▁most ▁lux ur ious ▁" family " ▁variety ▁the at res . ▁Open ed ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁December ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁as ▁the ▁London ▁Col ise um ▁Theatre ▁of ▁Vari eties , ▁it ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁the ▁the atr ical ▁architect ▁Frank ▁Match am ▁for ▁the ▁im pres ario ▁O sw ald ▁St oll . ▁Their ▁amb ition ▁was ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁largest ▁and ▁fin est ▁music ▁hall , ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁" people ' s ▁palace ▁of ▁entertain ment " ▁of ▁its ▁age . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁construction , ▁the ▁Col ise um ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁theatre ▁in ▁Europe ▁to ▁provide ▁lif ts ▁for ▁taking ▁pat rons ▁to ▁the ▁upper ▁levels ▁of ▁the ▁house , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁theatre ▁in ▁England ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁triple ▁revol ve ▁installed ▁on ▁its ▁stage . ▁The ▁theatre ▁has ▁ 2 , 3 5 9 ▁seats ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁largest ▁theatre ▁in ▁London . ▁ ▁After ▁being ▁used ▁for ▁variety ▁shows , ▁musical ▁com ed ies , ▁and ▁stage ▁plays ▁for ▁many ▁years , ▁then ▁as ▁a ▁cinema ▁screen ing ▁films ▁in ▁the ▁C iner ama ▁format ▁between ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁the ▁Sad ler ' s ▁Well s ▁Opera ▁Company ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁building ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁The ▁Sad ler ' s ▁Well s ▁company ▁changed ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁English ▁National ▁Opera ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁and ▁today ▁it ▁is ▁used ▁primarily ▁for ▁opera