Save Streatham Hill Theatre from change of use to a church

In his blog post “What the nation needs now – pantomime!” in June 2020, Gyles says that “Panto has been part of my life since 1960 when I first saw Cinderella at the Streatham Hill Theatre in London, with Frankie Howerd as an outrageous Buttons.”

See his full post here https://www.gylesbrandreth.net/blog/2020/6/21/what-the-nation-needs-now-pantomime

I have resided in Vancouver, Canada for 40+ years but visit UK (until COVID) twice a year to see family, friends and go to the beloved theatre.

My brother and I were brought up in Streatham/Norbury and I went to school at Streatham Hill High close to the theatre. I did not become an actor but worked behind the camera as a feature film Script Supervisor on major productions all over the world for 40 years fuelled by my love for theatre.

In the late 50s my mother took me to the Streatham Hill Theatre every Tuesday evening when it was cheap night and I made her wait with me at the stage door for me to collect autographs. I still have the small book in my possession, with Janette Scott, Margaret Rutherford, Dirk Bogarde, and many other autographs on the pages.

Thank you for the wonderful work you are doing.

Christine Wilson

As a child I certainly went to the Streatham Hill Theatre to see pantomimes, but unfortunately I have no memories of going there. I do remember that the programmes (which I think cost 6d) were secured with a paper seal, which you broke to read the programme. All this was presumably to prevent people selling the programme: was it really justified? I think not.

Robert Holden