Theatr Colwyn Friends

The Great Fire of 1930

A loud crackling of burning timbers awakened a Mr Tomlinson who lived above an adjoining shop at approximately 4.30am on Saturday 13 December 1930. He ran to the nearby police station where the Voluntary Fire Bridge were summoned. According to newspaper accounts they arrived in a very short time and the firemen, in great danger from falling timbers and molten lead (which was falling from the blazing roof) took two hours to extinguish the fire.

Although local occupants awoke to find their bedrooms full of smoke, no injuries were sustained and the fire was confined to the interior of the Rialto. The newspaper stated that the fire was the worst Colwyn Bay had experienced since the Pier was burnt down five years before.

Alas, the inside of the theatre was extensively damaged – in fact, it was gutted. According to the Pioneer, “All that remains of the theatre are four walls. The stage and proscenium were reduced to ashes and over 800 seats were burnt out and buried beneath the debris of the fallen roof. In the basement of the theatre are several shops, such as the joiners and painters, but these escaped with only damage caused by water. The shops on either side of the theatre entrance also escaped serious damage, apart from their stock, which was damaged by water.”

The building was insured for £2,500 and the contents were insured with a Manchester Company for £2,000. The newspaper added that both were valued at much more than those sums. At the time of the fire the Colwyn Bay Public Hall Company Ltd owned the building but it was rented from them by Coast Cinemas Lds (who also owned cinemas at Conwy and Penmaenmawr).

There is, however, a missing piece to this story … the historian does not yet know how long the repairs took and when, therefore, the building reopened. Does anybody know?

This article was written by Roy Schofield and if you have any further information, then please email Roy (r.schofield@virgin.net)

The Ghost of Theatr Colwyn

Phil Batty, Theatre Manager, for many years was always a little wary when turning the lights off backstage and locking up. No, he is not afraid of the dark but was not sure about who else was there each night! Once, on a late night alarm call out, he trotted down the stairs towards the box office door and just as he opened it Phil heard someone else trotting down the stairs after him. Phil, who is quite calm and not easily flustered, locked himself in the box office and was on the phone to the police within seconds. Having now turned the lights on and realising that he was on the inside and could not get out, as the door was locked and the shutter down, he expected to see the someone who may have broken in, set the alarm off and followed him down the stairs but no, there was no sign of anyone! When the Police came and they checked the building there was no sign of a break in and all the doors were secure.

One of the most talked about ghostly happenings was during Wind In The Willows. Most of the cast and a few crew congregated in the band room for their cup of tea during the interval. This particular interval one of the children in the show came in and was saying how old the theatre was and not very nice and running the place down. As she was saying this the monitor speaker jumped off the wall and landed on the floor. Now when something drops off the wall it falls vertical but this jumped off the wall horizontal and landed on the other side of the room!

The “ghost” is thought to be a certain Mr Stanley Ravenscroft who ran the theatre very successfully in the mid 30’s to mid 50’s when it was called “The New Rialto Repertory Theatre”. Do not be alarmed because the staff reckon that “Stanley” is looking after the place out of hours! And yes occasionally things will move from one place to another without the aid of, well, anyone! Just remember, if you’re going to be detrimental about the theatre – better do it very quietly ………………ssshhh!

Terry Jones, Theatr Colwyn Patron

Terry Jones was born on 1 February 1942 in Colwyn Bay and lived here until he was 5 years old. On his father’s return from serving with the RAF in World War 2 in India, the family moved to Claygate in Surrey. This was a move that Terry apparently resented – leaving behind the beaches, the cliffs and parks and he made a point of being as Welsh as possible for the next fifteen years!

Terry was a hardworking student and gained a place at Oxford University, studying English. It was from this time on that he met Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese and Michael Palin and the Monty Python phenomenon was born and lasted from 1969 to 1983. Terry’s major contributions were largely behind the scenes and he often deferred to the other members of the group as an actor. Recent Python literature has highlighted, however, his lead role in maintaining the group’s identity and creative independence.

Terry’s abilities as a director, writer and presenter meant that he went on, after Python, to be involved in many, many projects. A biographer has commented, “speak to him on subjects as diverse as fossil fuels, or Rupert Bear, or mercenaries in the Middle Ages or Modern China … in a moment you will find yourself hopelessly out of your depth, floored by his knowledge”. As well as appearing in history programmes, Terry has written a number of political articles for The Observer and The Guardian with such titles as “Why grammar is the first casualty of war” and “A resignation is worth a thousand smiles”.

And to finish notes on this worthy patron, there is apparently an asteroid, 9622 Terryjones, named in his honour. When asked during a webchat if this was the greatest honour he has received, Terry replied “I didn’t realise it was an honour to have a barren lump of rock named after one”. On his role as Theatr Colwyn patron, he said he was delighted to accept, that it was great to finally break into Colwyn Bay showbiz (!), and that he hoped Theatr Colwyn would continue to flourish and bring live theatre to North Wales for a long time.

Charles Dance @ Theatr Colwyn

A very successful repertory company was based at Theatr Colwyn for many years – the first season was a spectacular success and in 18 weeks over 35,000 people saw plays performed in weekly repertory. The rep company was responsible for launching the careers of several actors and actresses who later became well known figures in the entertainment world. One of these actors was Charles Dance ………

Walter Charles Dance was born in 1946 and grew up on the edge of Dartmoor. He was apparently a nervous child who suffered from both a stammer and dyslexia. Leaving school at 16, he found work as a window-dresser and a plumber’s mate before encountering, in a pub in Plymouth, a couple of retired actors who helped him on his way to becoming a performer.

His theatrical career began in weekly rep at Theatr Colwyn in 1972, after moving from behind the scenes where he worked as a stage manager to in front of the footlights as an actor. In 1975 at the age of 29, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, graduating from minor parts to the title role of Henry V during a Broadway stint.

It was his screen role as Guy Perron in the landmark 1984 mini-series, The Jewel in The Crown, which is regarded as his breakthrough role. For the next 2 decades his film career soared and he has worked with Hollywood’s most impressive talent. In addition, he was the screenwriter and director of the film Ladies in Lavender. To recognise his prestigious career in the performing world, he was awarded the OBE in 2006.

Joann, our Marketing Officer, contacted Charles to inform him that we had placed a seat plaque in Theatr Colwyn bearing his name. He replied with a lovely card saying that he felt honoured and added “I wish you much good luck and I’m so glad to hear the old place is still thriving”.

Charles Dance’s First Fan

Reading the article about Charles Dance brought back vivid memories of our early days in Colwyn Bay, and a special visit to the Old Prince of Wales Theatre, as it was then known. We saw a delightful and very funny production of “Charlie’s Aunt” and my daughter, Shân, then aged about 10 or 11 was enthralled with one of the actors – Charles Dance. We didn’t know it then, but it was in fact his debut on stage (Yes! In Colwyn Bay!). Shân immediately dashed off a letter to her “hero”, and a couple of days later we were devastated to find that he and his wife had actually called at our house, and we were out! However, there was some consternation when a beautifully written letter arrived later - a “treasure” still.

A few years later when Shân was in the Sixth Form at Eirias High, we went to see a performance at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford on Avon, and on the programme amongst the “sword bearers” Shân spotted the name of Charles Dance. She dashed off another letter, as was her wont, and I think she asked if he could possibly be the same Charles Dance whad had appeared in Colwyn Bay in the early 70’s. Another beautifully written and interesting letter arrived. Another “treasure”, still revered. What excitement!

We have always followed Charles Dance’s career with special interest. I am sure it is typical of the man who took such pains to foster a young person’s interest in the theatre that, despite his fame, he has graciously acknowledged his debt to Colwyn Bay by saying he felt honoured to have a seat plaque with his name, and to wish the theatre much good luck for the future. Bravo Charles Dance!!

Of course, Shân claims with good evidence that she was Charles Dance’s first “fan”.

Written by Dorothy, a Friend of Theatr Colwyn

Betty Alberge

Theatr Colwyn has Coronation Street connections. Read on to learn more…….

Back in 1960, the opening scene of the very first episode of Coronation Street featured the old battle-axe, Ena Sharples, meeting new shopkeeper, Florrie Lindley. Well, Florrie was played by the actress Betty Alberge.

Born in 1922 and educated in Fallowfield, Manchester, Betty trained at the Manchester Repertory School and commenced her professional career at Colwyn Bay as a member of the Ravenscroft Repertory Theatre.

During the war she left the Rep to work for ENSA, did much radio work, including the Clitheroe Kid, until in 1960 Tony Warren, the creator of Coronation Street and an admirer of her work, persuaded her to join the 'soap'.

After she was axed from the show in 1964 she continued with TV work, appearing for many years as Mrs Mumford in Rentaghost. She died aged 69 yrs in 1991.

There are several examples of cast members of the Rep appearing on TV.

This article was written by Roy Schofield and if you have any further information, then please email Roy (r.schofield@virgin.net)

Stan Stennett

Stan Stennett has been described as Wales’ Premier Entertainer – a comedian, jazz musician, after dinner speaker, producer, director. He has performed in Theatr Colwyn and next month we will be featuring an article by one of our Friends, Dorothy Evans, who has a very fond memory of one of his shows.

Stan was born in 1925 in Cardiff and served in the Army at the same time as working as an entertainer. On demob he formed a comedy musical trio called the Harmaniacs but music hall wasn’t the end of his talents.

