Lift panels

Designed by the architect Frank Matcham, the Coliseum Theatre on St Martin's Lane opened to the public on Christmas Eve 1904. The theatre was the largest in London and Matcham's masterpiece. The Coliseum, along with another of Matcham's designs the Hackney Empire, was owned by the theatre entrepreneur, Oswald Stoll. An ultra-modern building, the Coliseum possessed the only revolving stage in London and only the second in the world. The theatre established a strong reputation for variety shows and was Stoll's flagship. Today the Coliseum houses the English National Opera. The building was restored to Matcham's original plans in 2004.

These panels were originally in a lift at the Coliseum, which had the only electric lifts in a London theatre at the time. The carved faces on each panel represent 'comedy' and 'tragedy' respectively.