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Alexandra Theatre

Julia Kirby

New Member
Hi, I'm researching into the history of the Alexandra Theatre, I am currently going through their archives which is fascinating. I'm particularly looking for images of the old theatre, the one pulled down in 1935, particularly ones showing the auditorium. I have a description of it but can't quite work out how many levels of seating there were. I know the new one (ie the current one) is bigger but has less seats, probably on account of the seating being a lot more spacious and comfortable, they used to have 'packers in' back in the old one! Please let me know if you have any photos or anything of interest particularly relating to the pre 1935 building. I am happy to try to answer any questions you in turn may have about this wonderful theatre.
 
Julia, Welcome to the forum.
My Late Father-in-Law was General Manager of "The Alex" during the 1940's - 50's, which would have been the new theatre, but I have very little from his time there, only a number of old programmes and photos.
I do have a couple of books, "My Love Affair with a Theatre by Derek Salberg" and "Alexandra Theatre by M.F.K. Fraser" but there's not much on the old theatre.

Colin
 
Hello and thank you Colin. How lovely that your father in law worked at the Alex, it is a lovely place, such a wonderful atmosphere, I'm sure that the fact that it was a family business for many years has helped to create something that still lingers to this day. I have those books, they are very useful for reconstructing the history. There is also a lot of useful stuff online in the newspaper archives and also those of The Stage but I'm yet to find a photo of the inside, I may try the library next as I know they have archival material.
 
Have you tried the ArthurLloyd website yet Julia? I'm more of a cinema historian having been able to supply the website owner with a few items from my collection whenever theatres went 'silver screen' and never returned.

Here's the direct link to the Alex in its bustling music-hall days
https://arthurlloyd.co.uk/Birmingham/AlexandraTheatreBirmingham.htm


I expecting other forumers to come back with observations regarding the photographs and the multitude of activities caught in them unimaginable nowadays.
 
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