Canterbury Stage by Stage - Can you help?

Over the past 20 centuries Canterbury's citizens and visitors have been entertained in more than 20 theatres. The first was built by Roman settlers nearly 2,000 years ago. The most recent was a converted Art Deco cinema - currently being rebuilt as The New Marlowe Theatre.

The city's theatrical heritage is currently being researched by KAS member Paul Tritton and David Manners, who hope to publish a book on the subject, entitled Canterbury Stage by Stage, to celebrate the opening of The New Marlowe in September 2011.

David has built up a history of 24 purpose-built theatres and many public halls where plays and musical productions were performed, and has acquired for publication nearly 200 photographs and other illustrations dating back more than 100 years.

Paul is now helping David to research amateur dramatic and operatic society shows held in the early 20th century, and professional productions at the first Marlowe Theatre, formerly a cinema, in St Margaret's Street, which became Canterbury's first civic theatre in 1951.

“We would like to hear from anyone who has old photographs, playbills, tickets or programmes,” said Paul, “and to talk to people who worked at the Marlowe from the 1950s until 1982, and knew members of its repertory company, the Marlowe Players.”

David Manners can be contacted on 01227 364342 or dmanners@btinternet.com and Tritton on 01622 741198 or email paul.tritton@btinternet.com.

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