When producers looked beyond the West End during wartime – 81 years ago in The Stage

As the Second World War moved into its third week, restrictions on theatres were relaxed, but producers looked to shift their focus away from the West End, which was most at risk from attacks.

We reported on September 21, 1939: “The general stage position continues to improve. The ban on any opening of places of entertainment anywhere, already lifted so far as neutral and reception areas were concerned, was on Friday removed from what are known as the vulnerable areas. Thus all places of entertainment are free to resume the traffic that was summarily and to a large extent unnecessarily brought to a halt. They are resuming it subject to the 10pm maximum closing time, which is further reduced to 6pm for houses of amusement in a Central London area approximately within a radius of one mile and a half from Leicester Square.

“Meanwhile, it devolves upon theatrical managers to concentrate upon the certainly very large area of work open to them outside Central London. There should be a very considerable development of work at the houses in the London suburbs. A beginning has been made at the Golders Green Hippodrome, the Streatham Hill, the Penge Empire, the Richmond, and elsewhere. The resumption of repertory theatre work started last week, and is becoming general this week, as our reports indicate. Production by resident companies has obvious advantages, and a considerable expansion of it is to be expected. Further, there are signs of touring company enterprise.”

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Theatres reopened during Second World War – 81 years ago in The Stage