Hall Plays
The hall play is a long held 'Slems' tradition, with the first hall play 'Five birds in a cage' (G.E. Jennings) being performed in 1924. It is said that
there was a slight hitch when the students failed to design a way in or out of the set. The solution?... They simply climbed through the windows instead! The hall play, along with many other traditions, ceased in the Second World War but was revived in 1950 and has been performed every year since.
Below is a collection of material from hall plays across the years. Please note more material will be uploaded on this page every month.
1929 Hall play - A night at the inn
These 1929 Hall Play photographs are St Anselm Halls earliest known play photographs. The top one was found in a St Anselm Hall Association magazine and the bottom found in hall. The title of the play was 'A night at the Inn' but little else is known about the play.
1934 Hall play - The Forest
The Forest was produced by Warden Thomas South, who can be seen sixth from the left in the middle row, in a black suit. He was supported by
Stage Manager W Robinson and assistant stage managers K. S. C. Jakeman and C.S. Walmsley.
Also on this photo are two Fallen Anselmians. On the far left on the middle row is Sydney Wetherell, who was killed Burma in April 1945, and third in from the left on the same row (with the pointed beard) is Kenneth 'Ken' Graves, the 1934-35 JCR president, who was killed at Tripoli, Libya, in January 1943.