Evolution from Ryland’s Folly to Levelling Up
Today’s fascinating talk by Chris Bassett ‘150 years of entertainment in Malvern’ was amazingly topical, given the recent news that Malvern Theatres has been awarded a grant in the UK government’s Levelling Up Fund.
Entertainment in Malvern grew apace with the growth of the Water Cure from the mid nineteenth century onwards. The audience heard how there had been two ‘Cecilia Hall’s in Church Street, one of which is now The Old Con Club.
But it was ‘Ryland’s Folly’, more correctly known as The Royal Malvern Spa that sparked the imagination of many. Built by William Ryland to satisfy the entertainment needs of the gentry visiting Malvern, its construction high up on the western side of the Hills, near the Wyche Cutting, was delayed by accidents, contractors pulling out and reports that the site was haunted. Eventually it was opened in 1883, by superstar singer, Jenny Lind, the ‘Swedish Nightingale’ who owned a house nearby. The Royal Malvern Spa boasted a domed hall that could seat 2,000, five acres of exotic hillside gardens, a zoo, statuary and a grotto.
Success was short-lived, however. In 1885 the Assembly Rooms, which ultimately became what is now Malvern Theatres, opened in Great Malvern. The relatively remote Royal Malvern Spa failed as an entertainment centre, becoming an hotel, which too failed. William Ryland was declared bankrupt in 1890 and the site was abandoned in 1895, with almost everything succumbing to demolition in 1937.
What happened to the statuary and the animals? Chris pondered… before tracing the history of the growth of Malvern Theatres and the world famous names connected with the Malvern Festival, through entertaining the troops during the Second World War, continual changes and improvements, to the present day, as works are carried out to the Grange Road frontage. The £20M Levelling Up grant will further enhance the entertainment that Malvern can offer.
Meanwhile, the bijou Coach House Theatre provides a stage for amateur productions in, yes, you’ve guessed correctly, a beautifully converted former coach house, a stone’s throw from Malvern Theatres.
The next free Priory Lunchbox is on 23rd February, when Jo Hook, will talk on TEMWA. Bring your packed lunch at 12.30; there’s tea and coffee available and the talk starts at 1pm.
