Recommended Posts

  • Replies 142
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

Good picture. Yes, the door with 'Theatre' over it is the one I mentioned in #50. I've scanned this plan of the ground floors of the two theatres (the bold lines showing the Theatre Royal). It sh

Love B&B pudding. My inlaws were amazed when I said not to throw the bread away. Its become a " can't remember how you make that B&B pudding" its never been forgotten. When we were at the rest

It was me who mentioned Lulu. She was definately there but this was in the early 50's with Lonnie Donegan and the Beach Boys.

And thank you to all the others who have posted with a great list of old names from the past. Marvellous. Thank you.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Exactly pooh bear, a little research would easily clarify things. There have been several instances recently of totally implausible happenings being posted on here. It's an age thing!

Link to post
Share on other sites

#55 Hi Merthyr Imp, I can't remember what the show was, as that was the first time that I had been taken to a proper theatre, I would have thought that the grand entrance to the Theatre Royal would have left an impression.

Link to post
Share on other sites

#55 Hi Merthyr Imp, I can't remember what the show was, as that was the first time that I had been taken to a proper theatre, I would have thought that the grand entrance to the Theatre Royal would have left an impression.

Well, if you went up in the 'gods' as mentioned in your post you would have gone in through the doorway at the side mentioned in #50 rather than the main entrance at the front.

I don't know where there is any information available about this, but it would be interesting know whether the Empire ever staged pantomimes - at least in the post war period, as going into the 1950s theatre-going was in a gradual decline, and with the Theatre Royal famous for its annual pantomime would there really have been a demand for two of them in adjacent theatres? Just my speculation - it would be interesting to see any information about this.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Don't know the full story Merthyr, other than she married a Submariner during ww1,her Father went crazy because she had Clara tattooed on her lower arm!!!..He was killed and married my Grandfather Joseph Holland. When my Mum was watching telly or chat shows..she would giggle at the likes of Max Bygraves fibbing about his age." Saw you in '46" she would say.

Link to post
Share on other sites

First pantomime I ever saw was at the empire, my great aunt took me for my Christmas treat, remember walking up the steps to the gods, then being scared as the seats seemed so high up, soon forgot that though when the show started.

Can't remember what the panto was though but probably some person aunt Emily liked. Would be the mid to late 50's.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Found this which shows the detail of the entrances.

Just round the corner on Sherwood Street; I think (someone will be able to confirm) that the door titled 'Theatre' is for the Theatre Royal, and then the Empire starts on the right.

empire.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Good picture. Yes, the door with 'Theatre' over it is the one I mentioned in #50.

Untitled-Scanned-01_zpsxvuqgyqe.jpg

I've scanned this plan of the ground floors of the two theatres (the bold lines showing the Theatre Royal). It shows there were two entrances/exits to the Theatre Royal behind that door - one to the stalls and one to the steps leading up to the gallery ('Gods'). When the Empire and the shops on that corner were demolished, as I've said elsewhere, that entrance to the gallery was still used, with a short flight of exterior steps leading up to the inner door shown just to the left of where it says 'Gallery Exit'. As part of the alterations the neighbouring exit from the stalls was removed, and a new booking office was put in that corner space.

to give a memory of my own, when we lived in Lincolnshire my father used to do some coach driving for a local firm, and I remember once him taking me along when he brought a coach party to see the pantomime in Nottingham. As the driver he was allowed in towards the end of the performance and I distinctly remember us going in and standing at the back of the stalls and watching it. It was 'Jack & the Beanstalk' and I have a strong memory of the giant because I (aged 8) found it rather scary. I also remember us going in at the side of the theatre rather than the front, so for many years I was under the impression that we'd gone into the Empire. But when I saw this plan it seems pretty clear we'd gone in through this door under discussion, and straight along the passageway to the back of the stalls (which is how I remember it).

What seems conclusive is that 'Jack & The Beanstalk', with Beryl Reid, was the 1958 pantomime at the Theatre Royal, and that would certainly fit in with the time I remember this happening. I was just doing an Internet search to double check this and came across this piece of film from 1958 which is well worth everyone's attention:

http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/pole-city/MediaEntry/46110.html

The floor plan of the theatres, by the way, is from the small book: 'The Theatre Royal Nottingham 1865-1978' which was published by the council to mark its rebuilding.

