, where sat enthroned the manager at a rostrum when he announced each item of the programme together with the name of the artiste about to perform and tapped the desk before him with a wooden hammer.

Regular performers included Hattie Jacques, Bill Owen, Ian Carmichael, Clive Dunn, Ian Wallace and John Hewer, and featured newcomers including Daphne Anderson, Patsy Rowlands, Maggie Smith, Marian Studholme, Marion Grimaldi, and Margaret Burton.

In a full-length version this transferred to Wyndham's Theatre, and premièred in New York with Julie Andrews in the starring role.