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Birmingham's Theatres

Colin, that sounds great I would love to go, please keep us posted.
 
The Alex

Cromwell,
Thank you for that information, (none of which i was aware of)
I always love to get down to the Nitty Gritty.

Colin B, Sorry i do not have any photographs at present.
 
Who are these

Hi Alf said put these on and see if anyone knows anything about the artists. They are from when my mom worked at the Theatre Royal. I have loads more but they are all larger and I would have to resize them all.
The condition is not all that good as we all used to look at them when we were young and they got messed up
 
Apologia

On reflection i think i may have mislead the readers of this thread. My aunt was not manager overall but she did have a managerial position.
I always like to get the facts straight and if i have mislead you in any way i apologise.

Patty i have a very old theatre programme with pictures of old artistes i will look and see if i can find those faces.
 
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Hi Catkins ,
I Had A Dear Old Friend ,Whom Worked At The Alexs ,
For Many , Many Years , He Was The ELECTRICIAN For The Alexs
Right Up Til The Day He Died In The 1980,S
I BET He Knew Him , His Name Was Bill Warick,
He Was Only Four Feet Tall , Very Well Known In The thearter
World , AND Also His Wife KATIE Warick ,
Along With My Mother Whom Was A Stage Dancer In Those Days
Bill And Kate Met There And Got Married There
Kate Is Still Alive today But Sadly She,s Experiencing
Severe Bad Health Problems And Disabled Now
But Still Lives In The Same Old House ,When They Got Married
She Lives In Forth Avenue Selly Park by The Old BBC
UP UNTIL RECENTLY ALOT OF THE WELL Known Celebity,s
Lived Up And Down Those Avenues
1 st , 2nd , 3rd and forth Avenues Until The BBC CLOSED DOWN
There Is The Odd One Or Two Whom Are Still Knocking
About Around The Avenues Some Of The BBC,S
Tv Announcers , Pop Into The Selly Park Tavern ,
And You Will Catch Old Nick QWEN Having A QIUCK One
Mostly Week ends With His Wife [ Avery Attractive Lady ]
 
The Alex

Astonion, my aunt would have known him no doubt but he would have known my cousin better he was the gaffer at the Alex until he went to ITV.
Catkin
 
Sutton Town Hall

I have only lived in Sutton Coldfield for about 2 years and one building that really strikes me is Sutton Town Hall which is a relic of Sutton's municipal past. I only learned recently that it is used as a theatre venue and I just wondered if anyone knows when it was first used as a theatre? Also, has anyone been there? If so, what was/ is it like?

Thanks alot.:)
 
Erebus555, I have been to the Town Hall quite a bit with the WFA and do know that is was used as a theater in 1919 for entertainment for discharged and demobalized men and was used up tlll 1934 for Films and Plays like, School for Scandal, Midsummer nights Dream and The Mechant of Venice.......
 
I was there on Tuesday last. Its a very good venue for amateur productions. It was refurbished not long ago to a good standard.
Mike
 
Talking about the Theaters in Sutton jogged my memory back to a chap called Henry de Vere Stacpoole who was lodging in Jockey Rd (he died in 1951) and was a struggling writer and wrote a book called The Blue Lagoon which later when on to become a very successful film
 
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
 
Picture of the Theatre Royal in New Street from Dents book Old and New Birmingham.
 
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. :D
 
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..
 
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.
 
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.
 
Re: Birmingham's Theatres; ARENA THEATRE

P1010666.JPGP1010670.JPGDoes 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
 
I remember going to shows in Aston Park via Arena Theatre and probably Rookery Park as well. It was great entertainment.
 
Re: Birmingham's Theatres: ARENA THEATRE

P1010672.JPGP1010675.JPG
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
 
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