Behind the scenes - Heritage Project update!

Jenny Smith is our Heritage Project Manager who, together with our brilliant team of volunteers, is putting together a fantastic archive collection.    Here is an update of what has been going on behind the scenes.

We had a very busy 2015 getting the Hippodrome Heritage project underway, collecting oral history interviews and cataloguing and digitising our archive collection. Now we’re focussed on getting everything ready to go onto our brand new heritage website and touch table, which will be launched in May.

I had a wonderful afternoon meeting with the volunteer archivist Susan at Birmingham Royal Ballet, looking through their beautiful archive collection, and talking to BRB’s marketing team about how we share the story of ballet at the theatre through our touch table and website. BRB are an important part of this theatre’s recent history since making the historic move here in 1990.

We’ve recruited some new volunteers who are focussing on transcribing all of the wonderful oral history interviews we’re collecting. We are still happy to welcome anyone else who would like to help us to transcribe, as we’ve already done over 30 interviews and have lots more planned over the next couple of months. It takes quite a while to transcribe them, but they’re really fascinating to listen to, and you can do it at home in your own time.

Here’s a quote from one of my favourite interviews so far with Brian Conley when we caught up with him in his dressing room whilst he was here performing in Barnum:
‘I’ve performed here (Birmingham Hippodrome) probably more times than anyone else and I know that I have starred in more productions than anyone else here.  That’s really not some big master plan, it’s just that it’s turned out I have done 6 pantomimes  and have starred in Hairspray, Jolson and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and what I am currently doing now, which of course is Barnum.’

We’ve heard loads of wonderful stories from people who have been to see shows here over the years too. I had a phone call the other day from a lovely woman who told me she is ‘over 100 years old’ and came to see shows here during the war, including Irving Berlin’s This Is The Army. There was red, white and blue bunting all over the theatre and it really lifted her spirits. It was such a wonderful show she has never forgotten it. It’s lovely to hear how this project is helping to revive happy memories for so many people.

We’ve also got interviews lined up with former Hippodrome Chief Executives Peter Tod and Richard Johnston, which I’m really looking forward to, as they should give us a great wealth of stories about what happens behind the scenes.

We’ve got a busy and exciting few months ahead!

For further information on how to become a transcriber email archive@birminghamhippodrome.com

Find out what it’s like to be a pantomime dame in part 2 of our Hippodrome Heritage podcasts

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