Whitby Amateur Dramatic Society
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1910-1940
A Society which was established in 1910 by a nucleus of half a dozen people and which is still successfully thriving 92 years later must have seen many changes, one would have thought. In the case of Whitby Amateur Dramatic Society this is not necessarily so, nor has it’s objects of the encouragement of Dramatic Art and the devotion to Charity of the proceeds from it’s productions.
What have inevitably changed over the period are costs, but in comparable terms not dramatically. The main feature that is outstanding over the years is the enthusiasm of its committees and in cases of some of our older members, absolute dedication.
The first play to be reported in the minutes of 1st April 1910 was a production of “Our Boys” at The Spa, which raised the sum of £35.00, £15.00 of this amount being donated to the “Cottage Hospital”, later to become the “War Memorial Hospital” and now Whitby Hospital as we know it. Throughout the 1920s/1930s donations were made to the Hospital on many occasions, along with donations to the District Nursing Association and St. John’s Motor Ambulance. It appears that our former members were very conscious of the health of the townspeople of Whitby.
The original nucleus of The Society was under the “control” of a Lieutenant Sims and it was he who, at the start, was solely responsible for the choice of play performed. Lord Normanby was Patron of Society in 1910 and he donated £5.00 to the group, but wrote expressing regret that he and his Lady had been unable to attend the performance of “Our Boys”. Lieutenant also acted as Stage Manager – the plays he chose having fascinating titles such as “Lady Gorringe’s Necklace” and “The Duke of Killicrankie”.
In the Society’s formative years, a Musical Director was elected and a Mr Ernest Tate held this position. Mr Tate went on to achieve some national fame as a composer, and wrote the music for the well-known song “Somewhere a Voice is Calling”, which had been written as a poem by local poetess Eileen Newton. Music played a prominent part in the Society’s productions, as a Trio or Quartet played between the Acts and during the Interval, Live Music at least, and it is interesting to note that a Whitby Gazette reporter of 1927 states “Music was supplied between the Acts by a very pleasing Orchestra under the direction of Mr. T.C. Hayes.” Mention should be made of the fact that the programme stated the approximate period of the intervals between the acts, and as these were strictly maintained, the audience were spared the uncertainty, which is too frequently experienced between acts, even with leading professional companies.
The onset of World War One caused the Society to abandon its activities and the last meeting of the group was held on December 8th 1915, but there is no mention of the War in the Societies Minutes. Nor in the Minutes of the resumption on 27th January 1921 when a committee of 6 people decided not to allow the Society to become “extinct”, and a general meeting was called to “ascertain the number of new members which could be secured”
Two names, which have appeared throughout all the Society’s records, are those of Mr. Reg James and Mr. Ernest James. Mr Reg kept in close touch with the Society until his death in 1986 aged 93. Mr Ernest James had appeared in the West End of London, and was understudy to Ralph Lynn in 2Rookery Nook”. The James’ Brothers were proprietors of James Confectioners on Skinner Street, now the home of the Evangelical Church. As the building contained a Ballroom this was used for most of the Society’s rehearsals and for the Dances held by the Society each year, which in that elegant age were Evening Dress affairs, The Dance cost 3/6d and the Dinner 3/6d
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Pre-War
There are no further records until 1927 when the play “Sport of Kings” was performed at the Coliseum, later to become a Cinema and now a Bingo Hall. “Sport of Kings” attracted an audience of 985 over 2 nights performance, giving receipts of £118-1-1 (£118.5p). The total costs of the play amounted to £67-3-4 (£67.16p) resulting in the balance of £50-7-9 (£50.87p) being donated to the Golf Club.
It was also in 1927 that some consideration was given to giving the Ladies of the Society a “dress allowance” but it seems this was overruled. The year again saw efforts being made to recruit members and the year 1928 saw the Society with a membership of 46 people.
The coming of 1929 brought with it a very successful Spring as the play “Lord Richard in the Pantry”, performed at the Coliseum on April 3rd, 4th and 5th attracted an audience of 1854 giving a record profit of £110-2-8 (£110.26p) which was handed over to Whitby War Memorial Hospital. Membership increased to 49, and Police Supt. Harrison solicited profits from “a play” for the erection of First Aid Huts on Main High Roads to Whitby.
It was in 1929 that the Society made it’s return to the Spa with the play “Leah Klescha” which had a cast of 5 women and 8 men, seat prices ranging from 9d to 3/6d. In that cast was Avis Raw, known to many present members as Mrs Kildale Robinson, who was active in the position of “Stage Dresser” for many productions of the 70’s and early 80’s, and is still eager to assist with any costume productions presented by the Society. From the proceeds of “Leah Krescha” a donation was made to “Boots for the Bairns”- a very descriptive name for a worthy cause. It is also fitting that the Society made a donation to “Malton Typhoid Fever Relief” from the proceeds of its 1933 production of “Rookery Nook”.
The 1930’s saw membership increases and in 1935 the Society had a membership of 73. Subscriptions were 2/6 per year until 1947, and for this meagre amount members were allowed 2 free seats for the productions. The membership of the Society was for many decades made up of Business and Professional people, or the more educated part of the community. Names from that period are still familiar in Whitby: there were the James Brothers, Wasley Chapman, Botham, Robert Gray the auctioneer and so forth, but it wasn’t only talent that ensured a role in the Society’s productions, in some cases if you had the appropriate clothing for the part – you got it! Membership was such in numbers that the Society was able to have people understudy parts and even rehearse them separately.
