The show must go on – and on 20,000 occasions at city centre theatre, it did
The show must go on – and on 20,000 occasions at city centre theatre, it did
Researchers perform wonders in delving into decades of shows and history at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House in Newcastle. Tony Henderson reports
Volunteers have taken a bow after completing painstaking research into more than 20,000 performances at a Tyneside theatre.
The team of volunteers led by a Newcastle University’s Dr Andrew Shail has documented the shows at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House on Westgate Road to compile a catalogue of every performance from September 23 1867 to March 1 1919.
The theatre then became the Stoll Cinema.
Dr Shail, a senior lecturer in film in the School of Arts and Cultures, aided by a team of research assistants, scour
ed Newcastle City Library and Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums for newspaper adverts, programmes and day-bills.
A team of local volunteers then used this mountain of raw data to compile a database of 5,085 productions comprising six times the amount of performances originally expected.
Entries for every production include the dates of every performance, along with information on the type of performance (including the genre, writers, composers, cast, crew, and other aspects which were considered interesting.
This period was the heyday of touring theatre and opera companies, many of whom made the Tyne Theatre & Opera House their home for a week or a fortnight year after year.
The database documents performances featuring some of the biggest stars of the era, including Sarah Bernhardt, Lillie Langtry and Ellen Terry, and music hall stars such as Vesta Tilley and Harry Lauder.
The theatre also staged its own productions, both dramatic and operatic, and the database documents the theatre's occasional summertime transformations into a roller skating rink in the 1870s and a picture house in the early 1910s.
The theatre's ongoing heritage work also includes restoration of the Victorian stage machinery and the theatre's Grand Saloon and it hopes to recreate historical performances once this work is completed.
Newcastle, Northumbria and Durham universities have contributed expertise in theatre history, music and architecture to the scheme.
Dr Shail said: "While some of the theatre's funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund was earmarked for compiling this history of performances across 52 years, that work also required a massive amount of volunteer labour, and I was delighted to find that so many Tynesiders were willing to give both time and energy. “
The volunteers discovered some interesting connections while delving into the past. One found they were descended from the theatre's original manager George Stanley.
They also enjoyed the research so much they have continued - under their own steam - into the Stoll years, documenting every film and yet more live performances at the venue from 1919-1974.
"I've always been lucky to work in an area of history that at least some non-academics find interesting, but I was still surprised when the volunteers decided to press on past 1919 without needing any encouragement from me", said Dr Shail.
Rachel Snape, theatre heritage and development project manager said: "We are delighted that our database of historic theatre performances is now complete.
“Andrew has been an invaluable source of expertise and has supported the project not only with his time, but also led research sessions that have allowed our volunteers to extend their own knowledge of the period. We are extremely grateful for his involvement and ongoing support."
The searchable database can be found here meanwhile more about the volunteers’ findings can be accessed here.