Birmingham's Theatres

[O.C.]

Another theatre which was very successful was The Highbury Little Theatre in Sutton which started in an old army hut and opened in 1942 and could seat 117 people

 

[Wendy]

Picture of the Theatre Royal in New Street from Dents book Old and New Birmingham.

 

[Weoley]

My father worked at the Hippodrome from 1950 to about 1981. He did every job going , on his way up. From 67 to 81 he was the Stage Manager. He must have met every major name in the business during that time. My mother worked in the box office in the early sixties before they married, and worked on and off as relief stage door keeper for years afterwards. I would often sit in there with her as a child and watch the faces come and go.

My Great Uncle Albert Brown was stage manager of the Prince of Wales Theatre on Broad Streetduring the 1930s. My Grandfather took over from him on his death for a short while just before the war. He later worked at the Theatre Royal after the war as a carpenter.


As you will imagine, my family has quite a lot of theatre memorabilia in it's posession, especially my mother and I.

 

[O.C.]

That grand old building the Prince of Wales was destroyed when it received a direct hit during the Blitz on the night of Wednesday 9th April 1941 completely destroying the interior..

 

[Wendy]

Weoley, I bet you have heard many tales about theatre life as well. I hope you hold on to your memrobilia as well. Thanks for sharing your information on your family with us.

 

[Christina]

Use to go to the Hippodrome and Alex. Do you remember when they had the variet shows at the Hipp? The acts had numbers which came up on the side of the stage. Saw Lonnie Donegon one year. My nan or dad use to take me, we walked up from St Martins flats. I loved it. Then there were the panto's, Norman Wisdom, The Dallas Boys, Clarkson Rose, Billy Dainty, Ken Dodd, Bruce Forsythe (in his one man show, pure brilliance), Dad's Army live on stage, and so many more. That got me hooked onto live theatre, did my bit in the panto appearing on stage one year as a Betty Fox Babe! So many happy memories of stars of yesterday who really were stars and brilliant entertainers.

 

[farmerdave]

Re: Birmingham's Theatres; ARENA THEATRE

Does anyone remember the Arena Theatre? This was a temporary theatre set up in Birmingham Parks in the summers of 1948-1961. The actual theatre was a very large canvas tent and the first performance was at Pype Hayes Park in 1948. Performances were every Summer in Cannon Hill Park between 1949 and 1962. I went to a performance of "The Importance of Being Earnest" on August 2nd 1958. One of the actors was a very young Peter Bowles (aged 21) who later found fame in "To the Manor Born". The Arena Theatre was directed by John English who later became the first director of the Midlands Art Centre, also in Cannon Hill Park. Sorry I could not rotate the images. Dave

 

[berniew]

Here's one



Two

 

[jennyann]

I remember going to shows in Aston Park via Arena Theatre and probably Rookery Park as well. It was great entertainment.

 

[farmerdave]

Re: Birmingham's Theatres: ARENA THEATRE


Further to my previous post on the Arena Theatre, set mainly in Cannon Hill Park between 1949 and 1961, I attach a description of the theatre and the vision for the future written by the director, John English, in 1958. The advert at the back of the programme for Moor Street Warehouse, 1958, may bring back further memories. Dave

 

[Stitcher]

 

[farmerdave]

Further details on #41 theatres, and others in Birmingham, in the link below. Dave.

https://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Birmingham.htm

 

[Stitcher]

 

[Peter1]

It seemed that almost every corner you turned in Town you bumped into a Theatre. My favourite was The Theatre Royal in New Street, it was majic to me to watch the curtain go up. The orchestra in the pit below the stage had a sound of it's own. I saw musicals, ballet, and those wonderful pantomimes. In one the unforgetable Max Miller in his gaudy suit, and in another the long forgotten Nat Jackley who was so funny that I'm smiling as I type this.
The Alexandra, the Alex to us brummies, I discovered as a teenager working at ICI. Our Youth Club were given an allocation of tickets which we could buy for a shilling each. They were for the Tuesday night show, I suppose it was a quiet night, but it filled the theatre. The touring shows were great and there were lots of actors who in later years I saw on TV. Leslie Sands and Elspeth Grey are two I can recall.
Then there was the Rep, where every jobbing actor learned his or her trade in those days. Most of the famous ones passed through our Rep.
I saw Johnny Ray at the Hip, that was a night never to be forgotten, and Al Martino. When he sang 'I can't give you anything but love Baby' my friend Joyce yelled 'Who want's anything else', just about bringing the house down.
Lastly but not least, because he was always my favourite, Franky Vaughan, not in town, but at the Aston Hip. That would be in the mid 50's, and ten years later we were living in Cyprus and I saw him again when he came out with ENSA. I was lucky enough to sit a few seats away from him at a fund raising dinner we gave for him, he was very involved with Boys Clubs. The next time I saw him Brian took me for a mystery trip on a wedding anniversary, to a local theatre. I had no idea, and it was a lovely surprise.

Wonderful stuff. Just noticed this thread was 2004. Still lovely to see, thank you.

 

[Peter1]

I think Yana had a Knitting Shop in Walsall although I could be confusing her with someone else.
I sometimes took a jug over to the side door at the Bear to get it filled for my uncle during the Summer Holidays. I knew the area well and enjoyed my village life during the school holidays. I doubt whether I ventured further than a couple of miles from the village green but it had everything that I needed: woods, a lake, streams to dam and tiny pools hidden in fields which were full of Crusian carp which you could catch with a bent pin and one of uncle Jeff's dahlia canes. The big wood by the lake had a large Heronry and was a scary place. The Hall's game keeper had his brood area in this dark wood. He reared the game birds for the Autumn shoot and hung vermin from trees to prove his worth. If you came across one of these (Game Keeper's larders) areas of death it could put you off venturing further especially if you had an active imagination. Dad once said that some children had gone into these woods and had never been seen again, that tended to keep me closer to home and in the day light.

Sorry, if this has veered off topic.

Absolutely love those memories of yours..