The modern theatre is built on the site of previous taverns and music hall theatres, where a place of entertainment has been located since Elizabethan times. Nell Gwynn was associated with the tavern, which became known as the "Great Mogul" by the end of the 17th century, and presented entertainments in an adjoining hall, including "glee clubs" and "sing-songs". The "Mogul Saloon" was built on the site in 1847, which was sometimes known as the "Turkish Saloon" or the "Mogul Music Hall." In 1851, it became the Middlesex Music Hall, known as "The Old Mo". This in turn was rebuilt as the "New Middlesex Theatre of Varieties", in 1911 by Frank Matcham for Oswald Stoll.