Hull Repertory Theatre Company
The Hull Repertory Theatre Company was a theatre company in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England which was in existence from 1924 until superseded by the Hull New Theatre in 1939.
History
The theatre was founded in 1923 under the leadership of A. R. Whatmore. It used the Lecture Hall, Kingston Square, for dramatic productions, renaming it the Little Theatre.[1] The lecture hall itself was on the site of the former Central Fire Station.[2]
It became a private limited company, the Hull Repertory Theatre Company, in 1928. Also in 1928 a public limited company, the Little Theatre (Hull) Ltd., was formed to buy the hall, which it did in 1930. The two companies were then amalgamated in 1933. [1] By June 1930 Whatmore had produced eighty-one plays there. During that time the theatre was entirely rebuilt under his supervision.[3] In 1939 the company acquired the neighbouring Assembly Rooms, which were converted to the Hull New Theatre.[1]
From its inception the company fostered talented young actors, many of who went on to greater fame on the London stage or in film. Examples have been:[4]
- Sebastian Shaw, 1924
- Roland Culver, debut performance, 1924, as Paul in Peter and Paul
- Colin Clive, 1925[5]
- Colette O'Niel, 1925[5]
- Edith Sharpe, 1927–1928
- Margaretta Scott, August 1928, as Catherine m The Lilies of the Field
- Margaret Vines, from September 1928 - June 1929, played juvenile leads in Caste, On Approval, If Four Walls Told, Dear Brutus, Magic, etc.
- André van Gyseghem, juvenile leads, September 1928 - July 1930,
- Alan Wheatley, 1929–1930
- Hilary Eaves, debut performance, 1932, in The Admirable Crichton
- Ernest Hare, 1932
- Gerald Savory, 1932–1933
- Michael Mac Owan, producer, 1933–1934
- Cathleen Cordell, playing juvenile leads, 1934
- Maurice Denham, Hubert in The Marquise, 1934.[6]
- Noel Howlett, producer, 1935
- Jack Minster, producer, 1935–1938
- Stewart Granger, debut, August 1935, as Andrea Strozzi in The Cardinal. He remained at Hull, where he eventually played leading parts, 1935–1936
- Ambrosine Phillpotts, playing leads, 1935–1937
References
- ^ a b c British History On-Line
- ^ Hull New Theatre history
- ^ Who's Who in Theatre: Whatmore, A. R.
- ^ Who's Who in Theatre, passim
- ^ a b Rowell, George; Jackson, Tony (1984). The repertory movement: a history of regional theatre in Britain. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-31919-5.
- ^ Maurice Denham at filmreference.com
- Gardiner, Bennitt (1976) "Colette O'Niel: a Season in Repertory", Russell: the Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies: Vol. 96: Iss. 2, Article 5. An account of the season spent by Lady Constance Malleson (Colette O'Niel) with Hull Little Theatre Company in 1925