But the curtain has now risen on a new thriller and members admit to being a little baffled by it.

President Jeanne O'Rourke was busy collecting material together for a display for a forthcoming open day when she stumbled across an interesting find.

She unearthed a collection of old playbills, dating back to the 1700s which had lain forgotten gathering dust in a corner of the Playhouse in King Cross Street, Halifax.

"We knew they existed but they had just been forgotten about. But what is really puzzling is that they refer to plays being performed at a venue which we know nothing about and we'd really love to find out where it was," she says.

The performances advertised on the bills, dating back to the 1780s, do not refer to the Thespians – or the Playhouse – but took place instead at a venue called The New Theatre, Halifax.

"In the very early bills it is referred to as The New Theatre and then a bit later it is simply called The Theatre, Halifax. We've done a bit of research and come across other theatres and venues long since demolished but we can't find out any information about this one or where it was," she adds.

"What is also baffling is that it doesn't say on any of the posters which group was performing the plays so there's no clue there either."

The bills advertise classic comedies such as Richard Sheridan's The Rivals which starred a Mr Pero as Sir Anthony Absolute and a Mrs Pero as Mrs Malaprop, as well as The Death of Captain Cook.

Tickets were available from The Shakespeare Tavern with boxes costing three shillings, upper boxes two and six, the pit, two shillings and the gallery one shilling.

"When you look at the play there's a great variety from song and dance programmes to Shakespeare plays. It would be wonderful to find out exactly where this venue was and who was performing them," she says.

Last year Thespians celebrated their 80th anniversary and as part of the special year, the group was invited to join the English Heritage Open Days festival.

Members are now preparing for the second open day which takes place on Septem-ber 13 – and the playbills will form part of an exhibition.

Visitors, who will be able to go backstage at the Halifax theatre, will also be able to browse through old cuttings books, painstakingly kept by past presidents over the decades, as well as scrap books referring to other Halifax theatre groups.

"One lady kindly dropped off some scrap books full of cuttings about the Halifax Playgoers Club which are fascinating," she says.

There are also old Courier articles about the Halifax Repertory Theatre Club, which performed at the former Grand Theatre – including one dating back to 1956 when former Halifax lad Eric Portman, then an established and revered actor, dashed back to his home town to try and stop the theatre from closing.

Another talking point will be a pair of old chairs which were made from the original proscenium beam of The Old Mitre Theatre, a former Halifax music hall which stood on the east side of Market Street, roughly where Boots is today.

"Last year we had lots of interest from people not just from Halifax but from outside the area too, who had always wanted to come inside the Playhouse and have a good look around," says Jeanne.

"One man said he had walked past every day for 20 years on his way to work and had never stepped inside. He had no idea what to expect.

"What will be extra interesting this year too is that we have an actors' workshop going on so visitors will be able to see that too.
Last year's open day resulted in some new recruits for Thespians so hopefully this year the same will happen."

Jeanne would now like to hear from anyone who can help with information about the former New Theatre, Halifax. She can be e-mailed at jeanne@halifaxplayhouse.org.uk

Hidden treasures go on display
HERITAGE Open Days celebrates England's architecture and culture by offering free access to properties that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission.

Every year on four days in September, buildings of every age, style and function throw open their doors, ranging from castles to factories, town halls to tithe barns, parish churches to Buddhist temples. It is a once-a-year chance to discover hidden architectural treasures and enjoy a wide range of tours, events and activities which bring to life local history and culture.

Halifax Playhouse and Thespians' open day takes place on Saturday, Septem-ber 13, from 10am to 4pm. It includes guided tours and no pre-booking is necessary. Entrance is free and all are welcome.
The Thespians' next production, The Lady In The Van opens on August 30 and tickets are available on 01422 365998.