George Rowell

Anthony Jackson

Tony Jackson

This is an account of the origins, development and current state of the repertory theatre movement in Britain. The movement had its roots in ideas, experiments and traditions stretching back into the nineteenth century, and first found its voice in 1907 with Miss Horniman's company in Manchester. Since then it has played a vital - often a dominant - role in British twentieth-century theatre. As a method of theatre organisation, repertory refers to those theatres based primarily in the regions, housing a resident acting company and seeking to maintain each season a programme of plays catering for the tastes of the whole community. But the theory has never been dogmatic and the movement has evolved from a gamut of complex factors, not least the visions of particular personalities. Major landmarks in the history include the effects of the two World Wars, the advent of substantial state funding for the Arts, the growth of cinema and television and the renewal of theatre's link with the community in the form of such initiatives as Theatre- in-Education. The history concludes with a detailed study of six representative regional theatres: The Nottingham Playhouse; The Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow; The Salisbury Playhouse; The Victoria Theatre, Stoke; The Everyman, Liverpool; and The Royal Exchange, Manchester. Appendixes include a Chronology, sample repertory programmes from the period, audience attendance figures and some comparative statistics about funding. Interspersed through the text are photographs of selected theatre exteriors, auditoria, stages and productions.

A History of Regional Theatre in Britain

The Repertory Movement

Home of opera in English, as well as British ballet. Above all it was the birthplace of the world-famous Old Vic Company and saw the first appearances of Britain's National Theatre Company, directed by Laurence Olivier. Among the actors to perform at the Old Vic were John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Charles Laughton, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. The book contains numerous illustrations from the early years of the Theatre and of important productions. It includes a.

George Rowell

About

Books

Join the club