Now that’s Entertainment: Licensing files for Worcestershire and beyond – Part Three - Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service

Now that’s Entertainment: Licensing files for Worcestershire and beyond – Part Three

28th February 2025

Ladies dressed in Edwardian dress with Parasols standing on the grounds outside the Assembly Rooms, Malvern

Ladies with parasols standing outside the Assembly Rooms, Malvern. Early 20th century. D08.719 Reproduced with kind permission Malvern Library © Unknown

In our final blog exploring how licensing files can assist research into how entertainment venues in Worcestershire may have undergone changes through time, we investigate the amazing story of Malvern Theatres. We explore the history of the theatre from the 19^th century which began life as the ‘Assembly Rooms’ to the present day, using archives held with us and other sources. To understand more about licensing and the legislation behind why licensing files are created, please visit the link to the first blog in the series below.

The Assembly Rooms

Laying of the Cornerstone for the Assembly Rooms c.1884. D08.526.01 Reproduced with kind permission Malvern Library © Unknown

Malvern Theatres began its life first as the Malvern Assembly Rooms, with the foundation stone laid by then, Earl Beauchamp, Lord Lieutenant of the County on 26^th July 1884. The Swedish Nightingale, Jenny Lind who had a strong association with Malvern and Worcester, was amongst the guests as well as the Chairman of the Assembly Rooms, the Water Cure Doctor, Dr W.T. Fernie who had worked in Partnership with Dr James Gully. Fernie stated that for a long time, the people of Malvern were in want of an Assembly Rooms and Public Gardens. In 1883, an offer was made to the Provisional Committee of the land known as the Promenade Gardens. Of the 3,000 shares created of £5 each, over 2000 were quickly allotted.

The New Assembly Rooms at Malvern pictured in The Penny Illustrated Newspaper dated the 12th August 1887

The New Assembly Rooms at Malvern, August 12th, 1887, The Penny Illustrated Newspaper © Public Domain

The Assembly Rooms were completed within little under a year on 1^st July 1885. The Assembly Room measured 75 by 50 feet, with a recess of 20 feet “in view of an organ being erected”. The Concert Hall (now the Elgar Hall) and Theatre was an all-purpose hall, used for a variety of purposes other than just stage shows, with many touring companies with replicas of London successes (it seems that West End shows have had a history of opening in or visiting Malvern soon after!), pantomimes, “flying-matinees” (with stars coming and going the same day) and a regular-week long “Shakespeare Festival” with concerts by visiting celebrities and local amateur societies and Edward Elgar played in the orchestra. The Malvern Cinema (“The Picture House”) opened in 1923 built by the Assembly Rooms Company.

Aerial Photograph of Great Malvern showing the Assembly Rooms in 1921

Great Malvern. Aerial view showing the Priory and Winter Gardens. Finding No: 899:156 1332 WPS30190 <EPW006028> (30 APR 1921) © Source: Historic England Archive.

Under new ownership

A postcard of the Winter Gardens building, Malvern dated to 1930

The Winter Gardens, Malvern c.1930 reproduced with kind permission A.P.G. Roach © Unknown

Due to a need for drastic alterations, despite strong opposition, Malvern Urban District Council (MUDC) purchased The Assembly Rooms in 1927 for £17,000. Sir Barry Jackson who was the creator of the Malvern Festival which began in 1929 and lasted for over a decade, had agreed with the very necessary improvements. The auditorium was altered with a circle added, the proscenium arch widened, and a stage tower erected, with a new public entrance, though visitors could still access the Winter Gardens. The alterations were carried out within the shell of the original 1885 building with the addition of a new auditorium ceiling, lower than the wooden, barrel-shaped one. This was revealed during work to the ceiling in 1985.

A document which gives a summary of the costs of purchasing and refurbishing the Assembly Rooms, Malvern dated to the 1920's

Summary of the costs of purchasing and refurbishment of the Assembly Rooms rather than creating a whole new building by the negotiating Committee to the MUDC at Finding No: 493/9196/353(V) c.1920’s © Malvern Hills District Council, reproduced with kind permission.

