There can be few artistes who have not graced the stage of the New Theatre in Oxford.

Plays, musicals, pantomimes, concerts – you name it, they have been performed there.

The theatre in George Street is 75 years old this year and wants Memory Lane readers to help celebrate the anniversary.

Press officer Diana Hackett tells me: “The theatre has changed hands several times in the past 40 years or so, and our archive has been depleted, with vast amounts of information lost each time.”

She is looking for memories, photographs, show programmes and any other memorabilia linked with the venue for a public display later in the year.

The theatre opened with a great fanfare on February 26, 1934.

Outside, crowds lined the street to watch dignitaries arrive, while inside, there was excitement as the mayor, Lily Tawney, arrived to perform the opening ceremony.

Our sister paper The Oxford Times reported: “On every side of the auditorium could be seen people of distinction from city and university.

“The gathering had all the glamour of the first night in one of the famous West End theatres.

“In a few brief words, Stanley Dorrill, the managing director, welcomed the audience to the theatre and called upon Miss Tawney to perform the formal opening ceremony, which she did in one of those excellent little speeches, brief but very much to the point.”

The audience was then treated to a performance of the Drury Lane success, Wild Violets, a love story with a cast of 100.

The Oxford Mail reported: “The evening had all the atmosphere of a successful gala night, with every seat occupied.

“The demand for tickets exceeded the supply by several hundreds.

“Some of those who left it too late tried all manner of means to pull the strings.

“Directors were canvassed and rung up at all hours and asked to use their influence. Some of the applicants were rude.”

In its advertisements, the theatre made much of the “luxurious tip-up chairs and revolving stage”.

Tickets cost between one shilling and sixpence and six shillings.

The theatre was the third on or near the George Street site.

The Victoria Theatre had opened in Red Lion Yard, behind the present theatre, in 1836, but by 1880, it was showing signs of age and a company was formed to create a new building, for use by town and university groups, as well as professionals.

The New Theatre Royal opened in 1886, replacing a row of timber-framed houses in George Street.

It was rebuilt in its present form in 1933-4 and the ‘Royal’ was dropped from its title.