Nottingham theatres and halls

[.... 23]

A nice little history of Nottingham's theatres and halls:

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/NottinghamTheatres.htm

[Fynger 841]

Nice one..very interesting...thanks Stu

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Two volumes of Victorian Nottingham By Richard Iliffe & Wilfred Baguley deal with a part of this subject

Vol 7 The St mary,s Gate Theatre & The Theatre Royal

Vol 12 Music Hall in Nottingham, The Albert Hall

Of course this only covers up to 1901.

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

From the age of around 10 years old, I was a member of the Co-Operative Arts Theatre's Junior Group. What a fantastic facility that was for young people. My sister (and her best school friend Su Pollard- she was known as Susan Pollard in those days and sported long, straight blonde hair!) were members of the Senior Group.

We were taught by a lady named Phyllis Blackwell, who covered the areas of elocution, stagecraft, correct breathing and all kinds of useful know-how tips for speaking in public and in performances.

Anyone else remember the Junior Group?

[Stan 386]

We were taught by a lady named Phyllis Blackwell, who covered the areas of elocution, stagecraft, correct breathing and all kinds of useful know-how tips for speaking in public and in performances

Didn`t do much for Sue did it? Still a mermaid only has to screech.

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

Ah, that's where you're wrong, Stan.

People who only see Su on TV have no idea of the talent she really has. She's a brilliant serious actress: I remember seeing her play the lead in Federico Garcia Lorca's "The House of Bernarda Alba" at the Co-Op Arts in 1969. She's also a brilliant singer: I saw her in The Student Prince, also in the 60s at the Co-Op Arts.

The problem is (and she bemoans this herself) that, once you've been typecast on TV (as a dotty chalet maid) that's all you'll ever do. Very very difficult to break out of the mould. A crying shame because there is so much more to Su than anyone sees on the gogglebox.

Incidentally, Phyllis Blackwell followed Su's career avidly until Phyllis's death in the 1980s and was very proud of her achievements, even though she probably wished a little more of her careful teachings had rubbed off!

A lot of Nottingham youngsters went on to have good careers in the Theatre and film-making, including Stanley Osborne who went to LAMDA to study lighting. Lovely bloke, Stanley. I remember him well.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

It's true what you state regarding people being typecast, Jill. You find that many comedians are sad and lonely people in real life.

[mick2me 3,033]

Ah, that's where you're wrong, Stan.

That's tode im then

[Stan 386]

Sorry Jill. I should have been more specific ".covered the areas of elocution " I was aiming at, not her comedy or appearance.

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

Stan, I think a large part of Su's idiosyncratic (whoaaa...that's a big word for a Friday!) speech is due to the fact that she's a Nottingham lass- and PROUD of it!

After all, whenever she appears on TV, everyone knows she's from Nottingham.

Actually, I saved her life when I was a child. Her parents lived in Prospect Terrace (the houses are long since demolished) and had a caravan at Skeggy or Mablethorpe (I forget which) where they'd go every weekend. When Su and my sister were around 17, four of us slept at the Prospect Terrace house one night: Su, her sister Jean, my sister Julie and me (who was only 9).

For some reason I couldn't sleep- very very unusual for me- and in the end I got up for a walk round. As I wandered out onto the landing, I noticed a strong smell of gas. It took some time for me to wake the other three, who were fast asleep.

We ran downstairs and into the kitchen, where we discovered that the gas was escaping from one of those ancient Ascot over-sink water heaters. The pilot light had gone out and I think it had been left on.

If I had not suffered from insomnia that night, we could all have been dead and Su's talents never seen on national TV.

So...don't all rush to thank me at once. You'd have done the same, I'm sure!

[Stan 386]

I agree those water heaters were/could be pretty lethal. When I was teaching in London I remember we had the two brightest students in the year found dead due to gas leakage from those heaters.

Did you also attend `Berridge' Jill?

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

That's tragic, Stan, but they were pretty ubiquitous (oh, bless my soul...another long word...) in the 50s and 60s (Ascot water-heaters, that is).

Yes, I was educated at Berridge from the age 4- 11 years. My reminisences of those halls of learning are on here, under 'First Day at School'. Su and my sister (being several years older) had moved on to Peveril by the time I arrived at Berridge, but they were educated there too.

I remember Su calling for my sister, en route for the bus to Peveril, each morning. Su was always immaculately dressed in school uniform and a beige trench-coat. Her hair was long, blonde, straight and waist-length. She was all ready for school and had to sit and wait while my scatty sister hared round the house looking for books, lunch, shoes, jumpers...you name it. My mother would sigh in desperation and say ;"Why can't you be more like Susan?" (which is what Su was known as in those days). "She always looks so smart and so organised!"

