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1900 - 1918
In the early years the opera house flourishes, presenting regular touring productions and pantomimes at christmas. Other theatres are established in cheltenham including the pavilion in montpelier gardens and the hippodrome. The first moving pictures were shown in the winter gardens
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1913
The first refurbishment of the opera house takes place. The auditorium is repainted and re-upholstered, and carpets are replaced
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1915
The opera house undergoes the first change of management and the theatre is leased to mr. Robert redford. Redford appoints his brother h. Oswald redford to run the theatre
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1920
Frank matcham dies of blood poisoning
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1925
The opera house is sold and mr. Wilfred simpson is appointed manager. He held the position until 1955
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1927
The opera house establishes a partnership with the theatre royal bath who stage a pantomime in cheltenham
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1929
The building is sold to cinema house ltd. Who intended on turning the opera house into a cinema
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1934
The cheltenham theatre & opera house company buy back the building and reinstate it as a full-time theatre with wilfred simpson as managing director
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1939
Wilfred simpson produces his first pantomime at the opera house
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1941
During the war jack edge presents a new revue entitled see you in the shelter billed as “the funniest and most topical comedy revue touring.”
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1946 - 1959
By now the theatre is presenting more prestigious productions, such as the bristol old vic’s king lear starring kenneth connor
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1948
Richard burton appears in dark summer
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1949
A young roger moore appears in r.C. Sherriff’s miss mable
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1955
The theatre closes, but receives a temporary reprieve when it is purchased by the cheltenham corporation
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1957
The council leases the theatre to a company headed by frank g. Maddox
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1959
The opera house closes
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1959
In response to the closure the cheltenham theatre association is formed by david phillips and margaret davies
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1959
On june 18th the association presents itself to the mayor and launches an appeal to raise an initial £3000 to save the theatre
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1959
A public meeting is held on 28th october to introduce the new board of directors and announce their aim to re-open the theatre
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1959
The opera house opens its doors for the very last time on the 6th of december for a gala fund-raising performance meet your friends. The theatre was then refurbished and modernised
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1960
The everyman theatre opens with a new repertory company. The first season opens with a production of n.C. Hunter’s a piece of silver. A young steven berkoff appears in several plays that summer
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1961
Ian mullin’s first production at the everyman, meet me by moonlight, opens on november 7th
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1967
Penelope keith joins the everyman rep company. Her first performance was in noel coward’s blithe spirit
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1971
Malculm farquhar becomes the new artistic director
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1982
The theatre closes for two years and undergoes a redevelopment in conjunction with the building of the regent arcade
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1986
The everyman theatre re-opens in with a new studio theatre at the end of february.
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1986
The main house opens with a gala performance of my fair lady starring jacqueline dankworth (daughter of cleo laine and john dankworth). The performance was attended by princess anne and her husband, captain mark phillips
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1995
The everyman makes the transition from the rep company to a receiving house