Newport Playgoers' Society Records,

Records of the Newport Playgoers' Society relating to the Society’s activities and comprising mainly volumes including programmes, typed notes and press cuttings relating to various meetings (including some minutes), readings, plays, one act plays, productions, lectures and broadcasting plays; various pamphlets relating to visits and special events; together with some statements of accounts and papers relating to the plan to build a new theatre for the Company.

Newport Playgoers’ Society was established in 1924 with the intention of unifying amateur dramatic work in Newport. Most of the Society’s early work comprised play readings but in 1925 they performed an open-air production of ‘As You Like It’. Following this, in 1926, the Society gave its first public performance at the Lyceum Theatre. Gradually readings came to be replaced by full scale productions. Due to the increase in membership, in 1927 the Society moved from its first home at the [Central Y.M.C.A.] to the Nathan Harries Memorial Hall, then in 1933 it moved again to the Park Hall. After a while work began on establishing a permanent theatre for the society. A building was acquired – St James’ Church - and altered, and The Little Theatre was opened in January 1937. Membership continued to rise up until the War. The War, however, curtailed the Society’s work and reduced the number of productions and membership. Following the War, membership numbers rose again reaching 3,000 by 1949. The Newport Little Theatre was demolished during the re-development of Newport Town Centre and a new purpose built theatre, the Dolman Theatre, was built for the Newport Playgoers’ Society in 1967. The Society continues to own and run the Dolman Theatre.

Arranged at NLW into seven files: Newport Playgoers' Society pamphlets and six volumes 1925-1936 arranged chronologically.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions set out in information provided when applying for their Readers' Tickets, whereby the reader shall become responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 in relation to any processing by them of personal data obtained from modern records held at the Library.

Mrs C. A. Kyrle Fletcher; London; Donation; October 1978; 1979017.

Newport Playgoers’ Society was established in 1924 with the intention of unifying amateur dramatic work in Newport. Most of the Society’s early work comprised play readings but in 1925 they performed an open-air production of ‘As You Like It’. Following this, in 1926, the Society gave its first public performance at the Lyceum Theatre. Gradually readings came to be replaced by full scale productions. Due to the increase in membership, in 1927 the Society moved from its first home at the [Central Y.M.C.A.] to the Nathan Harries Memorial Hall, then in 1933 it moved again to the Park Hall. After a while work began on establishing a permanent theatre for the society. A building was acquired – St James’ Church - and altered, and The Little Theatre was opened in January 1937. Membership continued to rise up until the War. The War, however, curtailed the Society’s work and reduced the number of productions and membership. Following the War, membership numbers rose again reaching 3,000 by 1949. The Newport Little Theatre was demolished during the re-development of Newport Town Centre and a new purpose built theatre, the Dolman Theatre, was built for the Newport Playgoers’ Society in 1967. The Society continues to own and run the Dolman Theatre.

Title supplied from contents of fonds.

January 2013.

Compiled by Emma Towner. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Newport Playgoers' Society Records /1, Newport Playgoers' Society blog (http://newportplaygoers.wordpress.com/about-newport-playgoers) and Theatres Online website (http://www.theatresonline.com), viewed 24 January 2013;

Usual copyright laws apply.

Action: All records donated to the National Library of Wales have been retained..

Additions are not expected.

A scrapbook relating to the Newport Playgoers' Little Theatre, 1924-1970, is to be found in NLW, D. R. Davies Collection of Drama Scrap Books.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales