Rodney Hardcastle Double Pack - Fire! Fire! The Theatre's on Fire! & Final Curtain Call?

Purchase the works of Rodney Hardcastle together in this two-for-one compilation, including 

Fire! Fire! The Theatre's on Fire!: A History of British Theatre Fires

My involvement with the history of theatres suggested that the theme for this book should be the many theatres which have been affected in some way by the destructive force of fire. Their twice nightly entertainment of wide and varied music hall acts and even performing animals, provided a magical escape in the 1800s and 1900s from people’s arduous working conditions, which were often coupled with their poor and overcrowded housing. However, there was a danger of fire at these theatres as they were heated and lit by gas, were mainly constructed of wood, and many had inadequate emergency escapes. In all, they were unsuitable for their purpose of entertaining hundreds of people. It was obvious from my research that many of them were either totally destroyed or badly damaged by fire, on more than one occasion, often leading to the tragic loss of many lives. Thank goodness this resulted in new legislation demanding minimum standards for theatre safety.

And

Final Curtain Call? A History of Vulnerable British Theatres

The chosen subject for this book are theatres which are still standing, (just!),  but are extremely vulnerable.  The majority of these theatres are identified in the official ‘Theatres at Risk Register’ published annually.  This was created in 2006 and it records theatres that are in need of considerable help, effort and support from many organisations. If they do not receive this they will be lost forever.  Thankfully, having had the much needed support, some theatres are no longer on this list.

My first experience of a theatre closure was the sudden demise of my local theatre, ‘Dewsbury Empire’ in March 1955 and the life long effect it had on me, my family, the community, the town and the theatre world in general. 

As a tribute to all the hard work that the numerous theatre appreciation societies are carrying out, I have selected fifteen theatres and have completed extensive research on their history as well as including the now infamous ‘Did You Know…?’ gossip section!

I sincerely hope that the members of the ‘Save the Theatre’ societies  are successful in their magnificent efforts and that we see many more ‘Theatres At Risk’ saved for posterity.  Thank you to you all for the marvellous efforts you are making in preserving these theatres and I would ask readers of this book to join me in assisting or donating to these good causes whenever possible.