January 1925

Monday 5 January 1925 Manchester 10.30-11

The “2ZY” Drama Company present a one-act comedy

‘A Love Passage’ (W.W. Jacobs and Phillip E. Hubbard)

pr Victor Smythe

Hetty Alson - Edith Leach

Sam Bross - D.E. Ormerod

Jack Hall - Tom Wilson

Friday 30 January 1925 Manchester 10.20-11

Light Music and a Play

‘The Dear Departed’ (Stanley Houghton)

pr (no billing)

Mrs. Slater - Florence Watts

Victoria (daughter) - Enid King

Hewey Slater - Astley Jordan

Ben Jordan - Kit Marlowe

Mrs. J. - Ella Slin

Abel Merryweather - Norman Oddy

scene: cottage in a Lancashire town

NOTE: first broadcast of a Houghton play

February 1925

Saturday 7 February 1925 Manchester 7.30-XXXX

Dickins Birthday Programme by members of the Dickens Fellowship

directed by Gerald M. Farmer

‘A Christmas Party at Scrooge’s Nephew’s ‘

‘The Story of Caleb and Bertha’

‘Sam Weller’s Valentine’

‘David Copperfield and the Waiter’

‘Sally Gamp and Betsy Prig’

Monday 16 February 1925 Manchester 10-10.30

Mermaid Club

‘St. Simeon Stylites’ (F. Sladen Smith)

Saturday 21 February 1925 Manchester XXXX

‘Cinderella’ a Fairy Burlesque Extravaganza (Henry J. Byron)

pr Victor Smythe

“2ZY” Drama Repertory Company

Hilda Metcalf

Victor Smythe

H.B. Brenan

D.E. Ormerod

Toni Neilson

Betty Elsmore

T.O. Beachcroft

Nancy Ryness

Edith Leach

Helen McLachlan

Friday 27 February 1925 Manchester 8.30-9.30

‘The Case of Lady Camber’ four acts (Henry Annesley Vachell)

produced by Victor Smythe

directed by D.E. Ormerod

Lord Camber - Charles Nesbitt

Sir Bedford Slufton - Tom Wilson

Harley Napier - Victor Smythe

Buckle - D.E. Ormerod

Lady Camber - Mary Eastwood

Lady Matilda Rye - Lucia Rogers

Peach (maid) - Betty Ellsmore

Esther York - Nancy Rynes

NOTE: first acted at the Savoy Theatre 1915

March 1925

Friday 20 March 1925 Manchester 8.10-8.35

“2ZY” Mermaid Club

‘The Constant Lover’ (St. John Hankin) (script / photo)

Also July 1929

(Played at the Everyman Theatre, London 7 August 1922)

Tuesday 30 March 1925 Manchester XXXX

‘The Gamblers’ three acts (Charles Klein)

pr Victor Smythe

play of the sensational type

as ‘The Third Degree’ by Charles Klein opened their season in September 1924

Wilbur Emerson - Victor Smythe

Edward Mawdesley

D.E. Ormerod

Charles Nesbitt

H.B. Brenan

Gaston Leroux

Leo Martin

Hylda Metcalf

Angela Lopez

Betty Elsmore

directed by D.E. Ormerod

produced by Victor Smythe

April 1925

Monday 6 April 1925 Manchester 10-10.30

Victor Smythe presents

'A Musical Novelty'

Friday 24 April 1925 Manchester 7.40-10.15

“2ZY” Dramatic Company

‘The Chinese Puzzle’ four acts (Marian Bower and Leon M. Lion)

characters:

Naomi Milsham

Mrs. Melsham

Victoria Cresswell

Aimee de Villesoptiur

Lady de la Haye

Paul Marketel (an international financier)

Sir Roger de la Haye

Armand de le Roche Corbon

Hon. William Hirst

Air Aylmer Brent of the Foreign Office

Littleport (butler)

Dr. Fu Yang (secretary)

(first performance Washington 24 June 1918)

May 1925

Saturday 2 May 1925 Manchester 8.20

Mr. John E. Green (entertainer)

‘If Life Were a Play’ (Gray)

‘Philosophy of Work’

‘A North Country Interlude’

Friday 22 May Manchester 7.30-10

Concert in Aid of Salford Royal Hospital

Mr. John Henry (entertainer)

“2ZY” Dramatic Company ‘A Grain of Truth’ (Herbert Sargent)

‘The Registry Office’ (Herbert Sargent)

Wednesday 27 May 1925 Manchester 9.15-9.40

London Radio Repertory Players

* ® ‘Columbus’ (Richard Hughes)

Columbus - Henry Oscar

Bo’Sunday - George Skillian

Cabin-Boy - Lewis Shaw

Manoel - Tarver Penna

Diego - Ashton Pearse

scene: deck of Santa Maria October 1492

June 1925

Thursday 18 June 1925 Manchester XXXX

‘Gentlemen of the Road’

Monday 22 June 1925 Manchester XXXX

Daisy Kennedy

Monday 29 June 1925 Manchester 9.15-9.40

London Players

‘The Dweller in the Darkness’ ®

July 1925

Daventry 5XX high power station into operation

15 July 1925 Manchester

(opera) ‘I Pagliacci’ (Leoncavallo)

Manchester already 15 operas

August 1925

Saturday 29 August 1925 Manchester 8-10

An entertainment in four parts

Presented by Victor Smythe

Harry Hopewell

Hylda Metcalf

Betty Elsmore

Edith Hilton

Victor Smythe

Frank Foxon

The "2ZY" Revue Chorus

Part IV Humour, Verbal and Vocal

September 1925

Friday 11 September 1925 Manchester 8-10

"2ZY" present

The Sixth Edition of

'The 7.30 Revue'

in five scenes

Book by Victor Smythe

including sketches by H.C. Sargent and Daisy McGeogh

presented by Victor Smythe and Eric Fogg

October 1925

Thursday 1 October 1925 Manchester 8.0 (mixed)

