History of the KMT

From New Years Eve 1974

BACKGROUND HISTORY OF THEATRES IN ILFORD

ILFORD HIPPODROME

Like many London suburbs, Ilford expanded rapidly with the rise of the Railway. By 1909 it was a large community, certainly large enough to support a Theatre. The Ilford Hippodrome opened on November 8th, 1909. The building was designed by Frank Matcham and cost £35,000 to build. It had 2,500 seats and a further 500 standing places.

The Hippodrome survived for 35 years – during some of which it was forced to show films as interest in live Variety waned – and finally met its end during a performance of the pantomime on January 12th 1945. It was destroyed in the blast from a V2 rocket. One person was killed and over a hundred were injured. (A further fifteen people were killed in the housing immediately behind the theatre).

 

 

THE LITTLE THEATRE

The town was left without a theatre for nine years, during which Ilford Town Hall served as a stopgap. A "permanent" home was created in 1954 when a building close to the High Road was converted into The Little Theatre. This small venue, used exclusively by amateurs, was demolished in 1968 to make way for a supermarket.

 

THE CRANBROOK THEATRE/ILFORD PLAYHOUSE

There were plans to build a brand new theatre alongside the Town Hall, but it was clear these would take several years to reach fruition. Accordingly, the local Council took a seven year lease on a disused Church and created a temporary theatre in Cranbrook Road called The Cranbrook Theatre. Again, this was used exclusively by amateurs.

The new Theatre was ready within six years, and was to be called the Kenneth More Theatre. The KMT would be used for amateur and professional shows, and the town’s leading amateur company felt the "professionalism" of the new venue would seriously damage the spirit of amateur theatre. The Renegades Theatre Company decided not to move into the KMT and negotiated their own lease on the Cranbrook Theatre. They renamed it the Ilford Playhouse, and for the next ten years kept it running in opposition to the KMT. They finally lost the venue to redevelopment in June, 1984.

THE KENNETH MORE THEATRE

Ilford’s civic theatre, the Kenneth More, opened on the very last day of 1974 with a preview of "The Beggar’s Opera". There were further previews on January 1st and 2nd, and the official opening was on January 3rd, 1975.

The theatre seated 365 and was fully equipped with a fly-tower and all the latest "state of the art" equipment. It also contained a 50 seat Studio Theatre for experimental work. The building cost £500,000.

In the years since then the KMT has been very successful. It has balanced its commitment to amateur theatre by providing 26 weeks each year for local amateur companies. The remaining half of the programme has consisted of a mixture of visiting professional shows and professional in house productions.

Several in house productions have then gone on to undertake national tours, beginning with a 26 week tour of "Hair" in 1978. Its major touring success was the KMT production of "The Rocky Horror Show" which toured the UK non-stop between 1983 and 1989, and in 1990 undertook a European tour.

The KMT also created a company of young opera singers, and a company specialising in contemporary musicals, earning a considerable reputation for its operas and its productions of works by Stephen Sondheim.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS SINCE THE KMT OPENING

