Theatre Royal, Crook

‘This week Mr. and Mrs. Percy Brown and company are here with Remember Belgium, and met with a good reception on Monday night. On Saturday the company are playing The Madman, with Percy Brown as Dr. Thornton Driffield’. The Stage, 2 December 1915.

C.Watson Mill and Mark H. Lindon's company with In Time of War, presented twice nightly. Florence Hamilton and Alida Lindon are excellent in the parts of Kitty, the German spy, and Diana Squires: while Frederick Freeman, as Captain Russell Squires, and Sidney Grant, as Baron von Guggenheim, both do well. The Stage - Thursday 27 April 1916.

The Era, 7 June 1916, noted that Somewhere A Heart Is Breaking was On The Road from 12 June at the T.R., Crook. The Stage, 15 June 1916, published a notice inserted by Freda Beckett, who was playing Dolores, the heavy lead, in Somewhere A Heart Is Breaking that week at the Royal, Crook.

The Era, 25 October and 1 November 1916, listed Home Once More as On The Road from 30 October at the T.R., Crook. And when Miss Emma Litchfield’s company advertised Home Once More in The Stage, 2 November 1916, the address for that week was the T.R., Crook.

The Stage, 18 January 1917, reported that Mrs Frank Bateman’s company was presenting The Light That Leads Me Home at the Royal, Crook, and that ‘“Somebody Knows, Somebody Cares is also played’.

Two weeks at this theatre, starting 30 April 1917.

The Stage, 21 June 1917, published an advertisement by Miss Winifred Maude’s Company seeking theatres for The Coward Who Made Good, giving the contact address as the Theatre Royal, Crook.

Noted in The Stage, 30 August 1917: ‘Crook – Royal … Charles Locke’s company are here playing For Motherland ... On Friday The Woman Who Dared will be played by the same company’.

‘Crook – Royal … Charles Locke’s company are here playing For Motherland. The cast includes Cliff Page, Elton Morgan, Charles Locke, Frank Hertie, Frank Preston, Flo Norman, Lilian Iris, Muriel Kavanagh and Clare O’Sullivan. On Friday The Woman Who Dared will be played by the same company’. The Stage, Thursday 30 August 1917.

When Miss Emma Litchfield’s company advertised Always Welcome in The Stage, 10 January 1918, the address for the following week was the T.R., Crook. But there is no other evidence that Always Welcome was performed.

The Stage, 19 and 27 December 1918, listed The Girl Who Changed Her Mind as On Tour from 23 December at the R., Crook.

When Vincent W. Carlyle advertised in The Stage, 13 November 1919, for theatres for Love, Honour and The Woman, Atonement and A Woman’s Soul, his address was the T.R., Crook. But performing what?

‘Arthur Hinton’s company opened on Monday with “The Black Sheep of the Family,” playing to a large and appreciative audience. Arthur Hinton filled the part of the Black Sheep with success, and Edward Brooke did well as Tough McCoy. Of the ladies Ethel Monton took chief honours with her able impersonation of Loyale Dare. Peggy Courteney did well as Mary Leigh. To-night (Thursday) “A Broken Doll” will be played by the same company’. The Stage, 20 November 1919.