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Edit. This thread is for comments about the Old Rep. For comments about the New Rep on Broad Street please see here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/new-birmingham-repertory-theatre.34743/
The man who started the Repertory Theatre in Birmingham was Barry Jackson who first started performing at “The Grange” his home in Moseley in 1903, because his plays were so popular he moved to a bigger venue at St. Judes Mission Hall and again in 1907 moved to the Edgbaston Assembly Rooms a much larger place which offices and storerooms etc. and here because they attracted more people they were paid a salary and changed their name from The Pilgrim Players to The Birmingham Repertory Company and in 1912 achieved a first ….building the first purpose built Repertory Theatre in England.. in Station Street. The Theatre opened on the 15th Feb.1913 and the first play to be performed was “Twelfth Night”. For many years it struggled to keep going and one play “Gas” just had an audience of four so in 1924 Barry Jackson finally agreed to give up is dream and pack it all in.
The Birmingham Civic Society quickly stepped in with an offer to help and persuaded Barry to stay which he did till 1934 till his health deteriorated, once again the Civic Society stepped in and launched an appeal for £20,000.but they found it hard going getting people into the Theatre..during the war years they were hit particular hard when in 1940 a bomb hit the warehouse which held all their costumes and 30 years of work went up in flames…still Barry (Now Sir Barry Jackson) struggled on for another year and came close to turning the Theatre into a cinema or warehouse.
After the war Sir Barry became a Director at Stratford upon Avon and achieved outstanding success 3 seasons in a row but went back to his beloved Rep. in 1948.
The Arts Council in 1954 offered Barry his first direct grant which he reluctantly accepted and in 1960 after a meeting with the City and Arts Council he agreed to them funding a new theatre. Sir Barry Jackson died on April 3rd 1961
In 1969 the foundation stone was laid for the new Repertory Theatre and the following year the Rep. in Station Street closed down
The new Repertory opened in 1971and for a number of years was always struggling financially just like the old Rep. but slowly with the help of sponsorship and the help of some great men and women we have the Rep. that we know today
The man who started the Repertory Theatre in Birmingham was Barry Jackson who first started performing at “The Grange” his home in Moseley in 1903, because his plays were so popular he moved to a bigger venue at St. Judes Mission Hall and again in 1907 moved to the Edgbaston Assembly Rooms a much larger place which offices and storerooms etc. and here because they attracted more people they were paid a salary and changed their name from The Pilgrim Players to The Birmingham Repertory Company and in 1912 achieved a first ….building the first purpose built Repertory Theatre in England.. in Station Street. The Theatre opened on the 15th Feb.1913 and the first play to be performed was “Twelfth Night”. For many years it struggled to keep going and one play “Gas” just had an audience of four so in 1924 Barry Jackson finally agreed to give up is dream and pack it all in.
The Birmingham Civic Society quickly stepped in with an offer to help and persuaded Barry to stay which he did till 1934 till his health deteriorated, once again the Civic Society stepped in and launched an appeal for £20,000.but they found it hard going getting people into the Theatre..during the war years they were hit particular hard when in 1940 a bomb hit the warehouse which held all their costumes and 30 years of work went up in flames…still Barry (Now Sir Barry Jackson) struggled on for another year and came close to turning the Theatre into a cinema or warehouse.
After the war Sir Barry became a Director at Stratford upon Avon and achieved outstanding success 3 seasons in a row but went back to his beloved Rep. in 1948.
The Arts Council in 1954 offered Barry his first direct grant which he reluctantly accepted and in 1960 after a meeting with the City and Arts Council he agreed to them funding a new theatre. Sir Barry Jackson died on April 3rd 1961
In 1969 the foundation stone was laid for the new Repertory Theatre and the following year the Rep. in Station Street closed down
The new Repertory opened in 1971and for a number of years was always struggling financially just like the old Rep. but slowly with the help of sponsorship and the help of some great men and women we have the Rep. that we know today
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