Collections

H.K Ayliff

Ayliff was director of most productions of the Repertory Company from the 1920s to the 1940s, in Birmingham and in London. Most notably, he directed the most famous modern dress Hamlet in 1925. The collection consists of photographs from productions, programmes and prompt books.

Edgar family

The Edgar family have a long history of working with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, beginning with Isabel Thornton who was a member of the founding company of the theatre in Station Street, and continues with her grandson, the playwright, David Edgar. This collection is photographs from their family albums.

Willoughby Gullachsen

Willoughby Gullachsen was the theatre's official photographer for 16 years at both the Old and New theatres (1968 to November 1984). The collection is a complete set of negatives and prints of the production photographs taken during this period.

Joan Heath

Joan Heath was an actress and performed many times at the Rep in the 1930s. This collection is made up of her personal photographs and newscuttings chronicling that period in the theatre's history. This material is not catalogued.

Sir Barry Jackson personal documents

Correspondence, including letters between Sir Barry and George Bernard Shaw, published as Bernard Shaw and Barry Jackson, edited by L W Conolly, 2002.

Also included are lectures, broadcasts, publications, diaries and other personal papers.

These items are housed in Birmingham City Archives. This material is not catalogued.

Malvern Festival

The Malvern Festival took place every summer from 1929 to 1937, initially to celebrate new work by George Bernard Shaw. The collection includes programmes, photographs and newscuttings covering the festival. This material is not catalogued.

Plays administrative documents

Licences for performance, agreements for production and press releases relating to the Old Repertory Theatre in Station Street. This material is held in Birmingham City Archives.

Repertory Theatre administrative documents

Minutes, memorandum and articles of association, plans, administrative correspondence, financial records, publications and publicity reports relating to the Old Repertory Theatre. This material is held in Birmingham City Archives

Mary Richards

Mary Richards ran the School of Acting at the Repertory Theatre from 1943. Small collection of play-texts and correspondence.

Henry Southwell-Eades

Henry Southwell-Eades was the photographer for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre during the 1960s. Following his death in 1996, the negatives of around 200 photographs from 1964-1968, were kindly given by his family to Birmingham Libraries.