The Stage facts for kids

The Stage is a special newspaper and website from Britain. It's all about the exciting world of entertainment, especially theatre. It started way back in 1880. This paper shares news, reviews of shows, opinions, and even job ads for people who want to work in theatre and performing arts.

History of The Stage

Charles Lionel Carson, who helped start The Stage

The very first edition of The Stage came out on February 1, 1880. It was first called The Stage Directory – a London and Provincial Theatrical Advertiser. It cost three old pence, which was a small amount of money back then.

At first, it came out once a month. But starting March 25, 1881, it became a weekly newspaper. At the same time, its name was shortened to just The Stage.

The newspaper was started by Charles Lionel Carson and Maurice Comerford. Their office was across from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. Charles Carson is known as the founder. His wife, Emily Courtier Dutton, later started several charities for people in theatre.

When The Stage began, many other theatre newspapers existed. But Carson and Comerford lowered their paper's price to just one penny. Soon, The Stage became the most popular and the only one left.

The newspaper has stayed in the same family for a long time. After Charles Carson's son, Lionel, passed away in 1937, the Comerford family took over.

Since 1995, The Stage has given out special awards. These are called The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence. They are given at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a big arts festival.

In 2004, a writer named Simon Blumenfeld was recognized by Guinness World Records. He was the world's oldest weekly newspaper columnist at 96 years old. He kept writing until just before he passed away in 2005.

The main The Stage Awards started in 2010. These awards are given every year. They celebrate amazing theatre groups and people in different areas. These include London theatre, regional theatre, producers, schools, and even unsung heroes.

In August 2013, The Stage launched an online casting service. It's called The Stage Castings. It even lets people do video auditions.

In May 2019, The Stage worked with the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and UK Theatre. They created Get Into Theatre, a website. This website helps people find out about careers in theatre.

Famous Careers Started by The Stage

Many famous people found their first jobs or big breaks through The Stage.

In 1956, writer John Osborne sent his play Look Back in Anger to a theatre. He saw an ad for the theatre in the paper.

Dusty Springfield found an ad for female singers in 1958. She responded and got a job.

Idris Elba got his very first acting role in a play. He applied after seeing a job ad in the paper.

Harold Pinter found his first job after answering an ad. Kenneth Branagh got a main role in a BBC TV series. He saw the ad in The Stage.

The Internationalist Theatre group was first announced in The Stage in April 1981.

Ricky Tomlinson responded to an ad for a TV show in 1981. Sandi Toksvig got her first TV job after answering an ad in The Stage.

TV presenter Maggie Philbin got her first big role on a show called Multi-Coloured Swap Shop. She answered an ad in The Stage.

Some pop groups found their members through ads in the newspaper. These include the Spice Girls in 1994, Scooch in 1998, and 5ive in 1997.

Lee Mead, an actor who won a TV talent show, got his first professional job on a cruise ship. He found the job through an ad in the paper.

TV presenter Ben Shephard auditioned for a children's show after seeing an ad. He didn't get that role, but he met someone who later hired him for another TV show.

Charles Dance found his first role in a Welsh theatre. Alexandra Burke said her mom bought The Stage for auditions. That's how she got on a TV talent show.

Award-winning actor Sharon D. Clarke found her first role through an audition ad in the paper.

Lisa Scott-Lee shared that the pop band Steps was formed through an ad in The Stage.

Sir Michael Caine said that early in his career, he looked for acting jobs in The Stage.

Editors of The Stage

• 1880–1901: Charles Carson
• 1901–1904: Maurice Comerford
• 1904–1937: Lionel Carson
• 1937–1943: Bernard Weller
• 1943–1952: S. R. Littlewood
• 1952–1972: Eric Johns
• 1972–1992: Peter Hepple
• 1992–1994: Jeremy Jehu
• 1994–2014: Brian Attwood
• 2014–2017: Alistair Smith (print); Paddy Smith (online)
• 2017–present: Alistair Smith

The Stage and Television Today

In 1959, The Stage changed its name to The Stage and Television Today. It added a special section just for TV news. This section had its own editor.

The name and TV section stayed until 1995. Then, TV news was put back into the main paper. The name went back to The Stage. But in 2006, the paper started a blog about television called TV Today.

Digital Archive

You can read all the old issues of The Stage from 1880 to 2007 online. You need a subscription to access them.

Famous Sayings About The Stage

• "The moment you have arrived in the profession is when you realise you don't have to read The Stage" – Noël Coward (a famous playwright)
• "The stage would not be the stage without The Stage" – Laurence Olivier (a very famous actor, in The Stage, October 25, 1976)

See also

In Spanish: The Stage (revista) para niños