Victor Smythe in an Algy sketch

Friday 2 October 1925 Manchester 8-10

Opening of "2ZY" Dramatic Season (1925-1926)

By special request

'The Witness for the Defence' four acts (A.E.W. Mason)

presented by Victor Smythe

directed by D.E. Ormerod

Stephen Ballantyne - Charles Nesbitt

Stella Ballantyne - Hylda Metcalf

Baram Singh - L. Chatra

Harry Thresk - Victor Smythe

Mrs. Pettifer - Betty Elsmore

Robert Pettifer - Tom Wilson

Richard Hazelwood - Ronald Gow

Harold Hazelwood - D.E. Ormerod

Hubbard - Claude Fargeon

Wednesday 21 October 1925 Manchester 8-9.45 (mixed)

The Dramatic Company in

‘The Nelson Touch’ (Frederick Fener)

Presented by Victor Smythe

Sarah Rigley – Mary Eastwood

Samuel Denyer – Edward Mawdsley

Lieut. Quilliam – Ronald Gow

Lord Nelson – Victor Smythe

Scene: The “Oak of England” Inn on the Portsmouth Road.

Time: Early morning

Friday 23 October 1925 Manchester 8-10 (mixed)

The Dramatic Company in

‘The Happy State’ (J. Wardle)

Presented by Victor Smythe

John Burton – Tom Wilson

Sarah Burton – Lucia Rogers

Percy Jones – Charles Nesbitt

Ethel Smith Robinson – Stella Cassell

Scene: The Burton’s Sitting-Room

Time: Afternoon

Monday 26 October 1925 Manchester 8.45-9.5

The London Radio Repertory Players present

* ® ‘War in Spain’ (Richard Hughes)

(no actors listed)

November 1925

Monday 2 November 1925 Manchester 8-10

The Manchester Station Dramatic Company in

‘A Fool’s Paradise’ three acts (Sidney Grundy)

First performance at the Garrick Theatre 2 January 1892

Presented by Victor Smythe

Directed by D.E. Ormerod

Hon. Tom Verinder – Ronald Gow

Mildred Selwyn – Edith Leach

Kate Derwent – Hylda Metcalf

Philip Selwyn – Victor Smythe

Beatrice Selwyn – Angela Lopez

Sir Peter Lund – Edward Bridgstock

Price (Butler) – Charles Nesbitt

Lord Normantower – John Marchant

Johnson (maid) – Betty Elsmore

Saturday 7 November 1925 Manchester 8-10

Special Concert from the ‘Manchester Evening Chronicle’

Wireless Exhibition in City Hall

Burlesques by the Station Dramatic Company

Presented by Victor Smythe

Wednesday 11 November 1925 Manchester 6.15-6.35

The Station Dramatic Company in a Commemoration Fantasy

‘The Spirit of the Cenotaph’ (H. Topliss)

Presented by Victor Smythe

First News-Boy – Charles Nesbitt

Second News-Boy – George Gaudin

Jack – Victor Smythe

Fred – Ronald Gow

The Spirit of the Cenotaph – Tom Wilson

Mind Picture: It is Armistice Evening. The sounds of a busy city – trams, taxis, news-boys etc. – are heard in the background.

Scene: The Cenotaph

Wednesday 30 November 1925 Manchester 10.30-11

The Station Drama Company

'The Changeling' (W.W. Jacobs and A.C. Sargeant)

Presented by Victor Smythe

George Henshaw – Victor Smythe

Mrs. Henshaw – Betty Elsmore

Ted Stokes – A.G. Mitcheson

Scene: The garden of the Henshaw’s house in Bermondsey. Upon the table are the remains of supper – consistingof cheese rind and stale bread. Mrs. Henshaw takes the last drink from the beer jug as her husband, George, enters. The latter is a scrubby little man dressed as a mechanic.

December 1925

Wednesday 2 December 1925 Manchester 8-10

The Station Drama Company

'John Rutherford and Son' 3 acts (Githa Sowerby)

Presented by Victor Smythe

Directed by D.E. Ormerod

Janet Rutherford – Marion Thwaite Matthews

Ann Rutherford – Carrie West

Mary Rutherford – Hylda Metcalf

John Rutherford – Victor Smythe

Richard Rutherford – Tom Wilson

John Rutherford (The Master) – Edward Mawdesley

Martin (The Works Manager) – E.J.Bridgstock

Mrs. Henderson – Mary Eastwood

Scene: The living-room in John Rutherford’s house, which stands on the edge of the moor – far enough from the village to preserve its dignity, and near enough to admit of the Master going to and fro from the Works in a few minutes.

Two days elapse between Acts 1 and 2.

Sunday 13 December 1925 Manchester 4.20-5

‘The Travelling Man’ (Lady Gregory)

A Mother – Gladys Bruce Pearson

A Child – Marjorie Whitehead

A Travelling Man – Parker Lynch

Presented by Parker Lynch

Friday 18 December 1925 Manchester 8.15-8.45

London Radio Repertory Company

‘Force, Wits and a Woman’ (Julius Hare)

Montague – Henry Oscar

Ainsworth – Herbert Ross

Ruth – Phyllis Panting

Landlord – Victor Lewisohn

Ireton – Michael Hogan

(See 4 December Belfast)