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144:. At that time (1911) money was tight and it was suggested that "The Drama" may be a source. A Double-Bill of "Pot Luck" and "The Bishop's Candlesticks," each having impeccably socialist credentials, was produced and raised nearly 15 shillings (75p) for the funds. It was decided that putting on plays could be a good way of raising money their political activities, and so they went ahead. It was decided that they would affiliate to
261:. Bernard Shaw visited for a second time in 1936, upon which occasion he made what was to be his last speech from a stage. He remarked: "This being my last speech in the theatre, I like it to be this one." Both Shaw and Dame Sybil took part in a BBC radio programme about the People's Theatre produced by
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in 1992 (with a six year break between 2013 and 2019, and the 2021 competition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic), but has solely been a People's
Theatre competition since 2019. Its object is to encourage writing for live theatre from writers living in the north of England. The prize for the
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in their
Edwardian heyday. Plays were originally staged under the name of the Clarion Dramatic Society, one of many so-called 'Clarion' societies then existing within the BSP (such as the Clarion Cycling Club and the Clarion Vocal Union). Its first premises were in the BSP's rooms on the first floor
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For many years, the People's had been closely associated with the
Tyneside Music Society and the Tyneside Film Society, both of which hired various venues in Newcastle for their monthly performances. Both societies joined the People's Theatre in the move to its new home. The former cinema's screen
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In 1929, the People's acquired new premises at Rye Hill in the west end of the city, where they converted an old chapel into a theatre in which they would stay until 1962, staging over 500 productions. During this period the theatre was visited by a number of well-known figures from the theatrical
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This has traditionally been a
Phoenix, no doubt reflecting the many times when the theatre had risen from near-disaster to a new life. In the 1960s, as part of the fund-raising campaign for a new home, it was decided that the old design, probably dating from the 1920s, needed modernising. Local
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in 1921. After this, Shaw offered in future a percentage of royalty terms instead of performance fees - a generous gesture. The theatre had by now changed its name to the People's
Theatre and went on to give the first provincial performance of Shaw's
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bi-annual award was originally £500 (now £1000) and a production of the winning play by the People's
Theatre. Originally, the 2nd and 3rd placed plays would receive a rehearsed reading at the People's Theatre, however, this practice has now ended.
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Throughout the 1940s and 1950s the People's continued to perform drama by playwrights whose work at that time would have otherwise been unperformed in northeast
England, or, in some cases, anywhere else. The People's staged the World Premiere of
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and projection facilities were retained and the conversion included a purpose-built art gallery in the theatre bar. So theatre, film, music and art operated together under the People's
Theatre Arts Group banner.
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political sentiments of the
Clarion Society members. These theatrical productions became so popular that the dramatic society started to cast their net wider in their choice of plays to include
167:) in July 1911. But as Norman Veitch (one of the co-founders and Colin Veitch's brother) later remarked: 'If we're going to murder plays, let's murder the best'. In September they performed
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to launch a building appeal fund. Within five years, this allowed the purchase of the former Lyric Cinema in Heaton and a new arts centre opened there in
September 1962 with Shaw's
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354:. In the same year, the Young People's Theatre, for children aged 11 to 17 was founded, led by People's Theatre members. In 1967 the theatre produced the British Premiere of
339:; many of these productions were regional, if not national premieres of works by playwrights not yet as universally recognised or as popular as they would later become.
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In 2014, plans were announced to refurbish the theatre and to create a study space which could be used at the same time as performances in the main auditorium. The
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and genres such as comedy. This led to friction with the BSP, so the Clarion group started to look for new premises. The theatre remained active throughout
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graphic designer Peter Reed donated the new design, which is still in use - see the picture. When the old and now empty Rye Hill theatre burnt down,
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a People's actor and talented artist, salvaged some charred boards from the old stage to create a replica of the new logo to hang in the Greenroom.
181:. Thus began the People's Theatre's close association with Shaw, whose plays combined popular appeal with a social message that appealed to the
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awarded the theatre £100,000, with £1.5m raised by the theatre itself. The theatre reopened in December 2016 for its annual pantomime.
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came to see the famous Kathkali Dancers. The diamond jubilee of the theatre was celebrated in 1971 with a performance of Shaw's
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A number of former People's Theatre members have gone on to find success and fame in the professional theatre. These include:
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By 1955 the People's was beginning to outgrow its Rye Hill premises, and theatre chairman Arthur Kay enrolled the help of
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of a building at the corner of Leazes Terrace and Percy Street in Newcastle city centre. Their first performance was of
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The theatre also hosts the People's Play Award. It is a biennial playwriting competition originally co-hosted with
112:, England. Originally located in the city centre, the People's Theatre moved to its current site, adjacent to the
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used the theatre as part of their Newcastle season. In 2011 the theatre celebrated its centenary with Shaw's
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The Clarion Dramatic Society was formed in a building on the junction of Leazes Park Road and Percy Street
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665:"First headquarters of the Newcastle branch of the British Socialist Party | Mapping Radical Tyneside"
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193:, during which it formally split from the BSP and moved to the Royal Arcade, Pilgrim Street in 1915.
