About this Event
We are very pleased to reconvene this visit which was postponed in March 2020. Please note that the venue’s covid restrictions (if any) will apply.
The origins of Gateshead Little Theatre are linked to the one time political group, the Independent Labour Group, (ILP) which in 1919 acquired premises where their members could take part in social and cultural activities, including amateur dramatics.
The premises were in Westfield Hall, about 200 yds from the existing site.
Their first production was in 1920, and they adopted the name Progressive Players, who celebrate their centenary this year.
By the late 1930’s they looked for better premises, and in 1939 bought a terraced house on a vacant adjacent site and prepared to build a theatre. World War II intervened, and for two and a half years the site was occupied by a barrage balloon!
Eventually building continued, and in October 1943 the theatre was opened with a production of Midsummer Night’s Dream.
By this time, the Players had severed their connection with the ILP, and there has been no political connection for many years.
Funding of the construction was provided by three sisters, Hope, Sylvia, and Ruth Dodds, all founder members of the group. They had nineteenth century notables, John Mawson and Joseph Swan as their grandfather and great uncle respectively.
The sisters formed a limited company of which they were shareholders, and all shares were eventually bequeathed to the Progressive Players.
The visit will include a detailed film about the history of the Little Theatre, and how plays are chosen, rehearsed, and finally performed before a live audience. We will then have a break and some light refreshments.
Members will then be taken behind the stage, highlighting the lighting, sound, and wardrobe. We'll be finished by lunchtime so why not make a day of it?
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
NE8 4JS, Saltwell View, Gateshead, United Kingdom
GBP 15.00