The First 40 Years: 1983

This is part of a series of articles looking at the first 40 years of the Stephen Joseph Theatre (1955 to 1995) from the perspective of the theatre's Archive. The articles were first published in the SJT Circular newsletter.

1983: A Star Is Born

by Simon Murgatroyd

Throughout the decades since it was founded in 1955, this Stephen Joseph Theatre has launched its own fair share of theatrical careers.

The most obvious - and famous - is that of Alan Ayckbourn, whose writing and directing career was launched at the theatre.

Through the decades though, the theatre has played an instrumental role in the early careers of many people, from writers such as David Campton and Tim Firth to scores of actors from Bob Peck to Tamzin Outhwaite - even to Artistic Directors such as Robert Hastie and Peter Cheeseman.

It has also been instrumental in encouraging scores of people not so well known, working in stage management, lighting and design amongst other fields. One must also not forget the many young people inspired to enter professional theatre through working front of house or being part of Rounders.

In 1983, there is a particularly notable example of someone inadvertently having an entire career launched by the SJT and which, in recent years, came full circle.

That year, it was decided to schedule a production of Terence Rattigan’s most famous plays, The Winslow Boy, with Associate Director Robin Herford directing.

Key to the play is the Winslow boy himself, Ronnie Winslow, the 14 year old cadet who is expelled from Naval College for stealing a five shilling postal order and whose family fights to clear his name.

The role is pivotal to the play and Robin decided to cast locally for the part turning to schools within the Scarborough area.

The shortlist comprised of 30 boys drawn from four schools with Robin interviewing each, looking for ‘someone with sincerity, spirit and talent’ as well as being able to speak in a London accent.

Robin’s choice was 14 year old Andrew Cryer, who attended Graham School and to which this would be a life-changing decision for the Scarborough-born youngster.
The play would kick-start his interest in a career in drama and in an interview with the Scarborough Evening News, he was already taking it all in his stride: “On the first night, I’ll just go read at first and then get on with it.”

Although only one review survived in a archive for Andy’s debut, it is a glowing one given by the Scarborough Evening News and which portended well for his future ambitions. “The real star of the show was 14-year-old Graham school pupil Andrew Cryer. The audience had no inkling in his authoritative, completely consistent performance of the nerves he must have felt. Without a good portrayal of the boy the play would have been lost, but Andrew met all the demands and added his own sparkle to the role.”

Andy would go on to attend Guildhall School of Music & Drama from 1987 to 1990 before embarking on a highly successful acting career; many audiences will have been familiar with Andy’s work through his long association with the Northern Broadsides.

Andy had always expressed a desire to come back to the SJT and he achieved that in 2008 when he appeared alongside Barrie Rutter in the world premiere of Jack Lear.

He was then invited back to join the company in 2014 for The Last Train To Scarborough and Aladdin before fulfilling a long-held wish, as he revealed in an in interview in 2016. “When I was 13 years old I worked for Alan on a production and I’ve been his friend ever since; but our paths have never quite crossed at the points where I’ve been available or the part has been right. At last, it’s play number 80, and he asked if I would like to be part of it. So I’m fulfilling a major ambition in my next role, in being able to work with Alan Ayckbourn.”

Andy came back for the 2016 season and appeared in The Karaoke Theatre Company and Consuming Passions as well as making a memorable video performance as Rufus in Henceforward....

It was a welcome back to the SJT for someone whose acting career had begun more than three decades earlier with the company.

Article by and copyright of Simon Murgatroyd. Please do not reproduce this article without permission of the copyright holder.