Emma Cons
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Image:Waterloo the old vic 1.jpg
Emma Cons (1838–1912) was a British social reformer, socialist, educationalist and theatre manager.
In 1880, Emma Cons, re-opened what is now the Old Vic Theatre in Lambeth, south London, as the Royal Victoria Coffee and Music Hall. It was 'a cheap and decent place of amusement on strict temperance lines'. Through this initiative, she brought the plays of William Shakespeare and also opera to working class people.
In 1908, she was the first woman to speak at the Institute of Directors, on behalf of the South London Dwellings Company. She was also the first woman Alderman.
Her niece, Lilian Baylis (1874–1937), assisted in running the Old Vic.
