Stretford Children's Theatre is a youth theatre based in

Stretford Stretford is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, sited on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal; the Bridgewater Canal bisects the town. The town is located south of Manchester, south of Salfo ...

, England. It was founded in the 1940s by Bertram H. Holland, and ceased to exist in the late 1970s or early 1980s. An offshoot adult theatre company made up of former members of the children's theatre existed in the 1970s. It was resurrected in October 2015 by Shelly Quinton-Hulme MBE who gathered a group of local Stretford people together to reform the theatre group and return the group to Stretford Public Hall. Holland wrote a book about the theatre in 1968 called Beginners on Stage.

History

Founded in 1945 by B.H. Holland. It moved to premises on Sidney Street after Bertram Holland's death. The last remaining trace of the former Stretford Children's Theatre is the Bertram Holland Trophy which is awarded annually by the Greater Manchester Drama Federation.

Former members

Former members include

Lynn Roden Lynn may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lynn (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Lynn (surname) * The Lynns, a 1990s American country music duo consisting of twin sisters Peggy and Patsy Lynn * Lynn ...

John Comer John Comer (1 March 1924 – 11 February 1984) was a British comic actor. He was best known for his roles in ''Coronation Street'' as Mr Birtles, then as a taxi driver, and later as Wilf Jones, in ''Emmerdale Farm'' as Ernie Shuttleworth, Les ...

, Vicky Ogden,

John Mahoney Charles John Mahoney (June 20, 1940 – February 4, 2018) was an English-American actor. He played retired police officer Martin Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' from 1993 to 2004, receiving nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two P ...

June Ritchie June Rose Ritchie (born 31 May 1941) is a British actress. Early life She attended Stretford Children's Theatre from the age of nine. She left school in Manchester, aged 16, to train as a secretary, working for the Manchester Ship Canal Comp ...

, and

Brian Trueman Brian Richard Trueman (16 May 1932 – 1 September 2024) was an English broadcaster, writer and voice actor. He was known mainly for his work with the animation studio Cosgrove Hall. He wrote and/or narrated children's cartoon series, mostly dur ...

References

External links

Guest book entries by former members

{{authority control Youth theatre companies Stretford Theatre companies in England