It stands on the site of the Rose and Crown Music Hall built in 1855 on Crooms Hill at the junction with Nevada Street.

[1] At the beginning of the 19th century, Richardson's travelling theatre made its annual tented appearance during the famous Eastertide Greenwich Fair.

In Sketches by Boz, Charles Dickens reminisced enthusiastically, "you have a melodrama (with three murders and a ghost), a pantomime, a comic song, an overture, and some incidental music, all done in five-and-twenty minutes.

The Fair was closed down in 1853 "in consequence of the drunkenness and debauchery (it) occasioned, and the numerous convictions of pickpockets that took place before the police magistrates".

In April 1868 at Eleanor Bufton's first night as manager, she recited a poem written for the occasion, weaving the Richardson saga around her own.

A. Cave reproduced Richardson's performances as closely as possible and even brought back Paul Herring, veteran clown of the 1820s Fair.

He promised that the style of performance would be similar to that of the old Adelphi, but there would be improvements to suit contemporary taste that made the most of the latest skills and recent inventions.

His aim was to attract the highest class of residents by superior pieces carefully acted by a thoroughly efficient company.

The alternative name Theatre Royal, Greenwich emerged as early as 1865 and was used in The Era as late as December 1902.

[12] On 11 April 1868, the theatre opened for the season under the new management of the Welsh actress, Miss Eleanor Bufton (Mrs Arthur Swanborough) .

Eleanor Bufton recited a poem in typical burlesque style, written for her opening night, that recalled the days of Richardson's travelling theatre at the Greenwich Fair and included the lines:No matter what the rival shows might be, Richardson's held, o'er all, supremacy; Asserting o'er men's minds the Drama's pow'r With play and pantomime, four times an hour!

In August of that year, Eleanor Bufton was involved in a serious railway accident which affected her memory and interfered with her career.

[14] In 1872, Mr J A Cave took out a long lease from Sefton Parry and made considerable alterations and improvements before his opening night.

[18] Morton devoted sixteen years to running the Greenwich Theatre, investing his own money, and rightly claimed that by engaging some of the best of the touring companies such as D'Oyly Carte, he turned a derelict property into something that mattered.

[19] By 1892, he was involved in many other theatres around the country, including acting as the Sefton Parry Trust's representative and personal agent for all their properties.

[21] Morton engaged Ellen Terry at a guaranteed fee in order to gain prestige for the theatre, knowing that he was bound to make a loss.

[27] The site of the current Greenwich Theatre was originally a music hall created in 1855 as modest appendages to, or rooms within, the neighbouring Rose and Crown public house.

According to reports of the time, it was a splendid building boasting a new stage, ''equal to many of the West End theatres'', and a new lavatory!

In 1898 it was rebuilt to the designs of John George Buckle, possibly for a Mr Hancock, and became the Parthenon Theatre of Varieties.

Playbills of the time mention star names such as Harry Champion and Lily Langtree, with more dramatic performances with spectacular effects projected by the latest attraction – the Edisonograph.

Greenwich Council bought the site for demolition in 1962, but agreed to support the idea of a new theatre if there was enough local enthusiasm to justify it.

[37] In April 2015, it was announced that a revival of The Who's musical Tommy was to be performed at the venue, from 29 July to 23 August 2015, its first London run for over 20 years.