Helen Wybrew Interview: Meeting Prince Edward & 150th Anniversary Celebrations
Title
Helen Wybrew Interview: Meeting Prince Edward & 150th Anniversary Celebrations
Date
15 February 2018
Description
Oral history interview with Helen Wybrew, a long-standing member of the Theatre Royal team, whose experiences at the venue include working in finance, marketing, access and administration.
What's the story?
Born in 1966, Helen Wybrew was brought up in Nottingham and currently resides in Stapleford.
She was first employed at the Theatre Royal in February 1987 as maternity cover for the evening receptionist role.
Thirty-two years later she remains at the venue, however during that time she has worked in a number of departments and so has many stories and memories to recollect.
In this interview Helen talks about meeting Prince Edward when he made a royal visit to the Theatre Royal in 2015, as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations. Helen was presented to the prince due to her long-service at the venue.
Helen also discusses other aspects of the 150th year, in particular Hood, a specially commissioned play by the Theatre Royal, in partnership with local theatre company New Perspectives, that looked at the life of Robin Hood.
Local writers, Andy Barrett, Tim Elgood, James Graham, Laura Lomas, Mufaro Makubika, Brian Mitchell and Joseph Nixon, each presented their own take on the Hood legend from Victorian times to the present day.
I mean it was just a great year with everything that happened. But I was fortunate. I was asked to be in the line to meet Prince Edward on the day when he came to visit. It was lovely to be considered and to be asked. And he was ever so nice. He really was. He was very chatty, as much as he could be. I think by the time he got to the line-up, the timeframe had, kind of, shrunk a little bit, because he’d had a few appointments in the City and the County that day. But he was great because we all had our name badges and then our years of service and he stood there and jokingly said “So is that your ages?” “I wish Sir! I fondly wish! Twenty-eight would be great”.
We also commissioned various local playwrights and authors to write works based around the legend of Robin Hood. So, I’m trying to remember here how many there were. I think there were about four or five and each section was different, because obviously you’ve got different writers. But that was a very interesting project. Something to be involved with because at that point I was working in the Marketing Team. So, yes, it was just a great … the lead-up and the days when we had the Birthday Weekend, because we had open days, staff were dressed in crinolines and stove pipe hats. It was great.
She was first employed at the Theatre Royal in February 1987 as maternity cover for the evening receptionist role.
Thirty-two years later she remains at the venue, however during that time she has worked in a number of departments and so has many stories and memories to recollect.
In this interview Helen talks about meeting Prince Edward when he made a royal visit to the Theatre Royal in 2015, as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations. Helen was presented to the prince due to her long-service at the venue.
Helen also discusses other aspects of the 150th year, in particular Hood, a specially commissioned play by the Theatre Royal, in partnership with local theatre company New Perspectives, that looked at the life of Robin Hood.
Local writers, Andy Barrett, Tim Elgood, James Graham, Laura Lomas, Mufaro Makubika, Brian Mitchell and Joseph Nixon, each presented their own take on the Hood legend from Victorian times to the present day.
I mean it was just a great year with everything that happened. But I was fortunate. I was asked to be in the line to meet Prince Edward on the day when he came to visit. It was lovely to be considered and to be asked. And he was ever so nice. He really was. He was very chatty, as much as he could be. I think by the time he got to the line-up, the timeframe had, kind of, shrunk a little bit, because he’d had a few appointments in the City and the County that day. But he was great because we all had our name badges and then our years of service and he stood there and jokingly said “So is that your ages?” “I wish Sir! I fondly wish! Twenty-eight would be great”.
We also commissioned various local playwrights and authors to write works based around the legend of Robin Hood. So, I’m trying to remember here how many there were. I think there were about four or five and each section was different, because obviously you’ve got different writers. But that was a very interesting project. Something to be involved with because at that point I was working in the Marketing Team. So, yes, it was just a great … the lead-up and the days when we had the Birthday Weekend, because we had open days, staff were dressed in crinolines and stove pipe hats. It was great.
Type
Oral interview
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Contributor
Interviewers: Mena Severn & Phil Smith
Transcriber: David Chilton
Transcriber: David Chilton
