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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/
Plymouth History e-Magazine recommends... Share the joy of knowledge by buying one of these fantastic titles from your local Plymouth authors! From Laura Quigley - available at all good retailers in paperback and e-book formats. Bloody British History:Plymouth “Brilliant!” “All killer – no filler” The Devil Comes to Dartmoor “Another great book by Laura Quigley” “I love it” (Amazon reviews) www.thehistorypress.co.uk Bloody British History:Plymouth Plymouth has one of the darkest and most dreadful histories on record. Beginning with the discovery of the bones of cave men nearby and rushing through French attacks, Breton raiders, outbreaks of leprosy and the plague, Civil War sieges and the Spanish Armada, dreadful murders, savage deeds and all the way through to the dire consequences of the Nazi attacks during the Blitz, this book is a gripping, terrifying, disgusting and glorious insight into the life and times of Plymouth throughout the ages. WARNING: Contains dreadful battles! Horrible accidents! Wicked pirates! Murderers, smugglers and malefactors galore! Heartless slavers, Victorian sinners, and historical legends such as Pocahontas and Sir Francis Drake! Do not read alone at night! The Devil Comes to Dartmoor Many will have heard of the ghostly white lady haunting Tavistock - the notorious Mary Howard, accused of murdering her four husbands. A few may know the true story of her lover, George Cutteford, the puritan lawyer who died illegally imprisoned in the horror of Lydford Gaol, persecuted by Mary's fourth husband - Sir Richard Grenville, the most notorious and sadistic royalist general in the Civil War. But fewer still will know the secrets George Cutteford died to protect - secrets that would destroy his own family; end Grenville's career in shame; and make a boy with no name the richest landowner in Devon. Gathered from the varying historical accounts, and with new primary matieral unearthed in an old fish market in London, comes this haunting true story of love, treachery and revenge in seventeenth-century Devon. 'Being Silent They Speak' by David J.B.Smith “ A stunning debut from an amateur researcher” (Family Tree Magazine review) “This is a well-written, well-researched book...” A very good read!!!” (Amazon reviews) Available in paperback and e-book editions from all good retailers For more information, visit: unbeatenblog.weebly.com Being Silent They Speak His Majesty’s Submarine Unbeaten was last heard from via a signal sent to Flag Officer Submarines on 1 November 1942. The signal simply stated: ‘Operation Bluestone completed’. After this date the 58-metre British U-Class submarine inexplicably disappeared. Unbeaten was fully operational for just over two years. During her short tenure she successfully returned to war-torn Malta many times, symbolically flying her Jolly Roger. Being Silent They Speak endeavours to highlight the varied triumphs, tragedies, events and sacrifices of submarine life during World War II. This meticulously researched true story follows Unbeaten through her build at Vickers of Barrow, her war deployment to Malta and back, and then on to the submarine’s final departure from Holy Loch. The crew of Unbeaten were the last to see the legendary British submarine HMS/M Upholder before her Commanding Officer Lt. David Wanklyn VC and his indomitable crew also disappeared forever. Several submarines have had books written about them. Unbeaten’s activities were no less daring than those of Upholder or any other submarine taking part in World War II. Exactly 70 years on, this compelling and revealing book encompasses all of Unbeaten’s war patrols and expands on her final clandestine tasking in November 1942. The account of this secret operation, concludes with an extreme twist of fate, which could leave the final chapter open forever and the last crew of Unbeaten still on patrol.
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Page 5 and 6: About the author Having earned a Fi
Page 7 and 8: Two Theatres A theatre was opened i
Page 9: Mr J. R. Newcombe from Bath made a
Page 13 and 14: Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse:
Page 15 and 16: Women, as well as the unemployed an
Page 17 and 18: The prospect of a town extension be
Page 19 and 20: Prostitution was endemic in the dis
Page 21 and 22: As he left the court, Bob declared
Page 23 and 24: The SHIPS Project:Shipwrecks and Hi
Page 25 and 26: There follows Dr Spry's full report
Page 27: At present I have a dog with lead i
Page 30 and 31: Empire in your backyard www.british
Page 32 and 33: World War Two saw the aerial war br
Page 34 and 35: This Nicholas Condy painting shows
Page 36 and 37: ● Plymouth in the great war As we
Page 38 and 39: THE WAR IN PLYMOUTH In April 2013 w
Page 40 and 41: Recommended, Uniquely Plymouth! Ply
Page 42 and 43: MUTINY! The story of HMS Jackal in
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