Cave of Harmony

1920s subversive club for theatrical and artistic people.

Location: 31 Earlham Street, Soho

Description: This splendid Seven Dials building opposite the Cambridge Theatre was once licensed as a pub, the Bunch of Grapes, until 1919 (see the remaining tiles for clues). A succession of clubs followed all of which were closed down by police for not holding a drinking licence.

In September 1927 another club successfully applied to use the premises, called the Cave of Harmony, founded in Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia in 1924. Founder Elsa Lanchester would become famous for The Bride of Frankenstein, and promised it would be for theatrical and artistic people who would present no trouble.

She sang and performed one-act plays at midnight, often assisted by famous artistes after the nearby theatres had closed. Members included HG Wells, Aldous Huxley and Evelyn Waugh.

Elsa strived to subvert the norms and the LGBT community were welcomed. She made very little money out of it and supplemented her income by posing as correspondent in divorce cases - she eventually closed it down in late 1928 after she took up with Charles Laughton.

Themes: Literary Literary Theme