Hello everyone,

I came across this chat group while researching information on the Theatre Royal and in particular the Royalettes. I am a dancer but currently doing a small project on the old theatre and the people who performed there. I have always had a huge interest and when I was a small child, I loved hearing stories of the famous Dublin troupe. So I am trying to find some members of the Royalettes to perhaps have a chat with or to share some of their stories and memories with me. I know it has been well over 50 years since the theatre closed but I believe it played such an important part in Dublin life and people still to this day look back with such fond memories that it would be a shame to have the stories fade away too. I would love if anyone could point me in the right direction or if they know of anyone who would be interested to talking to me, in particular the royalettes.

Many Thanks,

Tommy.

Hello, all. My mother, Violet Pollock, also was a Royalette. She also was part of the Jimmy O'Dea show, which I assume means she was at the Gaiety, but I'm not certain. I believe she danced from the late 1930s until the early to middle 1940s. She came to the US in 1947. She is still alive, and is 95 years old. She was good friends with Noel Purcell and his wife Eileen Marmion. We did have some pictures of her in various dance lines. We had a house fire in 2010 and nearly all her possessions were lost. Some photos were saved, but I'm not certain if they include any of the show photos. If anyone is still following this post, I can look for the pics if there's interest.

Thanks. Tara.

I'm stuck and wondering if anyone can help me out.

J.G. Rainbow was the manager of the Theatre Royal in West Bromwich from 1884 until his death in 1893. I have a book: West Bromwich Theatre Royal by Fred Bennett that devotes a chapter to Joseph's time at the theatre and there are numerous mentions of his daughter, Emma who was an actress.

I'm stuck on Emma. I can't find her in any census or any BMD's. In the 1881 & 1891 census I can only find sign of one daughter, Lillie Blanch who was 8 and 18 respectively. I did consider that maybe she used Emma as a stage name but the dates don't work out. According to the book Emma Rainbow already had her own travelling theatre company in 1884 when Lillie would only have been 11.

I'm thinking that Emma might have been the child of a previous relationship as Joseph's wife was only 34 in 1884 and probably too young to have a daughter who was managing her own theatre company at that time?

Any ideas or suggestions of where to look next would be very much appreciated.

Hi everyone. My mother Patricia Johnson was a Royalette in Theatre Royal. Her father Robert Johnson was Stage carpenter and her mother Mary Johnson was dressmaker. i was wondering if any of your relatives might have known them. Unfortunately we have no photos. i would be absolutely delighted to get any information. my email address is carshau@yahoo.co.uk.

regards carol

Thanks Phil. I can also send you my Aunt Bridies wedding photo (if you like) from 59. The Royalettes plus anyone else of importance from the period in the Irish show biz world are in it. I get back to Germany end of next week (were on holliday in
Asturias) and can send it via the Rads email address. Thanks once again. Stephen

Stephen leech wrote:Dear Phil. Thanks for your reply. My aunt Bridie Malone( Married a German Clarenette player from the Royal Orchestra and now lives in Goetingen)was a Royalette and knew your father well. Its a shame that her reminissences will one day be lost and gone like the Royal itself. These people knew everybody from the period. My children record a piano CD for our family and friends twice a year and they would like to use the Royal in particular and thirthies Dublin in general as a theme for their next one. If you have ANYTHING I would love to receive it. Im sure you have the prints from the opening night but if not let me know. Stephen

stephen.leech@t-online.de

PS. I must appologize for our state at the whelans gig but we had traveled over from germany and 8 hours of home......

Stephen, I'll have a think about it and get back to you. As I say, my access to materials is limited at the moment.

Dear Phil. Thanks for your reply. My aunt Bridie Malone( Married a German Clarenette player from the Royal Orchestra and now lives in Goetingen)was a Royalette and knew your father well. Its a shame that her reminissences will one day be lost and gone like the Royal itself. These people knew everybody from the period. My children record a piano CD for our family and friends twice a year and they would like to use the Royal in particular and thirthies Dublin in general as a theme for their next one. If you have ANYTHING I would love to receive it. Im sure you have the prints from the opening night but if not let me know. Stephen

stephen.leech@t-online.de

PS. I must appologize for our state at the whelans gig but we had traveled over from germany and 8 hours of home......

Stephen Leech wrote:Forgot to mention, if anyone on the forum should have photos of the Regal Rooms I would love to have copies of them. The quality of whats available on the web is poor. As mentioned I have scans of the opening night programe from the Royal (very special) which I would glady pass on. Thanks once again Stephen

Stephen, as this is in "my" section of the Forums, I'm wondering if you think I may be able to help here? Unfortunately, most of my own pictures of old Dublin landmarks as well as those inherited from my late father's archive are currently in safe storage during my prolonged recovery from cancer.

I can tell you that photos of the Regal Rooms have always been scarce and searches for the Royal tend to throw up the same old same old. My father had no more luck than most in either case, though on-stage photos are a different matter.

Forgot to mention, if anyone on the forum should have photos of the Regal Rooms I would love to have copies of them. The quality of whats available on the web is poor. As mentioned I have scans of the opening night programe from the Royal (very special) which I would glady pass on. Thanks once again Stephen

Have any of you good photographs of the Theatre Royal? We would like to use them for our childrens next project. Can you help? Would swap with opening night programe from '35