Ron Drew's Theatre Page
Local Amateur Theatre
Around the 1930's there was the rise of interest in the theatre by semi-pros and later by amateurs - fuelled before the war by unemployment and later by the desire of groups to entertain the troops.
During the 1930's, on the then Herd Sands (Littlehaven) beside the pier, was an arena with stage and seating, This is where 'The Pierrots' used to entertain the trippers on the few days during the summer when it wasn't raining nor too cold to be out in the open air on deck chairs!
In the latter part of the decade the Arthur Mertz Concert Party played at this site. Included in the artistes of the Party at that time were Olly and Crofty Pottinger, the accordionist Alf Emmerson and singer Bobby Hedley (known as Boy Emmerson and Boy Hedley at that time) and singer Little Betty Batey who later was to sing with the Joe Loss Band as Elizabeth Batey.
At the same time, in the Zion Hall Unemployment Centre at Laygate, South Shields a concert party was formed which included many unemployed men. This was known as the Green Cards Concert Party - green being the colour of the unemployment card at that time. A leading figure in this Concert Party was Jack Hilton who wrote many pantomime scripts and produced them each Xmas at the Zion Hall. As well as this venue they gave many charity shows around the town including the Congregational Church Hall, which in those days was one of the largest halls available with a stage suitable for such performances. Pantomimes were a big draw and played every night for up to 6 weeks to capacity crowds.
Some of the members of the Green Cards Concert Party were Edna (Davis) Arthur, Joy (Hyde) Lippett, Alan Hockey (later to be well known in the town through the South Shields Amateur Operatic Society) and, when he turned professional, through his many TV appearances. Other members included comedian and ukulele player Herbert Butchard, tenor Tommy Ternett and accordionists Les Laws and Albert Appleby.
As members of the Green Cards they entertained the troops at ack-ack (anti-aircraft) bases during the war.
During the war years other groups were formed by local amateurs to entertain the locals and the troops in the area. One of these was the the 'Happy Go Luckies' (see SSAOS- Snippets of Chorus Lines, Chapter 5.15) and many of its members were later to become household names in local amateur and dramatic societies.
Another concert party entertaining the troops at that time was the Northern Lights Troupe formed by Arthur Jackson, - he was in my class at the South Shields Grammar School in the 1930's - who is still writing about show biz in the magazines 'This England' and 'Evergreen' which is full of nostalgic memories, often about theatre and music in South Shields. He also writes sleeve notes for musical records and CD's. During the war he formed the Northern Lights Troupe which - in his words - " brought untold hours of agony to various searchlight battalions in the Tyneside area!" Members included Rene Dearden and Dulcie Dennison, sisters who were to become stalwarts of the local Operatic Society. Other members were Alfie Emmerson and others from the Pierrot's concert party: Norah and Sheila Durkin, and Daniel Sweeney.
There were a number of large and small Amateur Societies like the
South Shields Amateur Operatic Society, and later the G & S Operatic
Society and the Westovians whose activities are detailed elsewhere on
these web pages and who were, at times, performing in the Blacks Regal
Cinema changed back to a theatre for the week of their annual shows.
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