KIDDERMINSTER PLAYHOUSE
1946 - 1968 A Souvenir
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THE FIRST YEAR 1946-1947
Before the theatre was opened by the late Sir Barry Jackson the prologue, spoken by Ruth Dalley, explained its new name thusThough true it is "all roads lead to the Opera"
The Saxon "Playhouse" sounds to me far properer.
The celebrities pontificated, the Press raised a cheer (the Birmingham Evening Despatch, which preceded the Playhouse into limbo five years ago, carried the headline "Nonentities? Certainly Not!") and there was an atmosphere of post-war get-up-and-go at the dawn of the most exciting peace time enterprise in the lives of those connected with it.
We recall only one sentence of Sir Barry's for this record. He said, "It would be a disgrace to the people of Kidderminster if they allowed the canker of apathy to eat its way into the roots of this new-born theatre".
The Nonentities, true to the policy steadfastly followed in the years to come, allowed their professional colleagues to bat first. The opening play was Pygmalion by the Midland Theatre Company, under the direction of Michael Langham. He was later to marry his leading lady, Helen Burns. The company included Michael Aldridge, Ann Casson, Edward Burnham, who was later to play Higgins in My Fair Lady, and the Nonentities' own Disley Jones, turned professional, designed scenery and costumes.
The company followed with Alice in Wonderland, Rope, Eden End, Tomorrow's Child, Anna Christie and Yes, Farewell, the first of many new plays to be seen at the theatre.
The Nonentities' first show was Twelfth Night, with a cast which included Ruth Dalley, Sybil Biggins, Paul Ladyman, Ella Johnson, Melville Child, Kenneth Rose, John Spilsbury and Tom Trewin. Ten Little Niggers introduced Len Reeves and Dear Octopus brought in Leslie Batt, Neville Bowker and Jack Woolgar. It was produced by Chris Gittins, now one of the best-known voices of sound radio as Walter Gabriel of The Archers. The season ended with another period piece, Caste.
Other amateur shows included Rebecca by the Rafmain company, A Waltz Dream by the Kidderminster Amateur Operatic Society and Bubble and Squeak. Patsy Heath staged the first pantomime, The Sleeping Beauty.
The work of touring companies included the astonishing performance by Eileen Herlie in The Eagle Has Two Heads and a first visit by that exceptional group, the Young Vic Company, whose every production was a delight until, inevitably, it became too costly to survive. Its first offering was the charming King Stag, produced by George Devine. Other visitors brought The Years Between, Frieda, Murder on the Nile, The Silver Cord, Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary ? and They Walk Alone.
The Ballets Joos was one of the famous companies of its day and no-one who saw it will forget the nightmare of its masterpiece The Green Table. In this season there was also the Ballet Rambert, Lilac Time, We Were in the Forces and Radio Merry-go-Round.
It was a season of achievement, offering first-class work in many different idioms. It was also a hard winter, which showed up the theatre's weakness of being cold and draughty after the structural alterations. Thousands were to be spend on the problem without a real cure being found.
Finance
The 33 weeks averaged gross takings of £500 a week, a figure never to be equalled. The Nonentities' own five plays made a surplus of £l,410 but after meeting additional costs of restoration and equipment there was a loss on the year of £317. The debt stood at £11,117.At this time the public had contributed £l,000 to the theatre, the Arts Council £500 and the Town Council had made a loan of £l,000. It has so often been said that the Playhouse has been subsidised by the taxpayer and generously treated by the public and the local authority. The facts do not bear this out.