Birmingham Repertory Theatre programmes

Bound volume comprising 12 theatre programmes for performances held at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre between August 1933 and April 1934.

Volume includes programmes for the following productions: 'A Sleeping Clergyman', from 14 August 1933; 'Petticoat Influence', from 28 August 1933; 'The Brontës of Haworth Parsonage', from 16 September 1933; 'Cabbages and Kings', from 7 October 1933; 'The Rose without a Thorn', from 4 November 1933; 'The Moon in the Yellow River', from 25 November 1933; 'Toad of Toad Hall', from 21 December 1933; 'The Lake', from 20 January 1934; 'Mutiny', from 17 February 1934; 'Counsellor-at-Law', from 10 March 1934; 'Strange Orchestra', from 7 April 1934; 'Too Young to Marry', from 28 April 1934.

Volume carries book plate of Sir Emile Littler (1903-1985), born Emile Richeux, English theatrical impresario, producer and author. He was the younger brother of Prince Littler, also a theatrical manager.

Born in Ramsgate, Kent, Emile Littler served as assistant manager of a theatre in Southend-on-Sea in 1922, and then as assistant stage manager of Sir Barry Jackson's Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He worked in America between 1927 and 1931, before returning to England to become manager and licensee of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in September 1931.

Littler married the actress Cora Goffin in 1933 and had two daughters. Littler retired from producing in 1973, was knighted in 1974, and died at his home in Sussex in 1985.

Open, access to all registered researchers.

Gifted November 2017

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material

The Special Collections Department holds other personal and artificial collections of theatre playbills, programmes, newscuttings and associated materials. These smaller collections, which were formerly incorporated into the Theatre Collection, include the following:

Theatre Collection, MS38;
Heron-Allen album of playbills, MS107;
Colyer-Fergusson albums, MS108;
The Williams Theatre collection, MS109;
Volume of playbills, MS110;
Album of programmes, MS111;
Louis Cohen Collection, MS112;
The Kemp album, MS113;
Volume of Shakespearian souvenirs and programmes, MS114;
Album of presscuttings, photographs and theatre programmes, MS808;
Theatre programmes, MS897;
Birmingham Repertory Theatre programmes, MS934,
Theatre programmes collected by Andrew Leigh, MS937;
Collection of miscellaneous theatre programmes, playbills, and related items, MS939;
Regional theatre programmes: artificial collection, MS991;
Theatre programmes and ephemera, MS1016;
Theatre programmes, MS1035;
Scrapbook for the 1912 production of 'Twelfth Night', MS1058;
Ephemera relating to Victoria Wood, MS1061;
Theatre programme of 1912 production of 'Twelfth Night', MS1062.