The 1950’s were a boom time for Stan, by then a solo comedian using his guitar and trumpet in an act that saw him teamed with some of America’s biggest stars who came to Britain (Billy Daniels, Johnny Ray, Chico Marx, James Cagney and the Deep River Boys). Stan played all the major theatres, was a regular on BBC radio and topped the bill in countless summer seasons and pantos with such household names as Morecambe & Wise, Ronnie Corbett, etc. In the 1960’s he joined “The Black and White Minstrel Show” and was to stay with them as principal comic for 7 years.

Over the past 30 years or so, Stan has concentrated much of his work in Wales and has formed his own production company to stage productions in Porthcawl, Colwyn Bay, Southport, etc. Together with his wife Elizabeth and sons Roger and Ceri, he has administered theatres, cinemas and arts centres in Tewkesbury, Hereford, Caerphilly and Porthcawl. Television appearances have been in Crossroads, Coronation Street, Casualty, and more.

Now in his 80’s he holds a private pilot’s licence, loves golf, is patron of countless Welsh charities, has been the subject of “This is Your Life” and was awarded the MBE in 1979 for services to theatre and charity. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

A MEMORY OF STAN STENNET

Last month we gave a brief overview of the life of Stan Stennett and this month one of our friends shares a favoured memory of Stan…

We moved to Colwyn Bay in the late Sixties, and it took us no time to discover that there was a lovely old theatre putting on a steady stream of really good shows, both amateur and professional. A trip to the theatre was a regular family treat.

One weekend, an elderly aunt and uncle came to stay. It happened to be Aunty May’s 80th birthday, so of course, a trip to the theatre was planned. Great excitement because the great TV Star, Stan Stennet was appearing. At that time Stan was at the peak of his career. He was the resident comedian on a Welsh TV programme called “Welsh Rarebit”, and he was also a comedy guest on the famous “Black and White Minstrel Show”. He was as much loved and famous then as any of today’s personalities.

It fell to my lot to go and buy the tickets. The Box Office in those days really was what its name implied – a tiny ticket office in a box-like structure, with a small window. Much as I hate that modern idiom – “gob-smacked” – that best describes how I felt when I saw facing me through the window, Stan himself with a beaming smile!!! Yes! I was struck dumb and took a double take. In no time Stan had put me at my ease, and we had a really good old chat as though we were bosom pals. Of course I told him about our special trip with Aunty May and Uncle Arther on Saturday night. As I walked home I could hardly believe that I had actually been chatting with the great Stan Stennet himself.

The big night arrived. Toffed up in our best (yes, we dressed up for a visit to the theatre in those days), we took our seats, centre front in the stalls. Aunty May was a jolly old soul and she caused a lot of hilarity before the show began with the weird sounds shrieking from her (pre-digital) hearing aid and her efforts to control them.

Stan was in good form, and the audience was soon in stitches. Suddenly he stopped, came forward on the stage, and looking straight at our party (he had sold us the tickets, remember, so knew exactly where we were) he addressed Aunty May with a big “Hello May, how ya doin?”. Whereas I had been struck dumb Stan had the opposite effect on Aunty May. She whooped a long “oo, oo, oo, oooooo” and the audience roared with laughter. We were all on a roll. Then he referred to her birthday, and next minute she was being helped on stage to be presented with a bottle of Champagne, accompanied by a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday”.

Aunt May had very cleverly been incorporated into the Act, and she and the audience loved it. What a night to remember.

Written by Dorothy, a Friend of Theatr Colwyn

WILLIAM RUSSELL

This month’s Spotlight has been written by our hardworking Historian, Roy Schofield.

Have you seen the repeats, or, maybe like me, you enjoyed the original 30 episodes of the 1957/57 ITV series, “The Adventures of Sir Lancelot”?
The show was so successful that the later episodes were filmed in colour for American networks, thus creating a first for British TV.

William Russell, born 1924, in Sunderland played the hero, real name Russell Enoch. In his role as Sir Lancelot, Russell was described recently in the Penguin TV Companion as one of the first television heart-throbs.

During a long and distinguished career in which he used both his real and his stage names, the actor has appeared in many films which include the Great Escape and numerous TV series. He played an early Doctor Who assistant, Ian Chesterton. He also played Rita's husband, Ted Sullivan, in Coronation Street.

However, it is his stage career, which may be of interest to Theatr Colwyn fans. After playing TV leading parts William Russell returned to the stage. In what seems to be a reversal of many acting careers he appeared in Rep at the Prince of Wales Theatre (aka Theatr Colwyn) after he had found fame on the screen.

