Moss Empires

In 1953, Moss Empires Ltd., the largest live-show organisation in the country, acquired a controlling interest in the theatre, ballroom and restaurant, and the land occupied by the fairground and car park.

This was, at the time, the largest property deal ever executed in the town, with the amount of money involved around £146,000. Soon after the takeover, redecoration and reseating of the theatre’s upper circle took place.  The Winter Gardens thus became part of a huge chain of theatres: as well as owning London’s Palladium, the Prince of Wales Theatre and the Hippodrame, Moss Empires Ltd were in possession of variety theatres in most of the other major towns and cities in Britain. The directors of the company were known as the ‘Kings of Live Entertainment’, and included Prince Littler and Val Parnell.

Throughout the 1950s there were always three pantomimes in the winter season at the Winter Gardens, interspersed with other shows such as the Royal Imperial Circus or Emile Littler’s When Knights Were Bold. The Winter Gardens always outshone the other theatres in Morecambe: a crystal Cinderella coach pulled by four real Shetland ponies and Pat Kirkwood’s swinging across the stage as Peter Pan in were typical examples. Snow White in 1956 featured seven dwarfs played by ‘seven real little men, a treat for old and young (op cit, 269). The Carla Rosa Company provided opera and major orchestras played occasionally at the Winter Gardens. Marie Rambert brought her own Ballet Rambert in 1950, and Saddlers Wells Ballet visited in 1955 (op cit, 269).
Early in 1958, managing director Val Parnell implemented a bold new policy for the theatre for the coming season and the following winter. Departing from the previous policy of a different variety show every week, a new resident summer show was planned, featuring such top stars as Alma Cogan, comedian Ken Platt, Morecambe and Wise, and pianist Semprini.

The following winter there was a short repertory season to fill the gap closed by the closure of Morecambe’s Royalty Theatre, which had been the only live show in the area outside Blackpool during the winter. Leslie A Macdonall assumed the role of company managing director in 1959, and this heralded the departure of Louis Benjamin, who, over the previous five-and-a-half years, had been one of the most successful managers the Winter Gardens had ever seen. Benjamin was responsible for the innovative management that had enabled the venue to weather a general slump in theatre attendances, when many other theatres closed. In the theatre the Sunday night concerts had been changed to Sunday concerts with more family appeal, and featured popular vocalists and supporting artistes.

These were turned into twice-nightly shows on Sundays, with great success.  
In the late 1950s, a new entrance was built to the public bar, and the ballroom became the Palm Court; this proved extremely popular with holidaymakers on wet days. In an attempt to counteract a decline in theatre attendance, which was believed to have been caused by the increasing popularity and availability of television sets, the stars of the small screen were increasingly brought into the live shows. The Winter Gardens even called its summer show of 1957 T.V. Highlights of 1957. Though eyebrows were raised in some quarters, new ‘artistic adult’ entertainment began to be allowed on stage in the 1950s (op cit, 271). The first exotic note was struck by Della Kay Deare, the Golden Poseuse, at the Winter Gardens in 1951. She belonged to the ‘if it moves it’s rude’ genre, but, over the next two years, there followed less static performances. Warnings announced ‘Nude Life Size Beauties not fit for children to see’.




The Winter Gardens appeared to have remained largely unaffected by the downturn in Morecambe’s economic fortunes that began in the 1960s. After the Pantomime in 1960 there remained dancing on most nights, wrestling and concerts at weekends, a Doyly Carte Gilbert and Sullivan season, as well as popular amateur productions. With the early season came a run of professional shows, featuring such popular names as Adam Faith, John Hanson and David Whitfield. Nineteen Sixty-two saw the Black and White Minstrel Show at the Winter Gardens for the summer season; this proved hugely popular and was repeated in 1964 and 1974. Brian Rix appeared in ‘Chase me Comrade’ in 1966, his first appearance outside London for 15 years.