Hall Plays
The hall play is a long held 'Slems' tradition, with the first hall play 'Five birds in a cage' (G.E. Jennings) being performed in 1924. It is said that
there was a slight hitch when the students failed to design a way in or out of the set. The solution?... They simply climbed through the windows instead! The hall play, along with many other traditions, ceased in the Second World War but was revived in 1950 and has been performed every year since.
Below is a collection of material from hall plays across the years.
1929 Hall play - A night at the inn
Taken in 1929, these are the earliest known photographs of a St Anselm Hall Play. They show students performing Lord Dunsany's 'A Night at the Inn,' a one act play about a group of desperandos who, having stolen a Ruby, have taken shelter in an Inn.
1934 Hall play - The Forest
The Forest was produced by Warden Thomas South, who can be seen sixth from the left in the middle row, in a black suit. He was supported by
Stage Manager W Robinson and assistant stage managers K. S. C. Jakeman and C.S. Walmsley.
Also on this photo are two Fallen Anselmians. On the far left on the middle row is Sydney Wetherell, who was killed Burma in April 1945, and third in from the left on the same row (with the pointed beard) is Kenneth 'Ken' Graves, the 1934-35 JCR president, who was killed at Tripoli, Libya, in January 1943.
1937 Hall play - The Terror
The 1937 hall play was Edgar Wallace's 'The Terror,' a murder/horror story about criminals on the run and the police pursuing them. The Warden, Rev. South, can be seen in the centre of the front row. Other identifiable figures include Alan Walsh as P.C. Starr (third from left, middle row) and John Moss as Stein (far right, front row.) A surviving programme in the University of Manchester archive advises that during the two intervals refreshments would be avaliable in the JCR and 'reading room', both of which could also be used to smoke.