Keighley Little Theatre’s production of ‘A Message for Margaret’, by James Parish, was staged from Tuesday 6th November to Saturday 10th November 1951. It starred Pamela FitzJohn, Frederic W. Pye, Muriel Beatham and Peter Walton, and was produced by Ken Everett. At this point the President of the Theatre Group was Keighley Mayor, Councillor David C. Hudson.
Keighley Little Theatre was formed in June 1947 when Frederic W. Pye got together with seven like-minded people in a house in Oakworth and discussed the viability of forming a small amateur company to stage plays. The Theatre Group included Doreen Mary Hillary (known as Mary) who acted and was involved in productions for over three decades, and Eric B. Broster, who went on to direct many of their plays including the 100th production, ‘Celebration’ by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, in March 1963. The first play produced was ‘When We Are Married’ by Bradford-born playwright J. B. Priestley (1894-1984), which was staged in January 1948. Pye directed, starred in, and costume designed this first production. The Theatre Group repeated ‘When We Are Married’ several times including in 1950 and as recently as 2014.
In the early months of 1949, the Theatre Group was offered the lease on the premises in Devonshire Street that became home to the amateur theatre company. Those premises were Devonshire Hall, originally part of the Liberal Club on Scott Street, which had been erected at the very end of the nineteenth century. Devonshire Hall had been used for lectures, functions, dances and so on (and continued to be for hire through Keighley Little Theatre). Having been looking for a permanent home, the lease was taken up. A stage and proscenium had to be built with an appropriate new lighting rig. The first production at Devonshire Hall was ‘Ladies in Retirement’ by Edward Percy and Reginald Denham, staged in September 1949 and directed by Eric B. Broster. The theatre remains the home of the Theatre Group to this day.
1951 was a busy year for the Theatre Group. It marked the Festival of Britain, and alongside producing six plays in Devonshire Hall, they also put on two plays as part of the Bronte Festival, performed in Haworth Church School. In 1969, Keighley Little Theatre re-branded as Keighley Playhouse and continues to put on amateur productions to this day.
Researched by Tim Neal. The original programme was donated by Tim in 2020. The photograph of Keighley Playhouse was taken by Tim in 2022. The portrait of Frederic W. Pye was taken by Keighley-based professional photographer N. K. Howarth in 1953.
