Based on a piece by Helen Mills which appeared in Community Life Magazines.
With the additional information from Molesey Musical Theatre.
Across Walton bridge, we have another thea-tre, waiting to welcome you and which needs our support; The Cecil Hepworth theatre. In the 1920s Cecil Hepworth, one of the world’s first film makers, ran his studios in Walton and needed power to operate them. He purchased two diesel generators, which came from two ex-German submarines. In order to house them, his architect friend George Carvill designed a large building which subsequently became The Playhouse. On Hepworth becoming bankrupt and the studios closing down, George Carvill said ‘Walton needs a theatre’ and a consortium of local enthusiasts ensured the building that had housed the generating engines was trans-formed into a theatre. Dame Ellen Terry inau-gurated it in 1915, and it has remained a thea-tre ever since (apart from becoming a Vickers storehouse during WWII). The playhouse is the last building remaining from the historic Nettlefold Film Studios, considered the birth-place of cinema. A Blue Plaque to commem-orate the studios has now been placed on the building. The Cecil Hepworth Playhouse (CHPH) is now under trustee-ship and is seeking funds in order to update and improve the iconic building. The Playhouse was re-cently entrusted by Elmbridge Council to the Playhouse Users Committee who have set up a Go Fund Me to finance necessary refurbish-ments. If you have and do appreciate having a theatre in Walton, then your contribution will be appreciated. You can find the page at:
www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-cecil-hepworth-playhouse
More challenges for the theatrical world else-where. Molesey Musical Theatre will be performing their Dick Whittington at the Cecil Hepworth Theatre at the end of Novem-ber. This little theatre group has had its own fair share of challenges. They run out of Vine Hall in Molesey. Vine Hall, has been under threat of closure due to Elmbridge council’s decision not to open council run halls (including Vine Hall) post Covid. It has been under threat of demolition to make way for a housing development. But thanks to the deter-mination of some local Molesey residents a campaign called Save Vine Hall Action Group was set up, a petition launched and a business plan presented whereby the hall would be run independently by a group of trustees.
So thankfully sense has prevailed and culture is protected for a while yet. It is interesting that both these venues have been saved due to the determination of the community. One of the pleasures post Covid, has been the ability to get out to see live performances once more, so wherever you choose to go, do make sure you support the arts.