As reported in the Malvern Festival programme for 1935, it states that together with the Winter Gardens and Pump Room was officially opened on 23^rd July 1929, by H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester. Following the redevelopment of the Assembly Rooms, MUDC subsequently leased the new Theatre to Ad-Visers, Ltd., of London, with Capt. R.W. Limbert as Director who held the lease until it was returned to the Malvern Urban District Council.

Three paper documents which summarise the application of the purchase of the Assembly Rooms, Malvern by the Malvern Urban District Council and the leaseholder of the Theatre and Cinema Capt. Roy Limbert of the Company, Ad-Visers

Inquiry into application of MUDC to purchase the Assembly Rooms and letting of Theatre and Cinema under Capt. R.W. Limbert with Draft Lease at Finding No: 493/BA9196/194/ III-IV and lease of MUDC to Capt. R.W. Limbert (1949) © Malvern Hills District Council, reproduced with kind permission

The Malvern Festival

Aerial view of Great Malvern showing the Winter Gardens, Priory and Town dated to 1930

Great Malvern. Aerial view showing Winter Gardens, Priory, and town. Finding No: 899:156 1332 WPS 30187 <EPW033914> (JULY 1930) © Source: Historic England Archive.

As J.C.Trewin writes in ‘The Birmingham Repertory Theatre, 1913-1963’, Sir Barry Jackson, who established the Malvern Festival recognised the value of Malvern with its nine-mile ridge of ‘theatrical’ hills to rival that of Stratford Upon Avon, substituting [George Bernard] Shaw for Shakespeare as Malvern’s patron.

A photographic of Sir Barry Jackson, creator of the Malvern Festival, taken from the Illustrated London News on October 21st 1921

Sir Barry Jackson, Creator of the Malvern Festival, pictured in The Illustrated London News, October 21, 1922 © Public Domain

The first Malvern Festival on 19^th August 1929 was dedicated to Bernard Shaw and featured productions including “The Apple Cart” and “Caesar and Cleopatra” with members of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and others being a patron of the festival. For nine years the Birmingham Lions, the Repertory Theatre Company, formed the core of the performances at the Malvern festivals. By 1934 the Malvern Drama Festival lasted a whole month and by 1939 there were as many as 69 plays by some 40 authors, spanning a period of 500 years.

A set of paper theatre programmes of plays which took place during the Malvern Festival between 1934-1936

Theatre Programmes of plays from the Malvern Festivals covering the period 1934-1936 Finding No: 899.359 BA3902 © Unknown

Postcards of actors in costume including a photo of the writer John Drinkwater from the 1934 Malvern Festival

Postcards of actors in costume from “The Interlude of Youth” and “A Mans House” performed at the 1934 Malvern Festival and writer John Drinkwater Finding No: 899.359 BA3902 © Unknown

A frequent visitor to the ‘Festival’ was Sir Edward Elgar and a friendship developed between Sir Edward Elgar and George Bernard Shaw. Outside of the ‘Festival’ a huge variety of performances went on at the Theatre with shows “on-ice”, films and an annual pantomime with Cyril Fletcher, production owner as Dame.

Composer of Sir Edward Elgar sat in his study dated to 1900

Composer Sir Edward Elgar in his Study c. 1900 WPS General 42433 © G. N. Hopcraft with kind permission Bill Meadows

Robert De Smet describes the ‘Festival’ in the 1935 Malvern Festival Programme in his own words:

“The atmosphere at Malvern seems to me to be that of a strange yet familiar city where fiction is far more vivid and real than reality, where the actor is more natural and true to everyday life than any ordinary human being, and […] here time ceases entirely to be a concrete notion.”

A page from the Malvern Festival Programme of 1935 which shows the Malvern Theatre with a description of the venue

The Malvern Theatre reproduced from the Malvern Festival Programme, 1935 © Unknown

The Programme for 1935 reports the auditorium seated over nine hundred people and that it was perfectly positioned at the edge of the Priory Park and next to the Winter Gardens. The ‘Festival’ also included tea-time talks, lectures and later an annual British Film Pageant shown at The Picture House, Malvern organised by Capt. Roy W. Limbert. Under Limbert, new plays continued as part of the Malvern Festival until 1939, with a single revival in August 1949.

