Gosforth, High Street 1956

THE PASSING OF A GRAND OLD THEATRE

The old Grand Theatre at Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne was one of well over 65 theatres and cinemas in the city in the heyday of entertainment.

Kenneth More in repertory, Winifred Atwell playing her first date in England, Bobby Thompson and the Merry Magpies, The Tattler Girls, many many Pantomimes, Revues and Variety Shows, Musical Comedy, the list could go on for ever of those who tread the boards of the Grand!

I grew up in the place! I was often told that I caused many BAD moments as a child! (Read my blog!) My dad ran the place and I was there at the end of its days as a very young House Manager together with my cousin Steve and Babs Davidson with Patrick Dowling’s Repertory Company's production of ‘Night Must Fall’.

Having signed a great many ‘last tickets’ the evening came to an end and we stood at the footlights and said farewell to the audience of 62 old folk, three of them having helped to build the theatre all those years ago. Smoky the theatre cat came down to the footlights and gazed up at the rows of dark empty seats for the last time ... as Patrick Dowling said to the audience “As night must fall on our play so it must also fall on this wonderful old theatre” and looking at Smoky sitting on a footlight and gazing at the rows of seats he muttered that “Even the cat knows it is the end”. By now there was not a dry eye in the house and it had to be the worst night of my life. If you have never had to close a living theatre you could never imagine how it hurts. The following morning I stood on the empty stage with only the cleaner’s lights on and watched the seats being stripped out to go to yet another Bingo Hall. I stayed for a long time just listening to the ghosts stirring in the cold shadows.

NB. As there was the Viaduct Pub over the road and a fishcake factory behind the theatre I would like to think that Smoky lived well after we had all gone. (No, she was not prepared to be caught, try as we did!).

Has anyone got a good photo of the theatre?

St Vincent de Paul Orphanage in Brunel Street

I spent 10 years in this orphanage, with many memories. Was anyone else there from 1931-1941, or does anyone have any information or photos?

(ANOTHER PANTO STORY)

It’s like some eureka moment from no ware! Out of the fog of time come more memories of the early days in theatre, this time yet another Panto story.
We were doing Aladdin in a large theatre in the north, packed to the last seat in the Gods with happy children and their mums and dads. Now long since gone like so many happy places you remember with fondness from younger days.

Now Ebenazer was played this year by an old Shakespearian actor who felt he was a bit above all this slapstick tomfoolery! But he made the best of it and soon got the audience shouting “Oh no he isn’t!” and “Oh yes he is!” and “Look behind you!” and hissing and booing for all they were worth! So he was well into his stride and forgetting that he was quite old he dashed around the stage like a mad hatter! Having a great time and enjoying every moment!

In the interval Old Ebenazer went back to his dressing room and tucked into a glass of stout and chips and just as he got up to go back he collapsed backstage and died in front of the cast. The stage manager said that the show should go on with the understudy for Ebenazer, it was agreed that you can’t let down about 2000 paying customers. So the Principal Girl dressed all in white was told to go through the curtains down to the footlights and explain what had happened.

I can still see it in my mind's eye even now as she said “Ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls I have some bad news to tell you! In the interval Ebenazer has had a heart attack and has died”. At this point the audience cried out as one “Oh no he isn’t!!!”. “Oh yes he is!” shouted back the little Principal Girl. “Oh no he isn’t!!” shouted the audience……. So that was that then……..the show went on! And old Ebenazer lives on in our memories for ever.

It's Panto Time! Oh yes it is!

You ever been to a panto? Oh yes you have!!! Remember! You go into a large packed hot old theatre full of sticky shouting children and adults trying to look as if they are not enjoying themselves. The house lights dim and the orchestra comes out into the orchestra pit and they settle down, resplendent in dinner suits that have seen better days and tune up the instruments and sit waiting for the Conductor.
Right!
Now let me fill you in with what happens on this cold December night’s production of 'Dick Whittington' many years ago when theatre and panto was still in its heyday. The theatre is now hushed and if you look at the stage you can see the stage lights under the hem of the stage curtain and shadowy feet moving into position ready for ‘Overture and Beginners’ as its called. The Conductor in his best white tie and tails climbs up onto his rostrum, shuffles his music, coughs and raises his baton, taps it on the music stand light and off we go! The curtains open and there before us is the full chorus line singing and dancing while the Principal Boy makes her way down to the footlights and, smiling at the audience, slaps her thigh and asks if all the boys and girls are pleased to see them? 'YES!' they all shout ... except for one little chap in the front row who is sick! Not just sick BUT SICK! All over the orchestra ... Well, that was the end of that.
How can you continue when all the vomit is dripping of the piano keys, violins and some of the orchestra could not see out of their glasses? So the curtains close and the orchestra members go off to change and the cleaners come on and wash down the band parts and seats and instruments.
Then off we go again! The orchestra comes back looking decidedly unhappy in polo neck sweaters and sports coats and one in a raincoat! Overture and Beginners ... This time all goes well ... until (remember we are doing 'Dick Whittington') the scene in front of the large fire in the baronial hall kitchen and the Principle Girl is sitting on a chair with the Cat (another girl in a cat skin) draped across her lap. The next line as she stroked the cat was ‘Alas poor pussy, no Dick tonight!’ and that was about the end of the panto, 2,000 odd Mums and Dads were in hysterical laughter while the kids wanted to know what they were laughing at! Every time we tried to bring back order some one corpsed or giggled and off they all went again!
Now that was a night to remember!!!
NB. Back in those days the Lord Chamberlain's office was responsible for censorship of all scripts before they went into production and any lines he did not like had a blue pencil drawn through the offending passage and that was that! But he had missed that line. It’s worth knowing that’s how Jack Warner got to be called Blue Pencil Warner long before he became 'Dixon of Dock Green'.

Now We Are Five!

Ah well here goes!
The old Grand Theatre plays a very large part in my early years (you will find I go on a bit about the place!).
My dad owned the Grand and my first recollection of it was at pantomime time. Dad's Chorus Mistress said I could dance on with the other little children in the juvenile chorus. I had been in most of the dressing rooms that day and as my dad was there I had been treated to a few potato chips in one room some fudge in another and a bit of cake in another and a sip of stout ... and so on.
Being full of excitement and food I linked arms with the other children and danced on to the stage to a packed house! And as we danced along behind the Principle Boy doing her opening song I WAS SICK as I went past her! And I can still remember as it all trickled down her legs what she said 'You little s**t, wait till I get hold of you!!'. But being a true trooper she never lost the smile on her face as she carried on for the crowd who were by now in hysterics ...

Moving on 3 years. I got thrown out one night, as I was bored I went off to explore under the stage an area known as the SUMP and guess what? I found an old peddle harmonium. So I had to try it out, didn't I? And guess what, it still worked and made this awful wailing noise. The Stage Manager came down and dragged me up to back stage by my hair and sent me packing home with death threats if I ever came back!
What must have been strange to the audience was the fact that a death scene was being played out on the stage ... thought I had made a significant contribution to the mood of the piece.

Now aged 12 sitting in one of the boxes front of house and falling head over heels with the B*****l Twins as they were called as they did a tassel dance, when you're 12 that is 'gob smacking', how did they get them to change direction?? They looked so beautiful.
You forget that as you gaze through the proscenium arch to the stage you are looking at a fantasy. So when I went back stage in the interval they were standing there, old and tired in thread-bare costumes and caked make-up and they were so small and strange and one had a little round Elastoplast on her bum!!
So that was the end of that romance!