Silk programme for the 'Grand Opening Night' of the Olympia Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne, 25th August 1902. For a Variety programme featuring among others Norah Emerald, Flo D'Orville, George Lashwood, the Darnley Brothers, and the American Bioscope.

Silk programme on cream silk headed with a bright salmon-red Newcastle coat of arms of two sea-horses and the Latin motto 'Fortiter Defendit Triumphans'. Printed in petrol blue typography with slight integral fringe at top and bottom, illustrated with photographic images of the Mayor and Mayoress of Newcastle, Alderman H.W. Newton JP, and Mrs. H.W. Newton. Produced for the transfer of the Empire Theatre's Variety programme to the Olympia, 25 August 1902.

Below the name of the theatre are the names of the Managing Directors Moss & Stoll, the General Manager Frank Allen, and the resident managers R. Thornton and E. Lesley Conroy. 'GRAND OPENING NIGHT August 25th, 1902' is printed below the list of the management, with the information that 'The Entire Proceeds will be devoted to Local Charitable Institutions, to be nominated by the Mayoress of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.' This is followed by a list of the acts for the evening, a note that the Mayor and Mayoress will render a few songs (by special desire), and in much smaller typeface, the name and address of the printer.

This silk programme was printed for the Grand Opening Night of the Olympia Theatre Newcastle, 25th August 1902, with a programme transerred from the Empire Theatre.

There were 13 items on the bill, including the Overture Yelva by Reissiger, followed by Norah Emerald, comedienne and dancer; American Bioscope with pictures of the arrival of the Boer Generals at Southampton; Joe Almasio, Novel, Musical and Acrobatic Juggler; Ike Scott and Son, Eccentric Comedians; Donaldson Bros. and Ardel, Zoological Comedy; Selections from Lohengrin by Wagner; Charles Pastor the Laughing Comedian; Great Everhart, the Marvellous Manipulator of Hoops; Flo D'Orville, Comedienne and Dancer; George Lashwood, the Popular Comedian; Darnley Bros., the Popular Comedians, and finally Josh Dixon, the New Eccentric Comedian.



There were 13 items of entertainment on offer for the opening of the Newscastle Empire starting with an Overture from Maritana by Wallace, followed by Miss Louise de Leau, The Charming and Accomplished Balladist; Professor Thornbury, Lightning Chromographist, Mimic and Ventriloquist; Miss Agnes Hazel, Serio-Comedienne; Edgar Wilson, The Eminent Baritone Vocalist; The Haytors, Anglo-American Grotesques; Mdlle. Aimee Desiree in her original entertainment Mystia; G.W. Hunter, The Popular Comic Vocalist and Dancer; Don Juan a Caceido, The Marvel of Columbia - The Wire King; Peggy Pryde, England's Greatest Characteristic Vocalist and Dancer; Major Newell, The Skatorial Phenomenon; Sisters Cavendish, Duettists and Dancers and Pat Cashan, Irish Comedian.

The programme also list the acts for the following week which included Joseph Darby, Celebrated Jumper; T. .Barrett, The Nobleman's Son; James Taylor and Ada Alexander's Company, and Michael Nolan, Sells and Young etc.

This silk programme was produced to mark the opening of the Olympia Theatre after it was remodelled in 1902 to the designs of the prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham. A local architect Pringle carried out the work commissioned by Moss Empires so that the building could accommodate the patrons of the Empire Theatre Newcastle which was being rebuilt. The original Olympia in Newcastle, basically a corrugated iron hall, opened in December 1893. It was reconstructed again in 1908 after a fire, closed in 1960 and demolished in 1971.

The evening's Variety entertainment was pretty standard fare for the day, a mixture of comedy, dancing, juggling, 'hoop manipulation', a short comic play by Donaldson Brothers and Ardel, and in keeping with many Variety Theatres at the turn of the century, a short piece of cinema or 'American Bioscope' showing the Boer Generals arriving at Southampton.

S.31-2007