You may have noticed that, in July, the People’s Theatre is putting on a play called ‘Heaton!’ It’s been written by Heaton History Group’s very own Peter Dillon and will feature some of the figures from Heaton’s history that you may have read about on this website, alongside some new characters you don’t yet know. Over the coming months, we’ll be inviting some of them to tell us more about themselves and the show.
First up is George Stanley, the tragedian and impresario who you may remember founded the Tyne Theatre and who, we believe, played a big part in the naming of Heaton’s ‘Shakespeare Streets’ . Over to George:
‘Welcome one and all – For many years now I’ve petitioned Newcastle Council for a licence to run a theatre in this fine city, and with a persistence matching rain they’ve regularly turned me down. Well, the days of petitions, the pleading letters, chaining myself to the Town Hall railings are over. No more begging. Instead –
SHOWTIME!
Now or never, I’ll be showcasing my ingenuity, my refusal to take no for an answer, my stagecraft, my indefatigable personality, my thespian artistry……..all of these virtues and more will be on show in July, yes JULY! July 17 – July 21st to be precise – and the Box Office is open!
I’ve teamed up with those very good folks from the People’s Theatre to put on an all dancing, all singing entertainment to delight and inform the burghers of Heaton, and indeed far beyond.
I’m entitling the said theatrical extravangza, HEATON!
The show will feature some of the finest citizens of the borough that have ever lived, walked, and breathed in the Tyne’s fresh air. Sir Charles Parsons himself and the Turbinia from the Heaton Works on the Fossway, the good Lady Parsons, an engineer in her own right, the redoubtable Florence Nightingale Harrison-Bell, Hotspur Street’s intrepid reformer, Ove Arup, born on Jesmond Vale Terrace, who built Sydney Opera House, a domestic servant, and Colin Veitch, Captain Supremo of Newcastle Utd and co-founder of the People’s Theatre.
They’ll all be there, so why not you…………..Oh, and not forgetting, someone who might be called the juvenile lead, name of Freddie. A dubious character, whose blog it’ll be my displeasure to introduce next time –
The dates of this not to be missed epic, once again, are Tuesday, JULY 17 – Saturday, JULY 21
And if this superior example of the performing arts fails to persuade the Council to grant me a theatre licence, I’ll have to settle for a One-Man Show at The Hoppings. Now we wouldn’t want that, would we…….
A must for all Heaton History Group members, family, neighbours, friends and hangers on, we’re sure you’ll agree. Find out more and book tickets here.
Not only that: the show will be accompanied by an exhibition called ‘Brains, Steam and Speed: 250 years of science, engineering and mathematics in Heaton’, brought to you by the schoolchildren of Chillingham Road, Cragside, Hotspur and Ravenswood Primary Schools and Sir Charles Parsons School, Heaton History Group’s research team and Shoe Tree Arts, who put on the ‘Under the Fields of Heaton’, mining heritage arts events a couple of years ago. This is thanks to another award from Heritage Lottery Fund. Oh, and there will be music and song in the foyer too!
I am a direct descendent of George William Stanley who was my great great grandfather. His daughter, Ethel Florence Stanley, was my great grandmother, and her daughter, Ethel Ruth Stanley/Nixon was my paternal grandmother who married Oliver Peter Bernard Holt. Fascinating to see that George Stanley’s name is still significant today! I was born in Australia, as were all of my grandparents’ children. I visited Tyne Theatre in 1992 and was amazed at the architecture and beauty of the theatre, especially since I am an ordinary ‘run of the mill’ Australian! Just googled his name while doing some family history research, and came up with this gem of information. I have documents relating to the family history, but this was a real surprise.
Delyse Brown (nee Holt)