Plymouth, Theatres | Hoe Summer Theatre | Prefabricated Hoe Summer Theatre

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THEATRES | HOE SUMMER THEATRE

THE PREFABRICATED HOE SUMMER THEATRE

Updated: 19 December 2011

By the early 1960s it had been decided to provide a more substantial structure to replace the Hoe Marquee that had served Plymouth audiences as a Hoe Summer Theatre since 1950 and which could be used during the winter months as well. As a result the 600-seater prefabricated Hoe Summer Theatre was erected on the site of the Marquee.

The first production was staged on June 8th 1962.

With the chequered life of the Palace Theatre, which over this period opened and closed a couple of times, the Hoe Summer Theatre became the venue for the local amateur players as well as the professional summer shows. But it could not accommodate an orchestra so in November 1973 the decision was taken to add such a feature at a cost of £1,700. It was in place by the time the pantomime opened at the end of December but had reduced the seating to 545.

During its relatively short lifetime many stars appeared on its stage: Dave Allen; Tim Brooke-Taylor; Charlie Chester; Clive Dunn; Dickie Henderson; George Lacey; Syd Marx; George Melly; Gordon Peters; Tommy Trinder; and Max Wall, mainly (if not entirely) in shows produced by Mr Hedley Claxton. [1]
The prefabricated Hoe Summer Theatre, Plymouth.

The prefabricated Hoe Summer Theatre.
© Mr Gilbert Corran.

As the 1970s passed the lure of television kept people in their homes, especially during the winter evenings, and attendances fell. In September 1979 Councillor Tom Jones even wanted the theatre to be turned into a cafe and in May 1981 the first five rows of seats were taken out, reducing the capacity to about 400.

At a Council meeting on January 11th 1982 the decision was taken to close the Hoe Summer Theatre for good. Mr Peter Millington was the manager at that time. A special show called "The Last Night" was presented on Saturday February 13th 1982, compéred by Mr John Melvin and with Babs Owen at the piano. The Carmenians, the Plymouth Amateur Operatic Society, the Gilbert and Sullivan Fellowship and the Dockyard Review Players provided the entertainment. The final epitaph was delivered by Mr Harvey Crane, theatre critic for the Western Evening Herald. On Sunday February 14th 1982 the Kortne Hungarian Orchestra, conducted by Mr Reg Robins, presented the final concert. [1]

Demolition started on May 18th 1982 and took about six weeks.

Sources (incomplete):

[1] Crane, Harvey, "Last rites for Hoe Theatre", Western Evening Herald, Plymouth, February 12th 1982; and "Harvey has the last word as theatre closes", Western Evening Herald, Plymouth, February 15th 1982.