Photographs and other records of Valerie Stevens relating to student theatre at The University of Nottingham, 1960-1961

The collection comprises:

• Posters designed by Erica Mattingley for dramatic productions performed by the Dramatic Society and the Everyman Club. 1960-1961 (MS 321/1);
• Copy photographs made by The Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections from an album belonging to Valerie Stevens. The photographs depict casts and scenes from plays performed in the 1960s by the Dramatic Society, Everyman Club, and Nottingham Theatre Club (a non-student amateur dramatic club). c.1994 (MS 321/2);
• Photocopies of programmes for Dramatic Society and Everyman Club productions in the early 1960s. Originals of some of the programmes can be found amongst the papers of Anthony Burkett (Reference: BKT). c.1994 (MS 321/3);
• Photocopies of newspaper reviews for Dramatic Society and Everyman Club productions in the early 1960s. Originals of some of the cuttings can be found amongst the papers of Anthony Burkett (Reference: BKT). c.1994 (MS 321/4).

The University College Nottingham Dramatic Society (DramSoc) was formed in 1927 and performed its first play, A.A. Milne's 'Mr Pim passes by' in the following March. The society offered members an opportunity to read, discuss, produce and enact plays. The late 1950s and early 1960s were a golden age for the society. The production of 'Coriolanus' reached the finals of the National Student Drama Competition, and the 'Taming of the Shrew' enjoyed a week-long tour of Germany. The Society also took George Bernard Shaw's, 'St. Joan' to the outdoor Minack Theatre in Cornwall. DramSoc was disbanded in the 1980s.

Student theatre at the university continued in various forms, increasingly through the New Theatre on campus.

Nottingham's Everyman Club was formed in 1958 to encourage students and local people in the city, who were interested in theatre, to collaborate on productions. The club had some notable successes in the 1960s.

Valerie Stevens (n e Deans) was a student at The University of Nottingham and was clearly involved in student theatre as well as the Everyman Club. She appeared in a number of Dramatic Society productions, including 'The Crucible' in 1960.

The collection has been divided by document type into four series.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers by advance notice and agreement.

LANGUAGE: English

This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright on the description belongs to The University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishing to publish.

The collection was given to The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections in December 1998. Some of this material was lent for copying.

• The University of Nottingham; Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections: Personal papers of Anthony Burkett containing photographs, theatre programmes and other papers relating to student theatre at The University of Nottingham, 1958-1962. Reference: BKT