Blackburn Drama Club
HISTORY
A Brief History
Blackburn Drama club was founded in 1944 and is now in its 64th season.
In January 1944, at a time when war had brought stagnation to Blackburn’s amateur dramatic activity, a group of ten enthusiasts decided it was time to switch on the spotlights again. These Founder Members, led by Bill Martin and Alice Stirrup, included George Gray, Eve Barnes, Molly Toppins and Alice Leaver.
After only three weeks of their first meeting the Drama Club made its debut with a five-strong cast at the YMCA Hall in a production of “Gaslight.” The YMCA Hall became the home of the club for many years, although the Community Theatre in Troy Street was also a venue for several successful productions.
In 1958, members realised that redevelopment would make them homeless, and began looking for premises of their own, resulting in the purchase of 163, Preston New Road in 1962 at a cost of £900.
In November 1964 fire destroyed the stage, lighting equipment and scenery only three weeks before the staging of “Trespass.” Dr. Rose, the principal of the Technical College, offered the club the use of the College Theatre and this became the main venue for the Drama Club putting on over 140 plays there until 2002.
In May 1993, on the eve of Blackburn Drama Club’s 50th Anniversary, an arsonist set fire to the clubhouse at Preston New Road causing £10,000 worth of damage. Fire fighters stopped the fire from spreading, but not before hundreds of different costumes were lost, some of them dating back to the 1880s. The cost of restoring the headquarters was too expensive and in February 1994 the club moved to the Polish Club on Shear Bank Road.
Blackburn Drama Club marked its 50th anniversary with a celebration dinner at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel on the 19th February 1994. Five guest speakers, Tom Kinder, Bill Shaw, David Proctor, Isobel Barratt and Steven Derbyshire recounted anecdotes spanning the club’s fifty years.
Blackburn College Theatre was refurbished in 1994 with new tiered seating, high tech lighting and a sound system.
In 1998 the club heard that the Polish Club was being put up for sale and once again it was time to look for a new home. Scenery and props were moved to the back of Acme Hire’s, King Street, premises, and in 2000 a room was rented at The District and Union Club for rehearsals. This remained the club’s temporary home until 2001 when the club purchased part of the upper floor at the Capita Performing Arts Centre, Aquduct Road, Ewood, with the profit it made from selling the clubhouse on Preston New Road.
Four productions were successfully performed at The Library Theatre in Darwen until the opening of the new Thwaites Theatre. The new theatre was finally opened in November 2002 and the first Drama Club production to be presented at The Thwaites Empire Theatre was “Bouncers”, followed by “Brassed Off”,which featured the Haslingdon and Helmshore Brass Band. This production brought in audiences of a thousand, a figure unheard of since the Sixties!
The Drama Club hope they may continue to have many successful years at The Thwaites Empire Theatre.
Sixty Four Years of Productions
During the last sixty years the club has put on more than 230 productions. The very first production took place in February of 1944.
1944
Gaslight
The Torch Bearers
Ghosts
1944-45
Robert’s Wife
When We Are Married
The Silver Cord
Tobias and the Angel
1945-46
Star in Eclipse
Candida
The Two Mrs Carrolls
1946-47
While the Sun shines
The Little
Foxes
Watch on the Rhine
1947-48
The Women
Rope
The Light of Heart
See How They Run
The Ranks of Tuscany
Dance of Atonement
1948-49
The Skin game
Time and the Conways
Duet for Two Hands
The Father
Miranda
Made in Heaven
They Walk Alone
The Lady from Edinburgh
Twentieth Century Lullaby
A Marriage Has Been Disarranged
The Voe is Blue
1950-51
The Chiltern Hundreds
Message for Margaret
The Sacred Flame
The Cure for Love
1951-52
Little Lambs Eat Ivy
Mrs Moonlight
Rain on the Just
By Candle Light
Ladies in Retirement
1953-54
Don’t Listen Ladies
Laura
Ring Round the Moon
Too Clever for Love
Corinth House
1954-55
Love in Idleness
Dark Summer
Relative Values
Love’s a Luxury
1955-56
Affairs of State
Waters of the Moon
The Noble Spaniard
The Gift
1955-57
The Happy Marriage
A Question of Fact
Someone Waiting
The Happy Prisoner
1957-58
The Whole Truth
Book of the Month
All for Mary
Uncertain Joy
1958-59
Heaven and Charing Cross
Dear Charles
Rose Without a Thorn
Sailor Beware
1959-60
Treasure Hunt
The Secret Tent
Red Letter Day
Wind of Heaven
1960-61
Running Riot
The Man Upstairs
The Witch
Nude with Violin
1961-62
My Flesh, My Blood
Break Out
Mary Stuart
Wolf’s Clothing
1962-63
My Three Angels
Flowering Cherry
The Innocents
Roar Like a Dove
1963-64
The Amorous Prawn
The Return
Blithe Spirit
Billy Liar
1964-65
Dear Delinquent
Trespass
Trial and Error
Rape of the Belt
1965-66
Semi-Detached
The Lark
Doctor in the House
Rebecca
1966-67
The Wooden Dish
Present Laughter
Trap for a Lonely Man
1967-68
Dock Brief and Resounding Tinkle
Simon and Laura
The Heiress
All in Good Time
1968-69
Barefoot in the Park
Double Image
The Chalk Garden
The Love Match
1969-70
This Was a Woman
Love and Kisses
The House on the Cliff
Hindle Wakes
1970-71
Shadow in the Sun
Relatively Speaking
The Match Maker
Make Me a Widow
1971-72
All Things Bright and beautiful
Settled Out of Court
Let’s All Go Down the Strand
The Diary of Anne Frank
1972-73
Wild Goose Chase
Who Killed Santa Claus?
