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HISTORY 1935-1950

1935

 

Before World War II, Burgess Hill apparently had an amateur theatre group named the 'Burgess Hill Amateur Dramatic Society'. Very little is known of this society as in when it started and finished, who the members were or where the group rehearsed or performed.

 

However, we have been very lucky in securing (via club member Tony Hole) some information on a 1935 production called

'The Sport Of Kings', which commences our theatre club's history.

 

The following account is mostly provided courtesy of Charles Gover, recorded by Jim Wilson.

 

1949

 

Following the war, the re-birth of amateur dramatics in the town only comenced In 1949, when a Shakespeare reading group started to meet at Stirling House, Junction Road (the home of Mr and Mrs Douglas Strike and Mrs Strike’s sister Mrs Jo Brown) at which one play per fortnight was read. This continued through 1950 into 1951, and after an abortive attempt to get going on a production of “As You Like It”, Doug did put on “Twelfth Night” on the lawn of Stirling House to an invited audience (No production details available and not included in our list of productions), the parts being read, and the cast having large cards hanging from their necks to show which characters they portrayed.

 

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