The Watermans, as its programming is structured at the moment, is not what I was thinking of. That is more a general purpose arts centre with mainly Asian programming in the theatre. I was thinking of a theatre which provides cutting edge new theatre as well as revived classics targetted for that type of Fringe Theatre audience.The Bush Theatre and the Orange Tree are good models.It would be good if we could introduce into Brentford once again a theatre as good as the Q Theatre (1924-1956). "It stood opposite Kew Bridge Station on the site of what is now the block of flats called Rivers House. The theatre was converted from the Prince's Hall, which at various times had been a swimming pool, roller-skating rink and finally a film studio. The Q Theatre was opened in 1924 by Jack and Beatrice de Leon. She was an aspiring actress who settled instead for a career in theatrical management; he a solicitor who became a talented playwright and director. Due to the de Leons' astute management, the Q became one of the most important of London's small theatres (it could seat 490 peple), staging many plays that went on to become West End hits. The first works of aspiring playwrights such as Terence Rattigan and William Douglas Home were performed at the Q, and such luminaries as Vivien Leigh, Dirk Bogarde, Joan Collins, Anthony Quayle and Margaret Lockwood trod the boards here first. In the 1950s the Q Theatre fell on hard times: television was coming in, Jack de Leon died and the theatre needed major repairs. It closed in 1956."I found this programme of plays for its 1955-56 season, just note the array of famous actors:1955-56 (Mch-Feb): "Q" THEATRE 1956-57 SEASON of 30 New Plays ("Q" Theatre, Kew)The complete 1955-56 season of thirty new plays, presented at the "Q" Theatre by Jack de Leon; the plays were each presented for a week, in a season that ran from March to June 1955, and from October 1955 to February 1956: THE DASHING WHITE SERGEANT - Charles Campbell Gairdner & Rosamunde Pilcher (w.Lally Bowers, Terence Alexander; dir:Herbert Wise), WHIRLIGIG - Ernest Vajda & Clement Scott Gilbert (w.Olga Lowe; dir:Robert Mitchell), THE LONG WALK TO CHINA - Ruth Dixon (w.Harry Landis; dir:Stephen Joseph), LUCKY STRIKE - Michael Brett (w.Ambrosine Phillpotts, Arthur Lovegrove; dir:Jack Minster), THE BREATH OF FOOLS - Peter Graham Scott (w.Nigel Davenport, Ann Stephens, Lally Bowers; dir:Dennis Arundell), BY KIND PERMISSION - Ronald Pryce (w.Donald Pickering, Ronald Barker; dir:Frank Shelley), THE THURSDAY HABIT- Hugh Forbes (w.John Bennett, Lloyd Lamble; dir:Geoffrey Wardwell), ACT OF MADNESS - John Wiles (w.Michael Gough, John Stratton; dir:Pierre Rouve), THE NEW ROMANS - Harold Stansbury (w.Arthur Lowe, Donald Layne-Smith, John Bennett, Nanette Newman; dir:Robert Henderson), THE SECRET TENT - Elizabeth Addyman (w.Terence Alexander, Freda Gaye; dir:Ewan Roberts), IDENTITY UNKNOWN - David Crosse (w.Hugh Latimer, Jane Hylton; dir:Robert Henderson), Summer Break, MOONSHINE - J.A.Saunders (w.Sylvia Coleridge, Douglas Wilmer, Brian Oulton, George Coulouris; dir:Hugh Cruttwell), THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE - Dorothy Bromley (w.Vivian Matalon, Charles Hawtrey, Anthony Quinn; dir:Robert Henderson), SUMMER SERENADE - Frank Shelley (w.Gerald Harper, Philip Locke; dir:Frank Shelley), THE MOON IS BLUE - F.Hugh Herbert (w.Barry Foster, James Ormerod; dir:Frank Leighton), WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION - Agatha Christie (w.Ronald Wood, Sean Connery, John Healey; dir:Robert Henderson), BOTH ENDS MEET - Arthur MacRae (w.Frederick Keen, Pat Sandys, Donald Churchill; dir:Frederick Farley), POINT OF DEPARTURE - Jean Anouilh (w.Ian Bannen, Sean Connery, John Healey; dir:Frederick Farley), THE HAWTHORN TREE - Margaret Gibbs (w.Rachel Kempson, Brian Worth; dir:William Gaskill), CALL ME A GONDOLA - Martin Flavin (w.Jean Kent, John Carol, Ewan Roberts, John Healey; dir:Dennis Arundell), SIMON AND LAURA - Alan Melville (w.John Trevor, Llewellyn Rees, Henry McGee; dir:Frederick Farley), A WITCH IN TIME - Dolph Norman (w.Ellen Pollock, Sean Connery; dir:Robert Henderson), SABRINA FAIR- Samuel Taylor (w.Geoffrey Palmer, Freda Gaye; dir:Anthony Knowles), START FROM SCRATCH - Joseph Carole (w.Bobby Howes, Glyn Dearman, Helen Christie; dir:Robert Henderson), ALL FOR MARY - Harold Brooke & Kay Bannerman (w.Joan Newell, Ronald Wood; dir:Roy Healy), THY NAME IS WOMAN - Ellinor Markham (w.Margaret Diamond, Henry McGee, John Healey; dir:Frederick Farley), FEAR IN THE NIGHT - Lena & Maxwell Roberts (w.Kathleen Byron; dir:Peter Zadek), YOU, MY GUESTS! - Arnold Ridley (w.Nigel Davenport, Arnold Ridley; dir:Frederick Farley), THE END BEGINS - Ray & Jean Rigby (w.Margaret Tyzak, Oliver Burt; dir:Abraham Asseo), WHO CARES? - Leo Lehman (w.Stephen Murray; dir:Peter Zadek - Last Production) Another interesting point is that I think St Lawrence Church has a restricted use on it for any developers as a theatre. Maybe that would make a good home for such a theatre?
Duncan Walker ● 6688d