Sadly, my sister is still as scatty (aged 63) and her mode of dress is often more outrageous than Su's. The two are still in touch.

I think it was Su who gave our respective mothers their nicknames in the early 1960s: Mrs Pollard was known as 'Hilda Hairnet' and my mother was known as 'Gladys Glitterhouse' (due to the 'butterfly'-shaped spectacles she always wore, with the diamante motifs on the frame). They're back in fashion now!!

Su's father, Don Pollard, worked at Players. A nice man: very quiet and retiring. Difficult to believe he produced Su!

Yes, the Co-Op Arts Theatre was a wonderful grounding for building confidence in youngsters and inspired in me a love of drama which served me well in my own teaching career, years later.

Names springing to mind are Kenneth White (Manager in the 50s and 60s), John Constable (followed Ken White in the 70s), Eileen Flowers, Chris and Ginny Carley, Bill Champion, Geoffrey Bowley, John Shooter (who also worked with the Meadows' Boys' Club Drama group), John Evans, Arthur and Doris Bates (caretaker and wardrobe mistress respectively), Susan Price, Pete Hyson and many, many others. All talented, dedicated people.

Happy days, eh Stan? Happy days!

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

I have been looking through some old scrap books and found some programmes from the Youth Drama Festivals for the late 60s and early 70s- held by the City of Nottingham Education Committee at the Co-Op Arts Theatre.

Thought some readers may be interested to note who was taking part:

Aspley Boys' Club

Glenbrook Junior Girls' Club

Nottingham Theatre Club (Max and Joyce Bromley)

Meadows Boys' Club- in 1969 they performed an extract from Dylan Thomas's "Return Journey" directed by John Shooter

St Leonard's Youth Group

Bilborough Baptist Drama Group

Clifton YMCA

Hyson Green Boys' Club

and two groups from the Co-Op Arts Theatre (Junior and Senior)

That's quite a list. I wonder how many (if any at all) are still in existence?

The Festival ran from 12- 14 March in 1969 and at the end of it, prizes- including the Levin Shield- were awarded.

Anyone else out there remember these events? I have quite a lot of the names of those who took part- and they are probably well on the way to being pensioners now! I'll list them at a future date.

The Theatre itself had a fascinating history, having once been a Baptist Chapel, I believe. If I'm not mistaken, I once saw some photographs (I believe in The Nottingham Evening Post or one of its pubications) of the conversion (in the late 40s/early 50s) of the chapel to a theatre. Most of the work was carried out by volunteers. If anyone has a copy they could post on this wonderful site, I'd love to see them again.

[vornvorn 3]

Hi Jill.

I was a member of the Meadows Boys Club drama group under the direction of John Shooter, I remember Su and the Co op Arts very well. It was always clear that she would be destined for greater things, due to her natural talent, enthusiasm and commitment.

I remember the Meadows Boys Club as having quite a formidable reputation built on John Shooter's excellent direction, adaptations combined with an uncanny ability, he took a bunch of ne'er do well Medders Lads and moulded them into successful players, one year winning the National Youth Drama Festival and an appearance on T.V.

Another year we performed 'The Night Of Friday', a poem based upon the crucifixion by Vincent Godfroy and adapted for a stageplay by John himself. Later we were asked to perform the play in St Pauls Cathedral, which was really scary for me as I was playing Judas !!

But yes, I agree with you Jill. Ordinary people having the opportunity to access the performing arts is a great thing and can greatly benefit the development of disadvantaged young people.

Although I never pursued an acting career, The ability to act has stood me in good stead over the years. Lately winning a £10 bet that I could not get away with a £60 fine for not declaring my car was off the road SORN.

In a telephone conversation with the office concerned, I managed to convince the person that I was an illiterate farmer who used to have his mail read by a home help who used to come in, but she had run off with the village butcher so I don't get the mail read to me that often no more. And anyroad I've swapped the car for a couple of yews with Eric from the farm next door and I think he's using it to drive a circular saw now. After nearly half an hour of struggling to tell me that it's illegal not to complete a SORN declaration if the car is off the road, the exasperated officer said " Ok sir, thats fine, we'll remove the details of the car from our records and there's no need to bother about the fine GOODBY !!

Result !!! good as their word i never heard from them again.

Vaughan

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Another Berridge School pupil! Same here, until 1970.