1977	Arts Council of Great Britain Report "The Arts Britain Ignores" praises KMT for its contribution in integrating local ethnic minority cultures into the theatre’s main work.
1978	The KMT’s in-house production of "Hair" undertakes a 26 week national tour
1981	"The Stage" Newspaper praises the KMT as a "true community theatre" and suggests it is one of the best run , with one of the lowest local authority subsidies in the country.
1982	Death of Kenneth More
1983	The KMT’s own production of "Godspell" transfers to the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe and opens a national tour.
1984	The KMT’s own production of "Rocky Horror Show" undertakes a short 3 week tour. At a ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall, Esther Rantzen names KMT as one of London’s best art venues for disabled people.
1985	"Rocky Horror Show" plays a 39 week nationwide tour
1986	One millionth ticket sold "Rocky Horror Show" plays a further 47 weeks on tour
1987	"Rocky Horror Show" plays another 47 weeks touring the UK, and 3 weeks in Israel
1988	"Rocky Horror Show" ends its phenomenal UK tour after a further 30 weeks. It has thus become the second most successful touring show in British Theatre history. (It was beaten only by the perennial "Joseph")
1989	The KMT buys a laser and installs a trap door - thus maintaining its reputation for the latest in equipment and facilities. A German Production Company takes the KMT’s "Rocky Horror Show" on a six month long European Tour. It plays in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Italy and France. The KMT becomes one of the very few provincial theatres to achieve international recognition.
1991	The KMT completes a cycle of all the major Mozart operas to mark the Mozart Bi-Centenary. "Opera" magazine, reviewing the nation-wide celebrations, praises the KMT for the greatest all-round achievement.
1992	The American musical "Rags" is given its European premiere at the KMT, and is attended by visitors from New York and several major European theatres.
1994	The KMT celebrates its 20th birthday with a series of major productions.
1996	The first "London Mayors’ Pantomime Evening" is held. This is now an annual event to which all the London mayors are invited, and has become an established part of the London-wide civic celebrations.
1997	Redbridge Council provides a grant of £35,000 specifically to finance productions – the first such grant given to the theatre The KMT presents its first ever full-length classical ballet; its first ever schools’ tour; and much new innovative work. The pantomime "Snow White" achieves a complete 100% sell out over 63 performances.
1998	The Two Millionth ticket is sold; a series of "star name" concerts are staged; a "Schools’ Week" is staged; a wide range of multi-cultural events are staged. The pantomime "Aladdin" achieves a complete 100% sell –out over 66 performances.
1999	The KMT opens a "Millennium Festival". Over a period of 18 months the theatre presents key productions covering 2000 years of Theatre – from Greek tragedy to Shakespeare, Jacobean tragedy, Restoration, Victorian Melodrama, Oscar Wilde, Noel Coward, Rattigan, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, John Osborne, Joe Orton, etc. This Millennium Programme was claimed to be the most extensive of any such celebrations held in the UK.
2001	To mark the unrivalled contribution of the Cowan Family to the KMT, and also the retirement of Vera Cowan from the Board of Governors, the Studio Theatre was renamed - the COWAN STUDIO.  Vera was the widow of Harold Cowan, the first Chairman of the Board. Her retirement marked an end to thirty years' involvement of  the Cowan Family with the KMT. Harold Cowan, a former Mayor, Councillor, Leader of the Council, Alderman, Freeman of the Borough, and holder of the OBE, was the first Chairman of the "New Civic Theatre Steering Committee" at its formation in December 1970.  He became the first Chairman of the KMT from its opening in 1974 and remained its chief advocate and most passionate supporter until his death in 1979. Vera was then appointed to the Board.
2002	Vivyan Ellacott, General Manager and Artistic Director of the KMT from the very beginning, is appointed an Honorary Freeman of the London Borough of Redbridge. The honour acknowledges Vivyan's 30 years of service to theatre arts generally and his especial contribution to community arts in Redbridge.  Vivyan is the only non-politician to receive this honour in Redbridge.
2004	The KMT celebrates its 30th birthday. The KMT’s Assistant Manager, Robert Quarry, achieves a record which is possibly unique in theatre history.  This year marks his 30th successive pantomime at the KMT – 30 years of panto at the same theatre.
2005	Death of Edna Graham – Resident Musical Director of Operas and Musical Theatre from 1985 onwards.
2006	Plans are announced for a “bigger and better” theatre to replace the KMT.  The new building is proposed for a site across the road from the existing theatre.

 

SOME WELL KNOWN NAMES WHO HAVE APPEARED AT THE KMT

Peter Adamson

Larry Adler

Kenny Ball

Beverley Sisters

Don Black

Lionel Blair

Brian Blessed

Wilfred Brambell

Joe Brown and the Bruvvers

Billy Burden

Peter Byrne

Heather Chasen

George Chisholm

Bernie Clifton

Jess Conrad

Jimmy Cricket

Quentin Crisp

Leslie Crowther

Bobby Crush

Barry Cryer

Lorna Dallas

Paul Daneman

Letitia Dean

Reg (Confidentially) Dixon

Peter Duncan

Marianne Faithful

Julie Felix

Cyril Fletcher

Michael French

Peter Gilmore

Nat Gonella

Cy Grant

Russell Grant

Richard Greene

Adelaide Hall

John Hanson

Imogen Hassall

Herman’s Hermits

Hinge & Bracket

Vince Hill

Edmund Hockbridge

Sue Hodge

Frankie Howerd

Roy Hudd

Jan Hunt

David Ian

David Jacobs

Anna Karen

Peter Katin

Davy Kaye

David Kossoff

Danny La Rue

George Lacy

Little & Large

Syd Lawrence

Maureen Lipman

Dennis Lotis

Andrew Lynford

Humphrey Lyttleton

Susan Maughan

Mike McLean

George Melly

Kenneth More

Ron Moody

Libby Morris

Ruby Murray

Dame Anna Neagle

Hildegarde Neil

Cavan O’Connor

Nicholas Parsons

Ingrid Pitt

Adrienna Posta

Jenny Powell

Rod, Jane & Freddy

Ralph Reader

Joan Regan

Ronnie Ronalde

David Roper

Thelma Ruby

Semprini

George Sewell

Eric Schilling

Helen Shapiro

Barry Sinclair

Sooty

Rosemary Squires

Stan Stennett

Ann Todd

Richard Todd

Bruce Trent

Tommy Trinder

Joan Turner

Marti Webb

Bert Weedon

Leslie Welch

Lizzie Wiggins

Marty Wilde

Emlyn Williams