Page 13 - Palace Memories Gerald Jervis

Palace Theatre Memories Redditch Heritage

Peace, and a New Era

Peace came, and before the end of 1945 my old friend and schoolfellow, E James
Mountford, came to see me. Jim, who died two years ago after some valuable work
as founder chairman both of the new Operatic Society and of the Redditch Arts Council,
had been interested in amateur drama since our schooldays, and he had been Sir
Anthony Absolute in “The Rivals”. Later we had both been in the drama section of the
County High School Old Students Association. Does anyone remember Jim as Churles
Ash in “The Farmer`s Wife?”.

Anyway, now he had a project in view. It was time a local dramatic Society was
formed. Furthermore, the Council for the Encouragement of Music and Arts (“CEMA”),
had been sending theatrical companies round the country during the war; some of
them had played at the assembly hall of the new Abbey Industrial Hostel which the
ministry of works had put up in the Birmingham Road, to accommodate war workers.
Now, reconstituted as the Arts Council of Great Britain, it was going to continue and
expand this work.

Jim and I both saw that the Palace Theatre, a real theatre, though “tarnished” as the
dramatic critic of “The Times” was later to comment, was an ideal date for an
occasional visit from one of the national Arts Council`s companies. Jim had already
made tentative enquiries.

So it was that, when the Redditch Players held their inaugural meeting in the
Temperance Hall, now renamed the Kingfisher Hall, after H.M.S. Kingfisher, whom
Redditch had adopted in Warship Week, one of the speakers was Alan Robinson. Now,
Alan Robinson, whom both Jim and I had seen on the stage at Birmingham Rep., was
now representing the Arts Council`s Midland Theatre Company who were based on the
College Theatre at Coventry. After playing each production for a week at Coventry,
they toured the West Midlands with it, a week here, three days there. Now that there
was some evidence of local interest, their third production, Bridie`s “The Anatomist”
was going to visit the Palace for three days in May 1946.

Redditch Operatic Society at the The Palace

nd
th
Monday to Saturday November 22 .to 27 .
Noel Coward`s “Private Lives” & Romberg`s “The Student Prince”
This favourite piece, with its well-loved and musically score, is the Operatic Society`s
choice for its first production at the restored Palace Theatre. Rehearsals are now in
hand every Tuesday at the Abbey Hall under Walter Wilson (musical director) and
Harold Masding (producer). Prospective new members are welcome, and the secre-
tary, Mrs. F. Masding (38 Grange Hill Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham 30; tel: 021 458
1709) will give any additional information.

In passing, it may be mentioned that a few weeks ago a large party of representatives
of interested societies were shown over the half-completed Palace, by Mr. E. G. Reddie,
of the Development Corporation, and others in charge of the work. They were very
impressed with the possibilities of the building, which has other, smaller accommoda-
tion capable of being used independently of the main auditorium. The flat floor which

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