Audience and management From the audience's point of view, local communities would become fans, and champion their favourites who would be treated as celebrities. Sometimes entire families would make a visit to their local rep part of the weekly routine, like going to church , and for the young people it could became part of their future appreciation for live "legitimate" theatre.  During the forties, fifties  and sixties, two impresarios dominated the field of British rep, mostly in the North. They were Harry Hanson and his Court players, and Frank H. Fortescue's Famous Players, with Arthur Brough in Folkestone for the South. Their system was the toughest of all, for if you joined one of their companies, it could mean "twice-nightly" shows, and a new play to learn every week. Rosemary Harris has told of her 50 consecutive weeks of doing just that at Bedford rep. That cannot happen any more , owing to the restrictions of British Equity, which came to mandate just eight shows a week, including perhaps two matinées. Fortescue, who died in 1957, was known to be a strict and upright man. When Pygmalion was playing at one of his theatres, the sign "FOR ADULTS ONLY!" would be posted in the front of house, because of Eliza Doolittle's line "Not bloody likely!".
Audience and management From the audience's point of view, local communities would become fans, and champion their favourite performers, who are treated as celebrities. Sometimes entire families would make a visit to their local rep part of the weekly routine, like going to church . As a result, the younger generations begin to develop a natural appreciation for the live arts, otherwise known as "legitimate" theatre. " During the forties, fifties , and sixties, two impresarios dominated the field of British rep, mostly in the North. They were Harry Hanson and his Court players, and Frank H. Fortescue's Famous Players, with Arthur Brough in Folkestone for the South. Their system was the toughest of all, for if you joined one of their companies, it could mean "twice-nightly" shows, and a new play to learn every week. Rosemary Harris has told of her 50 consecutive weeks of doing just that at Bedford rep. That cannot happen anymore , owing to the restrictions of British Equity, which came to mandate just eight shows a week, including perhaps two matinées. Fortescue, who died in 1957, was known to be a strict and upright man. When Pygmalion was playing at one of his theatres, the sign "FOR ADULTS ONLY!" would be posted in the front of house, because of Eliza Doolittle's line "Not bloody likely!".
R
favourites who would be
favourite performers, who are
R
, and for the young people it could became part of their future appreciation for live
. As a result, the younger generations begin to develop a natural appreciation for the live arts, otherwise known as
A
"
A
,
R
any more
anymore