GOOD REVIEW IS NO SHAW THING; Playhouse archives unearthed.Byline: JOE RILEY Arts Editor A STINGING put-down to Liverpool's leading theatre by Britain's top playwright is revealed today. It happened exactly 70 years ago, as Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. Although a concert room had existed on the site since approximately 1844, the Grade II* listed theatre seen today was built in 1866, when it was the Star Music Hall. celebrated its 21st birthday. The retort came from George Bernard Shaw, then the UK's leading theatre critic and author of Pygmalion, the play which inspired the musical My Fair Lady. The famous writer had been asked to send a greeting to mark the coming of age of Britain's senior repertory company repertory company n. A company that presents and performs a number of different plays or other works during a season, usually in alternation. repertory company Noun . But when the reply came, it wasn't what Playhouse boss William Armstrong William Armstrong may be any of several notable persons:
``William, you err,'' wrote Shaw. ``Managers love messages and telegrams announced from the stage ``It is their only chance of an appearance. But audiences loathe them, so I didn't send one.'' There was however, praise for Armstrong's pioneering work from the late Sir Michael Redgrave. Britain's leading theatre man of the 40s and 50s, who met his actress wife Rachel Kempson Rachel Kempson, Lady Redgrave (28 May, 1910 – 24 May, 2003) was an English actress. She was the wife of Sir Michael Redgrave; daughter-in-law of Roy Redgrave and Margaret Scudamore; mother of Vanessa, Lynn and Corin Redgrave; and grandmother of Natasha and Joely working at the Playhouse said: ``I believe that more of the best actors and actresses learned their job in Williamson Square than in any other part of the country.'' The Playhouse's early roll of honour roll of honour Noun a list of those who have died in war for their country included Robert Donat, who won an Oscar for his screen version of Goodbye Mr Chips, as well as Rex Harrison - the future star of My Fair Lady - and Grace Wyndham Goldie. Bernard Shaw had written a play for the Liverpool theatre, as had Bradford-born J. B. Priestley. There had also been premieres by Somerset Maugham, John Galsworthy and Aldous Huxley. Letters, photographs and programmes from the Playhouse's pre-war heydey as the leading producing theatre outside London, are contained in four volumes of memorabilia revealed for the first time. They have been presented to the Playhouse by the writer Sue Westoby, from Abersoch. She inherited the papers, originally discovered in a basement in Kensington, Liverpool. She said: ``I think the Playhouse is the right place for these documents, rather than locked in a cupboard.'' Playhouse chief Jo Beddoe said: ``This is a fantastic addition to our archive. ``It's always interesting to be reminded of the unique value of the Playhouse's history.'' CAPTION(S): ON STAGE: A picture of a 1935 Playhouse production; ARCHIVES: Jo Beddoe and Sue Westoby |
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