It was during the influx of members in 1935 that the late Mr Hugh Lambert Smith became a member. Mr Lambert Smith was a man of many talents, his patience and understanding was bottomless, and whose contribution to the Society over the years is immeasurable. The following year – 1936 – was the year the first Wardrobe Mistress was elected and 1939 the year insurance was taken out to cover the Stage Hands.
The onset of World War 2 brought the Society to a standstill and the last committee meeting was held on 14th May 1940, the last play to be presented being “George and Margaret” at the Spa on April 30th and May 1st to 3rd inclusive. The production brought in a profit of £42-11-11 and this was donated to the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen’s Families Association. It wasn’t until 29th November 1945 that these minutes were signed by the then Chairman Basil M. Smith.
However, The Amateurs were still of use to the wartime community as the Scenery was loaned to the Forces stationed in the town to facilitate productions of their own shows.
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Post War 19455-1950
The Society resumed with its first post war committee meeting on Thursday, 29th November 1945 under the Chairmanship of Basil M. Smith with a committee of Mrs. Boynton, Mrs. R.M. James, Messrs. S.B. Ellison, and R.M. James. G.N. Benson and Mr. H. Lambert Smith. It was at this meeting that the aforementioned unanimously agreed to continue the Society. A committee meeting the following month agreed that the play “Bird in Hand” be given and that member’s subscriptions would commence from the 1st January 1946. On this date, Mr. Philip Hume took over the Secretary ship of the Society, and Mr. And Mrs. Milburn, along with Mr. Eric Roulstone of The Clarence Hotel in Wellington Road were elected along with 7 other applicants.
The 1940’s progressed very well with the Society paying attention to the production of 2 plays per year, and the handing over of profits to Charity. During this period, 9 plays were presented between 1940 – 1950. The most successful of these being Daphne Du Mauriers “Rebecca”, having been seen by 1581 people over 3 nights, and “Flare Path” which attracted an audience of 1576 on 27th, 28th and 29th November 1946. It was also during the 1940’s that the Society received a letter from The Three Arts Club asking for support, which was duly given. In the year of 1946 £220-14-9d had been handed over to local charities, and the Society membership was 47, of which 14 were non-acting, 33 acting, these being made up of 19 females and 14 male.
In the British Drama League Full Length Play Festival of 1947-48 “Rebecca” was entered and tied for 2nd place in The North Eastern Area with 83 marks out of a possible 100. The Secretary at the AGM of January 1949 made the plea for more support from members – “I should like to see more of our members, apart from the cast, giving assistance in staging our productions, and doing some of the many tasks which would give more interest in our activities”.
1950 saw the setting up of a fund for the establishment of a “Little Theatre” and as Mr. Reg James remarked to that committee of February, “it would take a very long time to raise sufficient money”, and as we all know, this idea has never come to fruition. It was during the early fifties that the Society took part in the local Festival of Britain Pageant and performed “Scenes” dealing with the Dissolution of the Monastery and Captain Cook. The Society saw a dropping off of audience numbers during this period to well below the accustomed 1000 mark over 3 nights performance, but one of the most popular plays then, as now, was “See How They Run” which did attract an audience of 1201. This play cost £121-1-4d (£121.6p) to stage but brought in £197-5-6d (£197.17p) allowing £76-4-2d (£76.20p) profit to be given to the SSAFA.
On 27th April 1953, Mr James proposed “the balance to the credit of The Little Theatre Fund be made available for the general purposes of the Society”. It was as early as 1956 that Mr. Shipley proposed that 3 plays per year be performed, but this did not take effect until four years later, when the current format of productions at Easter, Whitsuntide and Autumn was undertaken, and is still adhered to.
In 1956/97 the Whitby Abbey 13th Century Celebrations took place and Society Members participated in the “Prologue” and “Captain Cook Scenes”. Such was the abundance of female members at that period in time that one lady applicant was informed that it would be some time before she was given an acting part as there were 22 female Acting members.
The autumn production “To Settle for Murder” performed on 21st, 22nd and 23rd October 1959 brought a new low in audience figures with only 411 attending over 3 nights. This was undoubtedly due to the advent of television, but it did not deter the Society from giving gifts of toys, scooters, tricycles etc. to the children of Larpool Hall, then a Children’s Home administered by Dr. Barnado’s.
The most popular plays of the 1950’s were “See How They Run”, “Seventh Veil”, “Queen Elizabeth Slept Here”, “Jane Steps Out”, and “Mate in Three”.
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The 60s to 80s
Throughout the 60’s, the Society maintained a fairly steady membership and the pattern of 3 plays per year continued, with one-act plays being entered for Festivals.
It was in the 1980’s that the membership began to increase. In an attempt to make use of enthusiasm and talent, both on stage and backstage this increase in membership afforded, attempts were made to take theatre out to the people. Examples of this were the pantomimes and reviews, written, rehearsed and then taken out and performed in local village halls. The Society was proud to present T.S. Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral” which was performed in churches at Robin Hoods Bay, Aislaby and in Whitby itself. A further development was the innovation of Theatre trips. Regular excursions are made to the Theatre in the Round in Scarborough and to York, Darlington and Billingham to see professional performances.
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