Our History
Everything
has to start somewhere and with someone. We start the 60th
anniversary of Port
Talbot Little Theatre because of the
enthusiasm and talent of a man called Leo Lloyd. During
the 1930s
he gathered together a group of people who had an interest in drama
and theatre
and formed them into a highly successful acting group
called 'The Thespians'. For many
years they entertained Port
Talbot audiences
with their productions, until the outbreak of
World War II forced
them to disband.
In
1941, Leo, keen
to keep amateur dramatics alive in the town formed another group,
called
'The Port Talbot Drama Club'. Those first members included
many well remembered names
like Charles B. Tapp, John Edward
John, Bruce Mayne, Trevor Cross and many more. Based
in a
classroom in the Eastern Schools, their first production was the
costume drama, 'The
Barratts of Wimpole Street'. It told of
the love story of Robert Browning and Elizabeth
Barratt and her
tyrant of a father. Costume - Drama - Romance - it was a sell out! It
was a
huge success and marked the start of many, manv triumphant
years in the competitive world
of drama in South Wales.
At
that time Drama was thriving - drama societies flourished in almost
every town and
village. The wonderful workmen's halls built
throughout the valleys played host to groups
from all over Wales
and England
too. Treorchy.
Tonypandy, Maerdy - in every hall, one
magnificent week of
dramatic productions from October to March. Standards were
extremely
high and only the best were accepted and invited to compete. Over the
years, three
companies emerged as being the 'best of the best”.
Tredegar. Blackwood and Port Talbot.
'Berkley Square', 'Our
Town' and 'The Vigil' were just three of the plays that
scooped
honours for Port Talbot during
the 1940s and 50s.
In 1959 the Drama Club changed its name to Port Talbot Little Theatre
The
1960s brought great changes. Leo left the Drama Club to guide and
lead the newly
formed Taibach Peoples’ Theatre.
Charles
Tapp and John John took on the role of Producers; the first of a long
line who tried to carry on the
standards that had been set by Leo
Lloyd. ‘The Same Sky' and 'Simon and Laura' were
just
two of the many highlights of those years.
Home
to the Little Theatre had always been a classroom, first in the
Eastern School
and later
in the
Central School.
Then in the late 1970s a real home! What excitement and delight
when
we moved into the Afan Arts Centre. A rehearsal room, a
workshop theatre, a place
to keep all our equipment, and a lounge
where we could sit and talk. It was
heaven!
Over
all the years, we have played on many of the town's stages. The New
Hall, Y.M.C.A.,
County School,
Afan Lido - each had been a happy venue, all with their own memories.
What
a joy it was when in 1988 we were able to play on the stage
of the beautiful Princess Royal Theatre.
What luxury for us and
for our audiences - a real night out at the theatre.
In 2003 following the closure of the Port Talbot Arts Centre building, the Little Theatre moved its base to the Theatre Workshop which is in the Arts Centre’s grounds.
The Workshop is owned by Neath Port Talbot Borough Council and was purpose built as a theatre workshop in the mid 1980s. The Workshop is run by the Port Talbot Society of Arts, to which the Little Theatre is affiliated.
The history of the Little Theatre was reproduced from an article written by the late Ina D Jones as part of the Little Theatre’s 60th anniversary celebrations held in November 2001.