| AdminHistory | In 1919, Herbert M. Prentice, the leader of St Philips Dramatic Society, approached the YMCA Oxford Street Settlement on Shipton Street for permission to perform plays in the Little Theatre. Permission was given and the first play ('The Silver Box' starring Rowland C. Moore) took place on 24 Nov 1919. The production was successful and during 1920, the company advertised their productions and hired a Director at an annual salary of £600. They became 'The Sheffield Repertory Company' and announced an ambitious first season of plays.
At the first Annual General Meeting in January, 1924, the aims were formulated:
1.To promote and encourage interest in the Drama and kindred Arts;
2.To produce Plays;
3.To arrange lectures, recitals, play-readings and discussions;
4.To promote social intercourse amongst the members;
5.To form a library of dramatic literature for the use of members;
6.The establishment of a permanent Repertory Theatre in Sheffield.
Although they were sponsored by the Joseph Rowntree Trust, the early plays made a financial loss so Arnold Freeman launched a public appeal to raise funds, writing to the Bishop of Sheffield and George Bernard Shaw. There was little public support and Shaw wrote back unfavourably (noted in the minutes of 1 Dec 1923, LD1549/1). Losses on further productions were noted but in Feb 1924, the company moved to the South Street Schoolroom, Eldon Street. Funds were raised for alterations and a stage. During this period, the company almost folded but was rescued by a two-year grant of £500 per annum provided by the Carnegie Trust. In 1928 the company moved to The Victorian Comrades (Temperance Hall) on Townhead Street.
In 1926 (Sir) Donald Woolfit joined the company. In Apr 1926, Mr Prentice, the founder, resigned. In 1934, following further financial hardship and a successful public fund raising campaign supported by Alderman Fred Marshall, Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Arthur H. Williams was appointed business manager, and an Executive Committee was established consisting of J.P. Lamb, Eric N. Simmons and T. Alec Seed to carry out the day-to-day running of the theatre company.
In Feb 1938 the name 'The Repertory Theatre' was changed to 'The Playhouse'. Geoffrey Ost, formerly of the Buxton Opera House, was appointed producer from Apr 1938 and became resident director for 26 years. In his first year, (Sir) Alec Guinness appeared at The Playhouse in 'Macbeth'.
During the Second World War, the company moved to Southport [Lancashire] when the compulsory closure of city theatres was enforced owing to bombing threats. The Theatre was let out to the Brightside and Carbrook Co-operative for storage. The Playhouse reopened in 1945.
In 1949 Patrick McGoohan joined the company as assistant stage manager. He was a former light-heavyweight champion boxer in Sheffield (later appearing in television programmes such as 'The Prisoner'). By 1951 the company was flourishing and decided on a building reconstruction. Robert Cawkwell produced plans but the costs were too high. However, shortly after the ceiling was declared unsafe and the theatre company's licence was not renewed. The theatre closed in 1953 and the company transferred to the Library Theatre, Norfolk Street. A grant was made from the Arts Council and the Sheffield Town Trustees to enable the rebuilding of the theatre in 1953.
In 1965 Colin George took over as Director. In 1966 'The Stirrings in Sheffield on a Saturday Night' was presented, based on the Sheffield Outrages of the 1860s. The final production at Townhead Street was 'Britannia's Boys' in May 1971. The Playhouse closed in Jun 1971 and was sold in 1973. The company moved to the newly-built Crucible Theatre in Tudor Square. The proceeds of the sale of The Playhouse contributed to the Crucible's building costs.
The Playhouse was home to a number of future acting stars including: Peter Sallis, Patrick McGoohan, Sir Alec Guinness, Patrick Stewart, Paul Eddington, Keith Barron and Sir Nigel Hawthorne.
Sources: Bryen D. Hillerby, The Lost Theatres of Sheffield, (Wharncliffe Publishing, 1999) (792.094274) (and at Sheffield City Archives: HIL/LOCAL); records of The Sheffield Repertory Company (Sheffield City Archives: LD1549) |
| Description | Records of the Sheffield Repertory Company:
Minutes, 1921 - 1971 (LD1549/1)
Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1942 - 1951 (LD1549/2)
Correspondence and memoranda, 1924 - 1953 (LD1549/13)
Directors, 1928 - 1970 (LD1549/4)
Shareholders, [20th cent] (LD1549/5)
Accounts, 1925 - 1972 (LD1549/6)
Licences and agreements, 1924 - 1965 (LD1549/7)
Salaries, 1959 - 1970 (LD1549/8)
Plays and performances, 1924 - 1967 (LD1549/9)
Miscellaneous, 1924 - 1953 (LD1549/10)
Pegasus Theatre Club (later Theatre Vanguard), 1964 - 1973 (LD1549/11)
Records of the Crucible Theatre:
Minutes, 1976 - 1982 (LD1549/12/1)
Accounts (budget, profit and loss etc.), 1972 - 1982 (LD1549/12/2-8)
Box office returns, 1972 - 1982 (LD1549/12/9)
Insurance report, 1976 (LD1549/12/10)
Staffing, 1972 - 1975 (LD1549/12/11)
Contracts, 1974 - 1978 (LD1549/12/12)
Crucible Link Organisation, 1974 - 1976 (LD1549/12/13)
Miscellaneous items, 1976 - 1980 (LD1549/12/14-15) |
| CustodialHistory | These items were deposited in six lots by the Crucible Theatre between 1978 and 1983. |