History

1970 John and Hilary Spurling come to see his play "Macrune's Guevara" which we present for the Newcastle Festival.

1971 For our Diamond Jubilee play we return to Shaw and present "The Philanderer" to many old friends and guests from civic and business life. The Lord Mayor congratulates us on our anniversary.

The BBC makes a half-hour film about us and the narrator is former People's actor, Alan Browning, famous as a lead in "The Newcomers" and "Coronation Street".

1972 World premiere of North Shields' playwright, Tom Hadaway's 'A Quaker in Cullercoats'.

1973 Christopher Fry gives us the first amateur rights of 'A Yard of Sun'. 

People's Lit' is founded to provide evenings of informal poetry, prose, conversation and occasional music.

1976 Our 65th anniversary and Tony Harrison grants us the first amateur rights of his adaptation of 'The Misanthrope' - our eighth annual contribution to the Newcastle Festival.

Sid Chaplin becomes theatre President.

1981 Studio Theatre seating 90. built at the back of the main auditorium The opening production is Shakespeare's 'Henry V'.

1982 The main auditorium is rebuilt, removing the separate Circle to provide a single tier of 500 seats, which can be divided by moveable shutters for audiences up to 300.

1986 After a lapse of some years a newsletter for members resumes publication under the title 'Offset'.

1987, Feb. The season is rearranged to allow the Royal Shakespeare Company to hire the theatre during their annual visit to Newcastle. They spend a lot of money to re-model the theatre in the image of the Swan Theatre at Stratford. One lasting benefit for the People's is the second lighting bridge, which the RSC leave behind.

1987, Aug. A gas explosion in the kitchen of the restaurant at one corner of the building lifts the roof of the entire theatre. Extensive repairs are necessary, but the autumn season opens on time.

1991 Our 80th Anniversary. Chris Goulding publishes 'The Story of the People's' (to date).

1992 The Music Society celebrates 45 years of chamber music with a recital by Julian Bream.