David Pryce Morris, Curate at St Paul's from 1963-1970, has stated that, although heavily involved with the church Players, his overall passion whilst staying at Colwyn Bay was the Rep. And, sometime, during that time, he distinctly remembers he enjoyed being involved in a production when William (or Bill, as he describes him) Russell played a role in a play called “The Prisoner”.

At this stage it is not known whether the distinguished “knight” appeared in a one-off production or for a full season. If anyone remembers his appearance at the Rep, or perhaps has a copy of the programme for “The Prisoner”, please contact the theatre box office.

William Russell went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company and until very recently made the occasional TV appearance. For fans of Harry Potter films he is the father of Alfie Enoch.

This article was written by Roy Schofield and if you have any further information, then please email Roy (r.schofield@virgin.net)

SCARLET PIMPERNEL

A LINK between Theatr Colwyn and a theatrical acting dynasty has come to light when a photograph – previously thought to have been a stage prop – was revealed to be a genuine picture of an actor who achieved great fame in his time. The large, framed photograph of actor/theatre manager/producer Fred Terry - the first person to ever play The Scarlet Pimpernel on stage - had been in the storeroom at Theatr Colwyn, Colwyn Bay, for many years and staff always thought that it had been used as a prop in a play.

It was only recently the photograph was taken out of the storeroom to be looked at in detail and a visitor to theatre pointed out that far from being a prop, it was something of significant importance to the theatre’s long history. After some research, it came to light that the man in the photograph, dressed in stage costume, was Fred Terry, brother of Dame Ellen Terry – one of the first modern stars of the British stage, who was known as ‘The Queen of Theatre’.

On the photograph is a dedication to Stanley Ravenscroft, who led the highly successful repertory company at Theatr Colwyn during the 1930s, 40s and 50s and actually lived at the theatre during his time as the company’s director. The dedication was written by Julia Neilson, wife of Fred Terry and a famous actress in her own right, having appeared in countless stage plays on the West End and in New York, including the first production of Oscar Wilde’s plays An Ideal Husband.

Joann Rae said: “Finding out that the photograph was real, not a prop, and that it had been given to Stanley Ravenscroft, by actors of such fame, has created much excitement at the theatre. We know very little about Mr Ravenscroft, other than that under his leadership the repertory company was incredibly successful, that he was a stage actor in his youth and that he lived in a flat in the theatre for many years. Unfortunately, there are no clues as to how he knew Fred Terry and Julia Neilson, although the dedication does mention ‘just for remembrance’ so maybe they worked together at some point or were friends."

Fred Terry, great-uncle to the legendary stage actor Sir John Gielgud, was very famous during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. He and his wife adapted the manuscript of The Scarlet Pimpernel for the stage and he was the first person to play the title role in a play that premiered in 1905 at The Strand Theatre, London. Terry also appeared on Broadway several times with Julia, as well as managing and taking seasons at West End theatres in London, including The New (now The Noel Coward), The Strand (now The Novello) and The Haymarket.

He made international headlines during the First World War, when, during a performance of The Scarlet Pimpernel at the Strand theatre, 19 bombs were dropped by a German zeppelin on the road outside the venue, with one exploding in the main entrance causing plaster to fall on the heads of the performers and the audience. Appearing in the lead role of Sir Percy Blakeney, Terry - covered in plaster dust and debris from the bombing - stepped forward, calmed the audience and in true theatrical tradition, the show went on!

ARTHUR LESLIE

For this well-known theatrical face we return to the first ever episode of Coronation Street. We enter the ‘Rovers Return’ and see behind the bar, the landlord, Jack Walker, long suffering husband of the sharp-tongued snob, Annie. The part of the gentle mannered Jack was played from 1960 until his untimely death of a heart attack in 1970 by Arthur Leslie.

The actor was born in Newark in 1901. After naval service he entered the acting profession and by the time he appeared at Colwyn Bay Rep in 1951 he had enjoyed many years appearing in comedy farces on the London stage, followed by 16 years of appearing in repertory theatres throughout Britain.

In a programme note written in 1951 it was said, “What Arthur Leslie doesn’t know about the theatre is not worth knowing”.

After a couple of years in Colwyn Bay the actor (real name, Arthur Broughton) resumed his travels, plying his art on stage until Coronation Street beckoned. By the time of his death he had built up a reputation of a fine TV actor. And, the ‘soap’ had lost one of its most popular members of the regular cast. His screen wife was played by Doris Speed. She remained behind the bar at the ‘Rovers’ for several more years.

This article was written by Roy Schofield and if you have any further information, then please email Roy (r.schofield@virgin.net)

The Great Fire	The Ghost	Terry Jones	Charles Dance @ Theatr Colwyn	Charles Dance's First Fan
Betty Alberge	Stan Stennett	A Memory of Stan Stennett	William Russell	Scarlet Pimpernel
Arthur Leslie