Scarborough A - Z

The A - Z is an alphabetical guide to people, places and events relating to theatre - with an emphasis on theatre in the round - in Scarborough. This is an ongoing project, produced in association with the Encyclopaedia at www.alanayckbourn.net with new content being regularly added. To begin exploring, click on a letter in the right hand column below.

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Gaiety Cinema: Former cinema and theatre on Aberdeen Walk which opened in 1920 as the Aberdeen Picture House. It was built with limited facilitates for live performance which were rarely utilised. By 1944, it was renamed the Aberdeen Cinema before being renamed the Gaiety Cinema in 1957. Live shows were presented during the summer season in the 1960s before the building was converted into a bingo hall. It was later repurposed into retail premises. Apparently the first 3D movie to ever be shown in Scarborough was played at this cinema.

Gambon, Michael: Award-winning actor who has appeared in more West End productions of Alan Ayckbourn's plays than any other actor. This led to Gambon agreeing in 1990 to work for a season at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round, Scarborough, performing in Alan Ayckbourn's Taking Steps and the playwright's first attempt at directing Shakespeare with Othello.

Garrett, Stephen: And architect and friend of Stephen Jospeh who helped Stephen with the design and construction of Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre in 1955. He would go on to become a director at the John Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. He described himself as an “unpaid architect” with regard to Stephen Joseph and although he did not altogether understand Stephen’s plans for theatre, he was enthusiastically supportive of the work.

Gaslight: Patrick Hamilton's Victorian-set thriller was the first play to be professionally directed by Alan Ayckbourn. The production premiered at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, on 29 June 1961.

Glaser, Eleanor D: The first playwright to be produced at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough. Her play, Circle of Love, was the inaugural production opening on 14 July 1955 and was the first of two of her plays to be produced by the company.

Godber, John: Award-winning northern playwright initially associated with Hull Truck Theatre for many years who now runs his own theatre company. The popular writer has premiered several works in Scarborough including Perfect Pitch (1998) and Fly Me To The Moon (2004).

Gothic Saloon: See Spa Theatre.

Grand Picture House: A former cinema located on Foreshore Road which opened in the summer of 1914 on the site of a former skating rink. It was damaged during the German bombing campaign in December 1914, re-opening in 1919 before closing by 1947.

Grinning At The Edge: Alan Ayckbourn's official biography, written by Paul Allen and first published in hardcover by Methuen in 2001 with a softcover following in 2002 and an ebook in 2014. Given the playwright is synonymous with Scarborough, the book extensively looks ate his relationship with the town over the decades.

A Guided Tour Through Ayckbourn Country: A collection of programme notes, essays and interviews with Alan Ayckbourn by Albert-Reiner Glaap, first published by Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier in 1999. An expanded second edition was released in 2004. The book includes reference to Alan Ayckbourn's relationship with theatre in the round and Scarborough.

The Scarborough: A - Z section of the website is created in collaboration with Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website. Original research is by Simon Murgatroyd and copyright of the author. Please credit this website if reproducing the information.