Hobson’s Choice
The Anniversary
1973-74
Johnny Belinda
Wait Until Dark
Celebration
1974-75
How the Other Half Loves
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
A Policy of Love
1975-76
Love on the Dole
Persons Unknown
The Price
1976-77
Ann Veronica
Accolade
Move Over. Mrs Markham
Dangerous Corner
1977-78
The Crucible
Woman in a Dressing Gown
The Killing of Sister George
1978-79
Murder with Love
Zack
Rookery Nook
Separate Tables
1979-80
Come Blow Your Horn
Murder at the Vicarage
I’m Talking About Jerusalem
1980-81
Oh, What a Lovely War
The Farm
Bedroom Farce
Pygmalion
1981 -82
The Winslow Boy
Death on the Nile
Shut Your Eyes and Think of England
Saturday Night at the Crown
1982-83
Cat Among the Pigeons
Bell, Book and Candle
Murder Mistaken
1983-84
Accrington Pals
The Happiest of the Three
Say Goodnight to Grandma
Outside Edge
1984-85
Therese
1985-86
Table Manners
Music Hall
Born in the Gardens
Spring and Port Wine
1986-87
The Shop at Sly Corner
Season’s Greetings
Bonny Brid
1987-88
An Inspector Calls
Move Over, Mrs. Markham
1988-89
Fur Coat and No Knickers
The Death of a Salesman
1989-90
The Glass Menagerie
The Day After the Fair
1990-91
Hay Fever
A Christmas Carol
Blood Brothers
1991-92
A Doll’s House
Noises Off
Abigail’s Party
1992-93
Beyond Reasonable Doubt
1993-94
Breezeblock Park
The Importance of Being Earnest
1994-95
Charlie’s Aunt
A Taste of Honey
Habeas Corpus
1995-96
The Lion in Winter
Happy Families
Pack of Lies
1996-97
Racing Demon
They Came From Mars…
1997-98
Touch and Go
Present From the Past
Who’s Life Is It Anyway?
1998-99
Confusions
Passion Killers
1999-2000
House Guest
Shakers
Journey’s End
2000-2001
Bouncers
Wildest Dreams
2001-02
Herbal Bed
Cash on Delivery
The Memory of Water
2002-03
Sense and Sensibility
Brassed Off
2003-04
Trivial Pursuits
A Man for All Seasons
An Evening with Gary Linekar
Night Must Fall
2004-05
Playhouse Creatures
Caught in the Net
Two Planks and a Passion
Beyond a Joke
2005-2006
Black Comedy
Brimstone and Treacle
Chorus of Disapproval
2006-2007
Neville's Island
Hobson's Choice
A Dicken's of a Christmas
Shakespeare in Shorts
Trivia
Daniel Hunt is the youngest actor to appear with the Drama Club. He was just four years old when he played Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol”.
Tom Kinder was the longest serving member of the Drama Club. His first appearance for the club was in 1946. His last appearance was in 1992 in “Noises Off” and he later directed “Abigail’s Party” at The King George’s Hall.
The largest audience ever recorded was for the first production of J. B. Priestley’s “When We Are Married.”
The smallest audience was for a double bill, “The Resounding Tinkle” and “Dock Brief.”
In order to obtain good seats for performances on the first day of public booking a queue used to form outside Webster’s Coffee Shop on Northgate before 8.30 am.
When the Drama Club first had concessions for Senior citizens there were queues of fifty to sixty people at The College Theatre waiting for the booking plan to arrive.
The National Anthem was last played before the start of a production in 1994.
Embarrassing props, an inflatable doll and a vibrator, were required for “Fur Coat and no Knickers” and “Breezeblock Park.” These props have mysteriously gone missing!
The “F” word was first uttered in a Blackburn Drama Club production of “Noises Off” in 1992 after much debate by the Drama Club Committee. Eight years later it was peppered throughout the script of “Bouncers” and no objections were raised.
Geoff Eccles has appeared in just three plays in his forty year career at the Drama Club, but has yet to say a word
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The Booking Office Thwaites Empire Theatre: 01254 680137. Charity Reg. No. 1060402
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