Northern Region Film and Television Archive

A soundtrack of interviews and incidental noise accompanies this report.

This news feature opens with an interview to camera with David Wilmore, theatre historian, conservator and member of the Society for Theatre Research. Demolition of the Theatre Royal, Blyth, is in progress in the background. Shot of partly demolished theatre interior. Interview continues.

A wrecking ball hits the stucco façade of the Theatre Royal during demolition.

The Theatre Royal is reflected in pools of water in wasteland car park, panning up to the boarded-up theatre building on the corner of Trotter Street and Jefferson Street, Blyth, prior to demolition.

Interview with a former actress of the Theatre Royal takes place inside the vestibule of the closed theatre. Close-up of the actress as she recounts her experiences at the theatre. This is followed by an interior shot of the decorated theatre boxes in an upper circle of the theatre auditorium, and an exterior shot of a theatre façade. (?)

There are various overhead shots of groups of people playing bingo in the darkened interior of a theatre, with bingo caller on soundtrack, possibly at the Theatre Royal in Blyth.

The camera travels across a sepia-toned photographic still of Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, which features the Empire Palace Theatre of Varieties with billing sign for Winifred Ward.

Interview at home with former box office employee at the Theatre Royal, Blyth, “Miss Burton,” is intercut with an interview with former male employee (musician?) inside the Theatre Royal, Blyth. Both reminisce about their working lives at the theatre. The arts feature closes with photographic stills of the Theatre Royal Orchestra with instruments, a street concertina player outside the theatre, and queues at the theatre.

[Cataloguer's note: Arthur Stanley Jefferson, better known today as Stan Laurel, worked at the Theatre Royal, Blyth, as call-boy, then as a bit player, before heading to America in 1911. Stars that played at the theatre include Gracie Fields and Charlie Chaplin. Both Stan Laurel and Chaplin wprked for the theatre impresario Fred Karno.]