History
The theatre opened on Perth High Street in 1900 and was planned to seat 950 in the auditorium, with pit, two balconies and boxes. It was created by the Perth Theatre & Opera House Co Ltd and designed by Dundee`s City Architect, William Alexander. It is similar in style and layout to his design of Her Majesty`s Theatre, Dundee, but on a smaller scale. The foundation stone was laid in 1899 by actor George Alexander. The founding lessee was JH Savile, who owned Paisley Theatre, and in 1909 bought the Perth theatre outright. The Savile family continued to run the theatre until 1935, staging drama, opera, musicals, pantomime, revues and variety. JH Savile also founded his own Repertory Companies in Paisley and Perth which at their height produced 40 plays a year.
On 28 April 1924, fire (caused by a live cigarette end) destroyed the upper sections of the theatre (the Dress circle and Upper Circle were completely gutted, as was the flooring of the Gallery). The first person to spot the fire was a Mr. Halvor Boyd of 181 High Street who raised the alarm. At the same time, George Cushnie a well-known local footballer passing by saw the flames and ran to the Fire Station to call out the Brigade. The subsequent performances (The Yellow Ticket with R. Gill-McLeay and Peggy Taber was playing at the time) were transferred to the Perth City Hall. The fire most likely caused by a cigarette caused around £5000 worth of damage. Saville nearly died in the fire trying to rescue papers from his office. The theatre was restored and reopened on September 22, 1924. It reopened with a classic performance of When Knights Were Bold starring Bromley Challoner and Enid Cooper. The fire had affected Saville’s health and he passed away in his sleep at Bournemouth Hydro on Wednesday 19 July 1924, aged 67. His health had been failing for the last three years but had been compounded by the partial destruction of his beloved theatre in Perth. His wife and daughter Winifred took over the theatre, the former as proprietor and the latter as manager. Winifred ran the theatre until 1935 when she put it up for sale and retired to Torquay. Despite lucrative offers, she was determined to hold out until a suitable theatrical owner was found. It re-opened as a theatre on 23 September 1935. In 1935 Perth Theatre was sold to a new company created in London, the Perth Repertory Theatre Ltd., by Ernest Dence in support of his actress daughter Marjorie Dence, who succeeded as owner in 1937 on his death. Marjorie Dence and actor David Steuart co-founded their new venture, the Perth Repertory Company, whose annual and highly acclaimed work covered nine months of repertory in and around Perth with three months of touring of the Highlands & Islands, to the Northern Isles, and to the lowland towns of the Borders. In the first year alone 51 plays were produced. Perth Theatre hosted the first Scottish Theatre Festival in 1939 and again in 1945. The founders added a second repertory company from 1946 to 1958, which alternated with Perth, ensuring repertory at Kirkcaldy, mainly in its Adam Smith Hall. Perth Repertory continued throughout the war and thrived until Miss Dence`s passing in 1966. In her will Dence gave first option to buy the theatre to the Scottish Committee of the Arts Council, which did so and transferred it to Perth City Council. Joan Knight was appointed as Artistic Director in 1968, continuing the repertory company and mentoring performers and would-be-directors. During her 26 year tenure at Perth Theatre, she oversaw a major rebuilding programme in 1981 and 1985, adding a restaurant, studio theatre, rehearsal room, more dressing rooms and a workshop facility. In 2005 Perth Theatre's sister venue, Perth Concert Hall, was launched under the direction of the Jane Speirs, first CEO of Horsecross Arts. She also began fundraising for the theatre`s restoration and major redevelopment for which Richard Murphy, architects, were appointed by the Council in 2008. |