A page showing actors featured in the Malvern Festival taken from the Malvern Festival Programme of 1935

Actors featured in the Malvern Festival Programme 1935 © Unknown

Priory Park acts

Photograph of a group of men who were an Orchestra associated with Priory Park and the Winter Gardens dated to 1940

HC Burgess and Orchestra on the Terrace at the Winter Gardens next to Priory Park D14.1031.0304 c.1940 © Unknown, reproduced with kind permission, Malvern Library.

Priory Park supported a wide range of activities including an outdoor swimming pool, the Priory Orchestra, boating, putting and a bowling green, alongside luncheons and events held in the nearby Winter Gardens.

A photograph and description of Capt. Roy Limbert which featured in the Malvern Festival Programme of 1935.

Roy Limbert, pictured in the Malvern Festival Programme 1935 © Unknown

A series of letters from Capt. Limbert, who booked the acts illustrate how determined he was to get the best acts for the visitors and residents of Malvern. One from 1929 illustrates how Limbert hoped to secure the future of the Priory Orchestra, even supplying his own band out of hours as well as his annoyance at the lack of wet weather arrangements.

Letter from Capt. Roy Limbert to Malvern Urban District Council raising the issue of the Priory Orchestra being unable to play during wet weather dated July, 1929

Letter from Capt. Roy Limbert to MUDC concerning the Priory Orchestra at Finding No: 493 BA9196 176 (vi) 31st July 1929 © Malvern Hills District Council, reproduced with kind permission

Further letters from Limbert to MUDC demonstrate the diversity of entertainments performed in the gardens such as the organising of an Aquatic Fete with the central attraction of Lieut. Billy Daring, M.M. a stunt ‘artiste’ who amongst his talents, includes ‘A Cycle Leap for Life and Death Leap in Flames into a Blazing Tank!

Letter from Capt. Roy Limbert to Malvern Urban District Council describing the activities available for an Aquatic Fete in Priory Park dated May 1929

Letter from Capt. Roy Limbert to MUDC concerning the Aquatic Fete at Finding No: 493 9196 / 176 /VI 7th May 1929 © Malvern Hills District Council, reproduced with kind permission

World-class artists on their world-tours were also booked to perform at the Winter Gardens such as the pianist Moisewitsch and world-renowned violinist Kubelík, pictured below.

Poster of World-renowned violinist Kubelik visiting Malvern's Winter Gardens on 20th March 1930

Poster for Violinist Kubelik performing at Malvern’s Winter Gardens on 20th March 1930 © Malvern Hills District Council, reproduced with kind permission

Plans for improvements to the kitchens, amongst the papers of the MUDC give a sense of the footprint of the original Winter Gardens complex in 1956.

Plan of the Winter Gardens complex including the kitchen areas during an update dated to 1956

Plan of footprint of Winter Gardens complex with suggested improvements to kitchens. Finding No: 493 BA9196 35 (ii) c.1956 © Malvern Hills District Council, reproduced with kind permission

An uncertain future

In 1964 the Malvern Theatre Association, a supporters’ organisation, was formed when the lease of the premises (the theatre, and the Cinema, then closed) was due for renewal and its future unclear. Later there was a move in February 1965 to create a Trust – The Malvern Festival Theatre Trust. The Theatre and the Picture House were extensively refurbished at this time.

Photograph of the Malvern Festival Theatre dated to the 1960's at a time when volunteers were involved in the theatre's restoration

Malvern Festival Theatre c.1960’s at Finding No 899.2142 BA17044 © Unknown, reproduced with kind permission Alex Freeman

Thanks to a serendipitous deposit from a family connected with the Malvern Theatre Association, we have photographs which illustrate the extensive refurbishment of the Malvern Festival Theatre and Cinema by volunteers in 1965.

