Page 17 - Palace Memories Gerald Jervis

Palace Theatre Memories Redditch Heritage

Good Times and Bad Times

Audiences fell off rather for the Midland Theatre Company`s 1949-50 season, possibly
owing to the choice of plays (no one really understood “The Linden Tree”, for example),
and that was their last season in Redditch. They were immediately followed by a
weekly rep. Company managed by Keith Salberg. Keith, a member of the famous
theatrical family, son of Reginald, of Wolverhampton Grand Theatre and nephew of
Derek, of the “Alex”, is now a busy theatrical agent specialising in “Old Time Music Hall”
bills, but at this time he was a very young man, finding his feet in the theatre.

The company included Frank Pemberton, later “Frank Barlow”, of “Coronation Street”
and Ronald Baddiley and his wife, Noreen Richards, who, while they were here, found
a spare-time niche in “The Archers”. They carried on until the end of 1950, and in the
New Year Mr. And Mrs. Leuty made a last gamble. Up till then they had carried only
the financial risk of the theatre itself, while a separate management sponsored the
company appearing. From now on, they were going to sponsor the company as well.

Ronald Baddiley and Noreen Richards remained from the previous company and
Geoffrey Kendall, Laura Liddell and their daughter took part, as well. The Baddilys
went after a month or two, but the Kendalls stayed on to the bitter end. Speaking as
one who never missed a single week, I should say that the general output was above
average. I am probably prejudiced, admittedly, but I remember Mrs. Leuty telling me
that the increase in the week`s audience by the equivalent of an extra Saturday
night`s attendance would have made all the difference.

There was one period when the company did a series of old-time stock plays: “Maria
Marten”, “Sweeny Todd”, and so on; legitimately, I think, since the education of a
play-goer who has never seen “East Lynne” and has been as neglected as his general
education would have been if he had never heard the story of “Cinderella”. In these
efforts, the company benefited from the practical assistance of the late Jack Dillon, of
Bates Hill, who had played in them all in his father`s canvas “fit up” in the old days.

In April Miss Downing lent them a few dancers, and they did “A Midsummer Night`s
Dream”, in honour of Shakespeare`s birthday. At the school matinees, Geoffrey and
Laura decided to give their three year old daughter, Felicity (or Foo) her first stage
experience by having her led on as the “Little Indian Boy”. By chance I called at the
theatre just in time for Mrs. Leuty to invite me in to see her very first appearance in
this role. You could certainly see she was an actress, even then, and when a few weeks
ago, I called in to see Felicity Kendal in her dressing room at the Globe Theatre,
Shaftsbury Avenue, where she is now appearing as Alan Badel`s leading lady, in
”Kean”, I was able to describe the occasion to this charming and successful young lady,
who looks like her mother.

They did another Shakespeare play in December,”Macbeth”. I have described previ-
ously in these columns my own contribution to this as a torch-carrier and Second
Murderer. The next week they did quite a good shot at “A Streetcar Named Desire”,
and that was that.

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