Page 11 - The Palace @ 100
P. 11

The Builders



          The company that built the Palace was G C Huins and
          Co and it seems they retained a financial interest as
          late as 1947, two apparent members of the family being
          cited  in  the  financial  returns;  Sidney  L  Huins  as  a
                                                                                           Extract  from
          Director of the theatre company with about 250 shares,
                                                                                           Redditch  Arts
          and  Nellie  Louise  Huins  being  a  major  share  holder
                                                                                        Council Newsletter
          holding some 650 out of a total of 3,500 shares issued.
                                                                                             July 1969
          The  theatre  was  upholstered  in  excellent  taste  by
          Messrs Wolff and Hollander based in London.
                                                                                       ‘The  Palace  Theatre
                                                                                       was  built  at  the  time
          The Palace Theatre used to be a Cine-Variety house                           when  the  theatrical
          which  meant  that  it  combined  films  and  variety                        touring  system,  with
          entertainment on the bill.
                                                                                       its  circuits  of  No.1
                                                                                       houses,  No.2  houses
                                                                                       and No. 3 houses was
                                                                                       still   in     function.
                                                                                       Previously,  theatrical
                                                                                       companies  visited  the
                                                                                       Public Hall in Church
                                                                                       Road.


                                                                                       Otherwise, Redditch’s
                                                                                       theatrical  needs  had
                                                                                       been  by  various  “fit-
                                                                                       up”  theatres.  there
                                                                                       were  several  of  these
                                                                                       portable, canvas-and-
                                                                                       timber  structures  on
                                                                                       the move, but the best
                                                                                       known  locally  was
          A  photograph  of  the  workers  at  the  Palace                             “Jennings’s  theatre”,
          Theatre, Redditch outside the Theatre the year it                            under the direction of
          was built, 1913.                                                             the  redoubtable  Mrs
                                                      Courtesy: Paul Hughes.
                                                                                       Jennings,  which  used
                                                                                       to take up its stand in
                                                                                       the  yard  of  the  Fox
                                                                                       and  Goose  Inn,  later
                                                                                       the Royal Hotel.’


            Source: The Needle District Almanack and Trade Directory 1919-20




           1913
                                                                                                Page  5
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