MTA/5/1/2/34

MTA/5/1/2/34

Item

My Story Memory: Elaine Sutherland remembers saving the theatre from being turned into a bingo hall

1986

The saving of the Mayflower from being turned into a Bingo Hall and my husband Steven Sutherlands and others involvement with it. My husband and I have always loved the theatre and the first play we ever saw was at the Nuffield Theatre. A very young Ian McKellen in a play called Ashes. Steven even belonged to a local amateur dramatic society and took part in A Christmas Carol on the same stage. In his teens he saw a plethora of artists including the Beatles in 1963. However when as a city councillor as the Chair of Leisure he was active in getting Dennis Hall to pop up the road from Bournemouth. In 1991 we moved to Canada but were always aware of things going on in Southampton. When Steven died in 2013 at 63 years of age I chose to return to Southampton to be near our Children. The first visit to the Mayflower was on the anniversary of his birthday with my 2 daughters to see the Lion King and at the beginning of the show I was in tears thinking he would have been so happy to see the success of the theatre. He had also watched the Lion King movie daily with our 3 granddaughters in Canada. I am a regular patron now enjoying mostly the Musicals and ballet.