443:. Other former People's members who have gone on to find success in related fields include pop star
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an ex-People's member, in 1939. In this programme, Shaw opened his remarks with the words 'I
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In 2017, to go along with a major refurbishment of the Heaton site, a new logo was adopted.
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and the great man subsequently came to Newcastle to see the Clarion production of his play
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1911 (at Percy Street); 1915 (at Royal Arcade); 1930 (Rye Hill); 1962 (at Stephenson Road)
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visited the theatre whilst travelling around the country gathering material for his book
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120:, in 1962. It shows approximately 13 productions a year including a full-scale family
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The People's; being a history of the People's Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne 1911-1939
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this People's Theatre.' The theatre remained open and producing plays throughout
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597:"People's Theatre: Photos of the Newcastle theatre in 1962 - then and now"
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The People's Theatre originated within the Newcastle branch of the former
303:. Auden was in Newcastle at the time, and his friend, the Newcastle poet
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740:"People's Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB - Cinema Treasures"
273:. It gave the public premiere of one of Shaw's very last works,
255:; in it, he writes at some length about watching a rehearsal of
837:"Look inside the newly-revamped People's Theatre in Newcastle"
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806:"People's Theatre Newcastle refurbishment plans unveiled"
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There have been thirteen People's Plays winners so far.
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wrote the programme notes. Other such writers included:
217:. In 1926, the theatre gave the British premiere of
148:Movement. One of the theatre's key co-founders was
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946:. Newcastle upon Tyne City Libraries & Arts.
647:"Chronicle's 100 Greatest Geordies: No's 6 to 4"
862:"People's Play Award 2012 open for submissions"
37:The main entrance before the 2017 refurbishment
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791:"Preview: Pygmalion, People's Theatre, Heaton"
568:Voltemand and Cornelius Are Joyfully Returned
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888:"Entries wanted for People's Play award"
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455:and BBC Radio producer Ian Gardhouse.
293:in 1949. Another premiere was that of
804:Whetestone, David (6 November 2014).
622:"Voices 2 households | Theatre Royal"
177:, although it had been banned by the
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231:himself came to conduct his popular
690:"Inside Out North East and Cumbria"
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423:, Fred Pearson, Margaret Jackman,
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595:Morton, David (5 November 2014).
161:(a drama based on Victor Hugo's
1028:Theatres in Newcastle upon Tyne
835:Hodgson, Barbara (March 2017).
196:In 1920, Norman Veitch went to
174:The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet
942:Goulding, Christopher (1991).
533:My Mam Was An Ice-cream Blonde
54:, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF
1:
955:. Northumberland Press Ltd.
459:People's Theatre Arts Group
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951:Veitch, Norman K. (1950).
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447:(singer-songwriter in the
944:The Story of the People's
376:Royal Shakespeare Company
159:The Bishop's Candlesticks
108:is an amateur theatre in
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491:The Eyes of Another Race
245:in 1931. In March 1933,
152:(1881–1938), captain of
97:www.peoplestheatre.co.uk
549:" by Fiona Veitch-Smith
500:" by Sidney L. Charlton
468:The People's Play Award
142:British Socialist Party
68:People's Theatre Trust.
1033:British theatre awards
976:Young People's Theatre
626:www.theatreroyal.co.uk
563:" by Patrick Robertson
411:Notable former members
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914:"People's Play Award"
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770:Heaton History Group
575:Not From Concentrate
561:In My Father's House
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389:Arts Council England
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744:cinematreasures.org
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290:Cock-a-Doodle Dandy
187:William Shakespeare
110:Newcastle upon Tyne
57:Newcastle upon Tyne
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1004:54.9904°N 1.5848°W
886:Hodgson, Barbara.
793:. 13 January 2011.
766:"People's Theatre"
577:" by P. W. Sowerby
514:" by Carina Rodney
507:" by Arthur Craven
505:A Rhyme for Orange
441:Andrea Riseborough
224:The Soldier's Tale
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918:The Crafty Writer
866:New Writing North
841:Evening Chronicle
810:Evening Chronicle
653:. 30 August 2012.
651:Evening Chronicle
521:" by Norrene Rees
498:Lord of the North
474:New Writing North
395:The People's logo
276:Farfetched Fables
241:world, including
234:The Immortal Hour
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556:" by Kevan Ogden
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535:" by Alison Carr
528:" by Tony Glover
493:" by David Farne
484:Previous winners
437:Tom Goodman-Hill
352:Man and Superman
337:Fritz Hochwälder
300:The Ascent of F6
258:The Trojan Women
229:Rutland Boughton
214:Heartbreak House
207:Man and Superman
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279:, in 1951.
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146:the Clarion
1022:Categories
992:54°59′25″N
775:7 December
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606:7 December
582:References
519:Bloodlines
453:Ross Noble
364:. In 1969
325:John Arden
219:Stravinsky
198:Birmingham
114:Coast Road
995:1°35′05″W
846:8 October
815:8 October
724:8 October
715:"History"
381:Pygmalion
333:Ugo Betti
122:pantomime
547:Pig Stew
287:'s play
200:to meet
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573:2023: "
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128:History
91:Website
47:Address
923:1 July
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554:Ersatz
183:Fabian
118:Heaton
83:Opened
52:Heaton
65:Owner
925:2013
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777:2020
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104:The
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