Editing Opera Comique (section)

===Later years===
Once D'Oyly Carte left the Opera Comique the theatre's fortunes declined. It was unoccupied from October to the end of 1881.<ref name=e98/>  At the start of 1882, [[John Hollingshead]] and [[Richard Barker (stage manager)|Richard Barker]] presented ''Mother-in-Law'', a frivolous comedy by [[George R. Sims]], which ran in a double bill with a [[Victorian burlesque|burlesque]] called ''Vulcan'', until May. They were followed by a spoof called ''The Wreck of the Pinafore'' by  H. Lingard and [[Luscombe Searelle]], described by ''The Era'' as "curious and impudent", which ran until October.<ref name=e98/> During the rest of the 1880s a succession of managements presented a wide range of genres, from adaptations of French plays, [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]], [[Richard Brinsley Sheridan|Sheridan]], [[Ibsen]], and a [[Charles Dickens|Dickens]] adaptation by the novelist's son, to musical shows, including ''The Fay o' Fire'' by Edward Jones and Henry Herman, which ''The Era'' later described as "notable as introducing Miss [[Marie Tempest]] to the regular stage".<ref name=e98/> Composers whose works were presented at the Opera Comique in this period included Julia Woolf, [[Meyer Lutz]] and  [[Victor Roger]]. Performers included [[Nelly Bromley]], [[Frank Wyatt]], [[Johnston Forbes-Robertson]], [[Julia Gwynne]] and Penley.<ref name=e98/>

[[File:Opera-comique-1887.jpg|thumb|upright|1887 programme cover]]
The theatre was again renovated in 1885, under the proprietorship of the actor-manager, [[David James (actor, born 1839)|David James]]. ''The Era'' thought that the refurbishments made it "one of the most convenient, handsome, and acceptable places of entertainment in London".<ref name=e1885>"The Opera Comique Theatre", ''The Era'', 4 April 1885, p. 8</ref> James had bought adjoining premises in Holywell Street to make room for an extension to the theatre. The bars and circulation areas were, according to ''The Era'', much improved, a spacious smoking room was added, and new emergency exits were installed.<ref name=e1885/> In 1891, [[George Edwardes]] took on the management of the theatre and presented a burlesque of ''Joan of Arc'' by [[Adrian Ross]], J. L. Shine and [[Frank Osmond Carr]], with a cast including [[Arthur Roberts (comedian)|Arthur Roberts]] and [[Marion Hood]]. It was well received and ran from January to September.<ref name=e98/> After that, the theatre reverted to its pattern of rapidly changing productions and short-lived managements.<ref name=e98/>

A feature of the early 1890s was the frequent presentation of adaptations from, or original works by, novelists such as [[Henry James]], [[Rudyard Kipling]] and [[George Moore (novelist)|George Moore]].<ref name=e98/> A further season of French plays, performed in their original language, was followed by a German season, also given in the original, in 1894, which ran for more than two months.<ref name=e98/> In early 1895, "[[Nellie Farren]] started her unfortunate season here with a bad comedy … and a worse burlesque", according to ''The Era''.<ref name=e98/> Later that year [[Augustus Harris]] presented [[Charles Villiers Stanford]]'s comic opera ''Shamus O'Brien'', which ran for two months, from March to May.<ref>Wood, pp. 115–116</ref> Osmond Carr's ''The Maid of Athens'', ran for a month in June 1897, after which, said ''The Era'', "nothing worthy of any record whatever has been attempted at this temple of the drama, which has had a singularly eccentric and mostly disastrous career."<ref name=e98/> A revival of a musical adaptation of ''[[Alice in Wonderland (musical)|Alice in Wonderland]]'', with music by [[Walter Slaughter]], opened for the Christmas season of 1898 and ran until mid-February 1899.<ref>"Alice in Wonderland", ''[[The Pall Mall Gazette]]'', 23 December 1898, p. 1; and "Tonight's Entertainment's", ''The Pall Mall Gazette,'' 16 February 1899, p. 1</ref> In March 1899, [[Horace Sedger]] announced a burlesque for the Opera Comique, ''Great Caesar'', by [[Paul Rubens (composer)|Paul]] and Walter Rubens and [[George Grossmith Jr.]],<ref>"Theatrical Gossip", ''The Era'', 11 March 1899, p. 12</ref> but he changed his plans and presented it at the [[Comedy Theatre]].<ref>"Theatrical Gossip", ''The Era'', 25 March 1899, p. 12</ref>

The Opera Comique closed in 1899 and was compulsorily purchased by the [[London County Council]] for £40,000.<ref>''The Pall Mall Gazette'', 3 January 1900, p. 6</ref> It was demolished in 1902 when the area was redeveloped to create [[Aldwych]] (named after old Wych Street) and [[Kingsway (London)|Kingsway]].<ref name=mg>"Our London Correspondence", ''[[The Guardian|The Manchester Guardian]]'', 17 October 1902, p. 4</ref>