  • Upvote 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

That plan is fascinating. I'd never realised that the Empire was quite a bit bigger than the Royal.

But notice the Theatre Royal had a bigger stage, plus the back stage area which the Empire didn't have at all. This was due to the latter's intended function as a variety theatre.

The book I mention gives the capacity of the Theatre Royal stalls area at around that time as 806, but that included 500 standing spaces in what they called the pit area. The stalls capacity after the late 1970s rebuilding is given as 479 (if no orchestra pit is in place).

The total Theatre Royal capacity in 1897 was 3,000 (including a lot of standing spaces!). Post-1978 it was 1,138. The Empire when opened could accommodate 2,500, but this was on three levels compared to the Theatre Royal's four.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 4 months later...

I used to vist the Empire theatre around 1957/1958. Think it closed just after this, My friend Monica and I used to queue at the stage door for autographs after the show. I remember seeing Eddie Calvert, Michael Holliday (he had just had a hit with "The story of my life" also Colin Hicks (Tommy Steele's brother).and Wee Willy Harris. We would also sit in the "Gods" because we were still at school and that is all we could afford. We always said one day we would sit in one of the boxes when we had enough money - but sadly that never happened. I have not lived in Nottingham since 1965 but still look on it as my home town.

  • Upvote 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Katia, welcome to the Forum, glad you've found us and do keep posting and sharing your memories. I left in 1972 but like you still think of Nottingham as my Hometown with fond memories, even though my Nottingham is still as it was during the 50s and 60s!

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I was taken as a child to see laurel and hardy they looked so tiny from up in the gods and Jimmy James with Roy Castle as his side kick with the immortal catch phrase of are you putting it about that im barmy with the repost from Jimmy of why was you trying to keep it a secret great comics really earned their bread in those days

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think I went along with Alan Blythe(for Micheal Booth) to the last show there which would have been in 1958 always remember because it was Frankie Howard in skits and also the famous none moving nudes.

One skit I remember was a young lady going thru customs and Frankie as the custom office made her remove all clothes with foreign labels, but alas her undies were M&S.,also there was a stagecoach with nudes on it and I think a sword fight which also removed clothes.You know when you are 14 somethings you never forget.

Was it the Empire or Royal at one pantomine that tiny mouth organs were handed out to all the children,gee dont we miss it all...

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 6 months later...

I remember the Empire - my Mother used to take my sisters and me when we were young. We queued for ages to get into the Gods and were packed like sardines, everyone's knees touching.

But we went more to the Theatre Royal to see visiting opera companies, the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, and of course, 'The Desert Song'. year after year, always with John Hanson in the lead!. My most vivid memory, however, is when the touring half of the  Bolshoi Ballet came to the Theatre Royal (the other half performed in London). Not only was the dancing wonderful, but Harry Wheatcroft was in a box, and at the end of the performance, thousands of roses were showered onto the stage. I'd seen things like that in films, but to see it actually happen is quite spectacular.

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 7 months later...

I remember going to the Empire in the 50's.

My Dad often took me on a Friday night to see the variety shows that they put on there.

i remember seeing Old Mother Riley, Jimmy Young (when he was a singer), Terry Dene, Roy Hudd,  Chick Murray and many more that I forget now. One artist that does stand out in my memory was a very young Bruce Forsyth - I remember thinking at the time that he was going to be clear big star 

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
On 7/14/2016 at 4:15 PM, trevorthegasman said:

I think I went along with Alan Blythe(for Micheal Booth) to the last show there which would have been in 1958 always remember because it was Frankie Howard in skits and also the famous none moving nudes.

One skit I remember was a young lady going thru customs and Frankie as the custom office made her remove all clothes with foreign labels, but alas her undies were M&S.,also there was a stagecoach with nudes on it and I think a sword fight which also removed clothes.You know when you are 14 somethings you never forget.

Was it the Empire or Royal at one pantomine that tiny mouth organs were handed out to all the children,gee dont we miss it all...

That was a pantomime at the Empire. I got one of those tiny mouth organs and had it for years but it got lost when I moved to Australia.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...