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| John Henry Saville |
was born into an East Anglian family of landowners and bankers. His father was a Norwich solicitor who he followed into the law profession. However, this career was short-lived and Saville soon became involved in the theatrical world. He became manager of the Theatre Royal in Sheffield, later manager of the Compton Comedy Company and eventually the owner of Paisley Theatre.
On 28 April 1924, fire (caused by a live cigarette end) destroyed the upper sections of the theatre (the Dress circle and Upper Circle were completely gutted, as was the flooring of the Gallery). The first person to spot the fire was a Mr. Halvor Boyd of 181 High Street who raised the alarm. At the same time, George Cushnie a well-known local footballer passing by saw the flames and ran to the Fire Station to call out the Brigade.
The subsequent performances (The Yellow Ticket with R. Gill-McLeay and Peggy Taber was playing at the time) were transferred to the Perth City Hall. The fire most likely caused by a cigarette caused around £5000 worth of damage. Saville nearly died in the fire trying to rescue papers from his office. The theatre was restored and reopened on September 22, 1924. It reopened with a classic performance of When Knights Were Bold starring Bromley Challoner and Enid Cooper.
The fire had affected Saville’s health and he passed away in his sleep at Bournemouth Hydro on Wednesday 19 July 1924, aged 67. His health had been failing for the last three years but had been compounded by the partial destruction of his beloved theatre in Perth. His wife and daughter Winifred took over the theatre, the former as proprietor and the latter as manager. Winifred ran the theatre until 1935 when she put it up for sale and retired to Torquay. Despite lucrative offers, she was determined to hold out until a suitable theatrical owner was found. It re-opened as a theatre on 23 September 1935.
