The Stage
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- For the branch of the performing arts sometimes referred to as "the stage" see theatre.
It is an important publication for actors throughout the country, as it contains regular advertisements for available jobs and provides an opportunity for various acts to promote themselves to agents and directors.
Early history
The first edition of The Stage was published (under the title The Stage Directory – a London and Provincial Theatrical Advertiser) on 1 February 1880 at a cost of 3 old pence for twelve pages. Publication was monthly until 25 March 1881, when the first weekly edition was produced. At the same time, the name was shortened to The Stage and the publication numbering restarted at number 1.The publication was a joint venture between founding Editor Charles Lionel Carson (then aged 33) and Business Manager Maurice Comerford (26), and operated from offices opposite the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
The Stage entered a crowded market, with many other theatre titles (including The Era) in circulation. Undercutting their rivals, Carson and Comerford dropped the price of the paper to one penny and was soon the only remaining title in its field.
The newspaper has remained in family ownership. Upon the death in 1937 of Charles Carson's son Lionel, who had assumed the joint role of managing director and editor, control passed to the Comerford family. The current managing director, Catherine Comerford, is founder Maurice's great-granddaughter.
Television Today
In 1959 The Stage was relaunched as The Stage and Television Today, incorporating a pull-out supplement dedicated to broadcasting news and features. Derek Hoddinott, the main paper's TV editor, became Editor of the new supplement.The name and supplement remained until 1995, when broadcasting coverage was re-incorporated into the main paper. The name on the masthead reverted to The Stage, although the words "Incorporating Television Today" remained under the logo on the front page and above the leader column. In 2000, the reference to Television Today was dropped from the front page and replaced by the URL of the paper's website. The reference above the leader was similarly replaced from January 2002.
in 2006, the paper introduced a blog concentrating on television, named [TV Today].
Recent history
From 1995, the newspaper has awarded the Stage Awards for Acting Excellence at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
In 2004, 96-year-old contributor Simon Blumenfeld was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest weekly newspaper columnist.[link]. The column continued until shortly before his death in 2005.
On 27 April 2006, the paper relaunched with smaller pages, staple binding and full colour on heavier paper stock, with a new masthead and design by David Hillman of Pentagram.
Careers starting via The Stage
Television presenter Maggie Philbin won her first major role, as a copresenter of Multicoloured Swap Shop, after answering an advertisement in The Stage.Ned Sherrin, producer of the satirical BBC television programme That Was The Week That Was, hired David Frost as its presenter after reading a favourable review of Frost's London comedy cabaret show in The Stage.Ned Sherrin, Loose Ends, broadcast on BBC Radio 4, May 6 2006.
A number of pop groups have recruited all or some of their members through advertisements placed in the newspaper, most notably the Spice Girls in 1993The Spice Girls; Cripps, Rebecca; & Peachey, Mal (1997). Real Life: Real Spice The Official Story. London: Zone Publishers. ISBN 0-233-99299-5 and 5ive in 1997.[[Citing sources citation needed]]
Editors
- 1880–1901 Charles Carson
- 1901–1904 Maurice Comerford
- 1904–1937 Lionel Carson
- 1937–1943 Bernard Weller
- 1943–1952 S.R. Littlewood
- 1952–1972 Eric Johns
- 1972–1992 Peter Hepple
- 1992–1994 Jeremy Jehu
- 1994–present Brian Attwood
Quotations
- "The moment you have arrived in the profession is when you realise you don't have to read The Stage" - Noel Coward (attributed)
- "The stage would not be the stage without The Stage" - Laurence Olivier (The Stage, 25 October 1976)
External link
References
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