The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the industry.

It is an important publication for actors throughout the country, as it contains regular advertisements for available jobs and provides an opportunity for various acts to promote themselves to agents and directors.

Early history

The first edition of The Stage was published (under the title The Stage Directory – a London and Provincial Theatrical Advertiser) on 1 February 1880 at a cost of 3 old pence for twelve pages. Publication was monthly until 25 March 1881, when the first weekly edition was produced. At the same time, the name was shortened to The Stage and the publication numbering restarted at number 1.

The publication was a joint venture between founding Editor Charles Lionel Carson (then aged 33) and Business Manager Maurice Comerford (26), and operated from offices opposite the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

The Stage entered a crowded market, with many other theatre titles (including The Era) in circulation. Undercutting their rivals, Carson and Comerford dropped the price of the paper to one penny and was soon the only remaining title in its field.

The newspaper has remained in family ownership. Upon the death in 1937 of Charles Carson's son Lionel, who had assumed the joint role of managing director and editor, control passed to the Comerford family. The current managing director, Catherine Comerford, is founder Maurice's great-granddaughter.

Recent history

In 1959 The Stage was relaunched as The Stage and Television Today, incorporating a pull-out supplement dedicated to broadcasting news and features. The name and supplement remained until 1995, when coverage was incorporated into the main paper and the name reverted to The Stage.

In 2004, 96-year-old contributor Simon Blumenfeld was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest weekly newspaper columnist.[1]

Editors

• 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–present Brian Attwood

Quotations

• "The moment you have arrived in the profession is when you realise you don't have to read The Stage" - Noel Coward (attributed)
• "The stage would not be the stage without The Stage" - Laurence Olivier (The Stage, 25 October 1976)

External link

• Official site