Plymouthhistory

The Palace had been opened just 7 months when fire broke out. There are
several versions of the story, but contemporary writer Henry Whitfield
describes a sketch involving a cannon and scraps of burning paper flying into
the wings. The audience was hurriedly evacuated but the fire curtain was not
lowered and the interior was engulfed in flames, destroying all the fabulous
artwork.
The Metropole
The Devonport Theatre closed in 1899, but the builder of the Grand Theatre had also built the
Empire Theatre in Devonport in 1893. This was redesigned and renamed the New Metropole
Theatre in 1896 when Mr F R Benson's Shakespearean and Old English Comedy Company were
expected to stage a different classic play every night. It was frantic, with amusing consequences
for the audience.
During their performance of MacBeth, an ageing actor ascending as an evil spirit suddenly crashed
to the stage and sat there disconcerted by the audience’s laughter. The following night this same
actor played Hecate which involved another lift from the stage and he demanded something more
secure. A roped platform was duly substituted but the actor allowed his foot to dangle off the edge.
Then he was too quickly lifted into the air. Instead of Hecate’s sage advice as he departed this
world, there was a crash and Hecate screaming “Oh my toe, my toe!”.
The following night, a poor lad playing a Captain had to wait until the Third Act for his cue to say
“Here comes the King!”. He kept nervously asking his fellow thespians ‘when’s it my turn to go on?’
He finally got his chance and walked onto the stage to stand there speechless. He’d forgotten his
line. He hurried off embarrassed then returned to giggles from the audience, to announce “Here
comes the King!”. No King. The trumpet played a fanfare. Still no King. Frantic whispers offstage.
“Where’s the bloody King?”. The Captain said his line again. The trumpet played the fanfare, and
five mortifying minutes later, a backstage battle ensued and the King was unceremoniously shoved
onto the stage, his costume just held up in front of him. The King had found out at the very last
minute that his robes didn’t fit.
The New Metropole soon became a movie theatre, the New Alhambra, and was then sadly
destroyed in the Plymouth Blitz of April 1941. The Palace stands empty and looking unloved,
though there is talk of renovations, but there is still plenty of theatre in Plymouth. The Plymouth
Theatre Company is still going strong after 114 years
http://www.plymouththeatrecompany.com/whatson.html
In 1962, the new Theatre Royal opened on the Royal Parade with Leonard Rossiter giving the
opening address and Gene Pitney heading the bill. It has just been refurbished and happily, even
in these difficult times, now seems to go from strength to strength.
References:
http://www.plymouthdata.info/Theatres.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_Royal,_Plymouth
Plymouth Municipal Records (Plymouth and West Devon Record Office)
Whitfield, Henry Francis (1900) Plymouth and Devonport in Times of War and Peace, E. Chapple.
Also see:
My article on the Plymouth Palace on the website for Our Place Our Base: http://news-opob.com/plymouth-palace/
Programmes and playbills from many of the shows are available online, beautifully displayed by Plymouth’s Library Services here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/plymouththeatrehistory/sets/72157603477561856/with/964625279/