Theatre Pie

Theatre Pie

An unusual title, and one that I have never liked, but I think was suitable for the times.  There is no date on this flyer, but the blurb states that the Ginner-Mawer School is in Chaltenham, so it was around 1950.

Theatre Pie was a title which Ginner-Mawer used frequently, and covered a sort of variety show, in this case plays, ballets, and mimes – no mention of Greek.

I wonder who drew the image, as I do like the idea of the different branches of the entertainment bursting out of the hot pie in plumes of steam.

The pianists were Harold Chipp – a long term veteran of the Ginner-Mawer School, and Dorothy Horton, who I don’t know anything about.  Marguerite Steen is also highlighted: ‘the well-known novelist’ and she is taking to the stage to say a few words.  Marguerite Steen was another long-standing veteran of the Ginner-Mawer School where she had herself been a student, and just a few years later, when Ruby Ginner retired she went to live in Blewbury where she rented part of Steen’s house.  Other newspaper reports tell us that she spoke on behalf of Lady Crosfield’s appeal for the Greek Earthquake Relief Fund – and the newspaper is from 1953.

On this occasion, the performance was given at the Big Classical Theatre, inside Cheltenham College, rather than in any of the buildings rented out by the Ginner-Mawer School.

Thank you to NRCD, Archives & Special Collections, University of Surrey for the information.