Paley

THE PEOPLE'S THEATRE

The theatre was founded as The Clarion Dramatic Club, at the sharp corner of Leazes Terrace. The first performance was of The Bishop's Candlesticks in July 1911. Norman Veitch, one of the founders, remarked: 'If we're going to murder plays, let's murder the best'. In September they performed Shaw's The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet, although it had been banned by the Lord Chancellor. The theatre was active throughout WWI and moved to the Royal arcade in 1915.

In 1920, Norman Veitch went to Birmingham to meet Bernard Shaw and the great man attended the performance of Man and Superman 1921 (v. Bernard Shaw). After this Shaw offered in future a percentage of royalty terms instead of performance fees, a generous gesture. The theatre now became known as The Peoples' Theatre, and gave the first provincial performance of Heartbreak House. One eager patron was Jack Common (q.v.) In 1926, the theatre gave the British premiere of Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale and Rutland Boughton himself came to conduct his hugely popular The Immortal Hour.

In 1929, the theatre acquired premises in Rye Hill and stayed there until 1962. The venue saw over 500 productions, including W. H. Auden's The Ascent of F6. Auden was in Newcastle at the time, and Michael Roberts wrote the programme notes (qq.v.) Dame Sybil Thorndyke visited in 1931 and Shaw made the final stage appearance of his life at Rye Hill in 1936. He commented that the floor was cleaner than it had been on his previous visit. Both Shaw and Dame Sybil took part in a BBC radio programme about the theatre made by Cecil McGivern an ex-Peoples member, in 1939. In 1940, the theatre gave three world premiere performances of plays be Sean O'Casey.

Throughout the 1950s the Peoples' continued to perform the best - Whiting, Pinter, Ionesco, Beckett, Arden, Osborne (q.v.), Ugo Betti and Fritz Hochwalder. Peggy Ashcroft and John Gielgud launched the theatre's building appeal fund which allowed the purchase of the Lyric Cinema in Heaton and the new arts centre there opened with Shaw's Man and Superman. In 1969 Peter Brook came to see the famous Kathkali Dancers. The diamond jubilee of the theatre was celebrated in 1971 with a performance of Shaw's The Philanderer. In 1987 the Royal Shakespeare Company used the theatre as part of their Newcastle season.

Myers Literary Guide:	The North-East
THE PEOPLE'S THEATRE The theatre was founded as The Clarion Dramatic Club, at the sharp corner of Leazes Terrace. The first performance was of The Bishop's Candlesticks in July 1911. Norman Veitch, one of the founders, remarked: 'If we're going to murder plays, let's murder the best'. In September they performed Shaw's The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet, although it had been banned by the Lord Chancellor. The theatre was active throughout WWI and moved to the Royal arcade in 1915. In 1920, Norman Veitch went to Birmingham to meet Bernard Shaw and the great man attended the performance of Man and Superman 1921 (v. Bernard Shaw). After this Shaw offered in future a percentage of royalty terms instead of performance fees, a generous gesture. The theatre now became known as The Peoples' Theatre, and gave the first provincial performance of Heartbreak House. One eager patron was Jack Common (q.v.) In 1926, the theatre gave the British premiere of Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale and Rutland Boughton himself came to conduct his hugely popular The Immortal Hour. In 1929, the theatre acquired premises in Rye Hill and stayed there until 1962. The venue saw over 500 productions, including W. H. Auden's The Ascent of F6. Auden was in Newcastle at the time, and Michael Roberts wrote the programme notes (qq.v.) Dame Sybil Thorndyke visited in 1931 and Shaw made the final stage appearance of his life at Rye Hill in 1936. He commented that the floor was cleaner than it had been on his previous visit. Both Shaw and Dame Sybil took part in a BBC radio programme about the theatre made by Cecil McGivern an ex-Peoples member, in 1939. In 1940, the theatre gave three world premiere performances of plays be Sean O'Casey. Throughout the 1950s the Peoples' continued to perform the best - Whiting, Pinter, Ionesco, Beckett, Arden, Osborne (q.v.), Ugo Betti and Fritz Hochwalder. Peggy Ashcroft and John Gielgud launched the theatre's building appeal fund which allowed the purchase of the Lyric Cinema in Heaton and the new arts centre there opened with Shaw's Man and Superman. In 1969 Peter Brook came to see the famous Kathkali Dancers. The diamond jubilee of the theatre was celebrated in 1971 with a performance of Shaw's The Philanderer. In 1987 the Royal Shakespeare Company used the theatre as part of their Newcastle season.
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