The Seaton Players, a local theatrical group which played in the Temperance Hall, Charles Street, built in 1867, was formed in 1944.
Seaton-born Celia Howard (nee Battersby) remembers "The Seaton Players used the Temperance Hall until it became a condemned building - I'm thinking about 1960. I think the ceiling / roof was cracking. The members used to convene in their own houses in the village as I well remember their visits for the committee meetings in our front room. Both my parents were members and they played out the popular stage dramas of the day. The titles evade me now, but I think they are still evergreen in the theatre world today."
Looking at the photos Celia remembers sitting through all of the plays as her sisters were four & nine years older & she was too young to be left home alone. She remembers Ken Tyzack, a prominent Seaton businessman who made icecream, owned amusements & later the Blue Lagoon nightclub, bringing an urn into the hall so that refreshments could be served during the interval.
Celia's sisters were adept at roller skating & took part in the Seaton Carew skating rink gala in the 1950s.
A performance of 'Tomorrow's Child' was performed in 1954 with a review in the Northern Daily Mail of 16 March 1954. The play was summed up as being 'A play well worth seeing for its neat humour and unusual theme. Well acted but with a lack of balance.'
Seaton Carew Theatrical Group in the 1950s. Mr. Stewart, Mr. Stabler and Mr. Storer discussing the staging and props for a play.
More detail »Rose Battersby made her debut with the Seaton Players in October 1952 in Ivor Novello's play 'Fresh Fields'. She is picured here alongside Stanley Spinks.
More detail »'Oops! caught out' in the play 'Who Lies There' by Phillip Johnson.
More detail »Mr Meakin, murderer & bigamist in the play 'Who Lies There' by Phillip Johnson.
The play was a comedy thriller & opened in October 1851 with a cast of nine. Mona Elwine acted as a concert singer, Edgar Greene as an off duty policeman, Granville W Battersby (chairman of the group) as a murder suspect. Other actors in the play were Edward Taylor, Mary Stabler, Jeanetta Adlard, Tina Waller, Derek Burdett & Joan Broomhead.
More detail »Mr Meakin & two others in the play 'Who Lies There'
More detail »A performance at the Temperance Hall by the Seaton Players.
More detail »Another performance by the Seaton Players
More detail »Granville Battersby as the mayor. Rose Battersby made the Mayor's chain from an old powder compact for her husband's costume in this play. Her daughter Celia said "She was the arch follower of make do and mend. They did a play 'The Poltergeist' where things had to fall off the wall & she made those from papier-mache".
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