Introduction

The Robin Hood Theatre lies in the grounds of Averham Rectory, close to Sherwood Forest. It was designed by the Rev. Joseph Cyril Walker in 1913 and built by the village carpenter, Robert Lee, assisted by local voluntary labour.

The exterior was simple and functional, but the interior surprised and delighted all who entered it.  The ample 3' high stage with a depth of 24' and a width of 16' was framed by an ornate proscenium arch painted in gold leaf, flanked by more beautiful plaster work.  The handsome front drop tabs were of dark green velvet and the orchestra pit was surrounded by a heavy brass rail hung with curtains of the same material.  The full name chosen for the theatre was the Robin Hood Opera House and these initials were inscribed on the proscenium arch.

Two small dressing rooms led off from either side of the stage, above which a fly floor and cat walk were constructed, while behind the stage an ample scene dock could also be used as an extra dressing room for large cast productions.  The theatre had a seating capacity of 150. The first five rows were tip- up seats, upholstered in green velvet, "the Rev. Cyril Walker's stalls", the remainder consisting of Bentwood chairs.

A long succession of musical plays and pantomimes were performed, many of them written by the rector himself, followed over the years by thrillers and straight plays.

The Rev. Cyril Walker was a man of many parts.  After the church his great passion was the theatre.  His productions were meticulous since he had gained his experience with the Oxford University drama group and many of his close friends were professional actors.  People came to the theatre to marvel at the amazing scenery, designed and painted entirely by the rector, who learnt this art from Edward Harker of London and the results, which sometimes took him a whole year to complete, could have graced any professional stage.  The theatre always played to capacity and was open for one month in the winter and one in summer.

Among his company were Jessie Bond, a former Gilbert and Sullivan leading lady and a young Newark schoolboy named Donald Wolfit who was enthusiastic enough to cycle three miles on cold nights from Newark to attend rehearsals.  He played small parts in several of the rector's pantomimes, once even the legs of the pantomime donkey, "all four of them", he proudly boasted later.  One of the finest Shakespearean actors this country has ever produced, Sir Donald was knighted for his services to the British Theatre in 1957 but he never forgot his past and years later played a major role in the revival of this enchanting small theatre.

The Rev. Cyril Walker continued his activities through World War I and into World War II and many mourned his death in 1941.  His company, "The Country Bumpkins", struggled bravely on without him for a further ten years, but in 1951 the Fire authorities refused to grant any further performance licences until the building had been rewired.  No money was forthcoming for this work and in 1951 the theatre, in theatrical terms, became dark.

Valerie Baker 1981