Volunteers from Malvern Theatre Association, involved in the refurbishment Malvern Cinema dated to the 1960's

Volunteers from Malvern Theatre Association, involved in the refurbishment of Malvern Cinema Finding No 899.2142 BA17044 c.1960’s © Unknown, reproduced with kind permission Alex Freeman

The Winter Gardens (1960’s–1990’s)

Aerial photograph of Great Malvern showing the Winter Gardens and Malvern Festival Theatre

Great Malvern Aerial view showing the Winter Gardens and Malvern Festival Theatre at Finding No: D16 1446.17 c.1968 EAW196791 © Historic England Archive (held at Malvern Library and reproduced with kind permission)

Throughout the 1960’s the ‘Winter Gardens’ ‘Elgar Hall’ (now the Forum Theatre) hosted famous Rock Bands including ‘The Who’, ‘The Kinks’, ‘Cream’ and ‘Procol Harum’ as the Malvern Rock Archive explains at malvernrockarchive.org.uk. The Malvern Rock Archive summarises the role of the Winter Gardens for Malvern’s Rock scene and includes original reminiscence interviews from those who remember this period of Malvern’s history.

A photograph showing the refurbishment of The Elgar Hall of the Winter Gardens in January 1992.

Malvern. Grange Road. The Elgar Hall (formerly The Great Hall) at the Winter Gardens during redecoration 17th January 1992 Finding No: 899:156 1332 WPS 80139 © Newsquest.

Whilst there are few images held with us events continued to take place at the Winter Gardens with BBC’s Antiques Roadshow visiting in November 1981. A refurbishment of the Winter Gardens took place in January 1992, which involved the re-painting, wallpapering and new curtains and carpets of the foyer and Elgar Hall.

Malvern Festival Theatre / Malvern Theatres

Photogragh of paper Theatre Programmes of Marlene, The Almeida Theatre Company and Blues Brothers performed at Malvern Festival Theatre and Malvern Theatres dated to the 1990’s

Theatre Programmes of Marlene, The Almeida Theatre Company and Blues Brothers performed at Malvern Festival Theatre and Malvern Theatres. c.1990’s Finding No: 899:1608 BA13510/1/2/1-6 Cook Collection © Malvern Theatres

We are fortunate to have theatre programmes from plays, musicals and visiting companies from London such as The Almeida Company and Marlene that came to Malvern from London’s Lyric Theatre. It was later transferred to Broadway. Marlene was a musical based on a play by Pam Gems and Sian Phillips was celebrated for her acclaimed performance as Marlene Dietrich.

Licensing plan for the Festival Theatre, Elgar Hall and Cinema for the 1997 redevelopment of the Malvern Festival Theatre (now Malvern Theatres)

Licensing plan for Festival Theatre, Elgar Hall and Cinema for 1997 Malvern Festival Theatre redevelopment (now Malvern Theatres) Finding No: b599.1 BA15269.4 © Malvern Theatres

Malvern Theatres closed for a major refurbishment in 1997 following funding from the National Lottery which led to an expansion of the foyer areas to give a spacious atrium and exhibition space. The licensing files we hold for Malvern Theatres contain the plans as part of this phase of redevelopment of the Theatre.

Photograph showing the Malvern Theatres main entrance as it looks today since its recent redevelopment

The Festival Theatre was refurbished with a new seating layout and capacity (up to 850 seats) and a new fly-tower designed to accommodate scenery from many larger productions touring from the west end. The Winter Gardens’ Elgar Hall was also updated to produce a versatile space with excellent acoustics, a balcony section and a variety of seating and stage positions. It is an exciting time for Malvern Theatres as it was announced last year that it would create a further 240 seat auditorium, along with essential upgrades to the Priory Park entrance.

Sources used:

Trewin, J. C. (John Courtenay), 1908-1990. The Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1913-1963 London: Barrie and Rockliff, 1963. L792.0942496

Morice, Gerald. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MALVERN FESTIVAL THEATRE. L792.0942447.

Malvern Theatre Association. Malvern Festival Theatre: to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Malvern Theatre Association, 5th October 1974. Malvern, 1974. L792.0942447.

Malvern Theatres

The author would like to thank the staff at Malvern Library and Malvern Theatres for their kind support and assistance in researching and writing this brief history of Malvern’s theatres.

Please note all efforts have been taken to identify copyright owners, we apologise for any inadvertent infringement and invite the copyright owners to make contact where necessary.

Now that’s entertainment: licensing records for Worcestershire and beyond – Part One