Perth Theatre; 1900- Activity The foundation stone of Perth Theatre and Opera House was laid in 1899 and the theatre was opened the following year and run by J. H. Saville. Saville died in 1924, and the management of the theatre was transferred to his daughter, Winifred Saville. In 1935 the theatre was sold to Ernest Dence, father of Marjorie Dence, for the sum of £400. Marjorie Dence (d. 1966) and her business partner, David Steuart (1906-1992), promised to introduce a wider variety of productions and the theatre was re-opened in 1935 as a repertory theatre. In 1937, after the death of her father Marjorie Dence, became the sole proprietor of the theatre. 1938 saw the Company’s first command performance at Balmoral Castle, where they staged ‘The Fourth Wall’ by A. A. Milne in the presence of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. In 1941 Perth Theatre Company embarked upon its first tour of the rural Highlands. A second theatre was set up by Marjorie Dence at the Adam Smith Hall, Kirkcaldy, in 1946, and this marked the beginning of a twelve year association. 1959 saw the founding of the Perth Theatre Club. Marjorie Dence died in 1966 and the theatre building was left to the Scottish Arts Council. They in turn sold the theatre to Perth town council for a nominal sum. The actor Iain Cuthbertson (b. 1930) took up the newly-created post of theatre director in 1967 but left in 1968. Joan Knight (1924-1996) who had been at Perth Theatre fourteen years previously as a stage director, was appointed as artistic director in 1968. She retired in 1993 and was succeeded in turn by Andrew McKinnon, who held the post until 1996, and Michael Winter.Saturday 28 January 2012
History of Perth Theatre
Perth Theatre; 1900- Activity The foundation stone of Perth Theatre and Opera House was laid in 1899 and the theatre was opened the following year and run by J. H. Saville. Saville died in 1924, and the management of the theatre was transferred to his daughter, Winifred Saville. In 1935 the theatre was sold to Ernest Dence, father of Marjorie Dence, for the sum of £400. Marjorie Dence (d. 1966) and her business partner, David Steuart (1906-1992), promised to introduce a wider variety of productions and the theatre was re-opened in 1935 as a repertory theatre. In 1937, after the death of her father Marjorie Dence, became the sole proprietor of the theatre. 1938 saw the Company’s first command performance at Balmoral Castle, where they staged ‘The Fourth Wall’ by A. A. Milne in the presence of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. In 1941 Perth Theatre Company embarked upon its first tour of the rural Highlands. A second theatre was set up by Marjorie Dence at the Adam Smith Hall, Kirkcaldy, in 1946, and this marked the beginning of a twelve year association. 1959 saw the founding of the Perth Theatre Club. Marjorie Dence died in 1966 and the theatre building was left to the Scottish Arts Council. They in turn sold the theatre to Perth town council for a nominal sum. The actor Iain Cuthbertson (b. 1930) took up the newly-created post of theatre director in 1967 but left in 1968. Joan Knight (1924-1996) who had been at Perth Theatre fourteen years previously as a stage director, was appointed as artistic director in 1968. She retired in 1993 and was succeeded in turn by Andrew McKinnon, who held the post until 1996, and Michael Winter.