Croydon Guardian - 11th November 1899
Dramatic Entertainment at the Public Hall - The announcement of an entertainment by the members of the Croydon Histrionic Society - the first they have given in Thornton Heath - drew the first crowded audience which has been seen in the Public Hall since the re-opening after the covering-in of the bath. The programme was a thorough success from beginning to end. Two pieces were performed, the comedietta Wethered Leaves (F.W. Broughton) and the well known two-act farcical comedy Checkmate (Halliday). In Wethered Leaves the "Tom Conyers" of Mr Lewis Sandy, jun., was an excellent conception of the wilful and wanton son of "Sir Conyers Conyers" (Mr A.J. Moore) Mr Dale Moore satisfactorily undertook the part of "Arthur Middleton," and Mr J.A. Cardwell that of "Cecil Vace". Miss Mabel Sandy, as the young wife of the baronet, and Miss Mary Mortimer as "May Rivers" were bright and vivacious, giving to the scenes a capital charm. Checkmate was produced by a company who, so to speak, tumbled well to the humour intended by the author. Mr W.G. Stapleton as "Sam Winkle" and Miss Ethel Briscoe as "Martha Bunn" very grotesquely accomplished their assumption of positions for which by birth or education neither was fitted. The "Sir Everton Toffee" of Mr F Roffey, and the "Miss Charlotte Ruin" of Miss Mary Mortimer, who played in low degree that which under the rules of love's strategy the other pair were doing openly and in high degree, invested their parts with intelligence and all-round capable acting. Various characters incidental to the carrying out of the plotting, and all of the domestic servant order were undertaken by Mr Lewis Sandy jun., Mr Herbert Ashby, Mr Walter H Raymond, Mr F.R. Roffey, Mr Herbert Saratot, Miss Mabel Sandy, and Miss Briscoe. Mr E Roffey had charge of stage arrangements. The chief part of the scenery used was painted by Mr Dale Moore.
Croydon Chronicle – 12th May 1906
Croydon Histrionic Society. Performance of "The Idler" – The above society have their fifth annual club performance at the Public Hall on Thursday evening, and again it has to be recorded that they met with every success. There was a very large, in fact a crowded audience, and the production of the piece selected – that delightful play "The Idler" from the pen of C. Haddon Chambers – gave intense satisfaction. Those who had been chosen for the caste had evidently given their parts very careful study, for in almost every case the portrayal was a perfect one. Mr G Dale Moore should be specially mentioned for his very skilful acting and Mark Cross, while another excellent exponent of the histrionic art is Mrs Fred Lawrence, who was all that could be desired as Lady Harding. Mr Arthur J Moore was admirable a Sir John Harding, M.P., while Mr Fredric E Roffey,, as Simeon Strong, and Mr Lewis Sandy, jun., as General Merryweather, satisfactorily impersonated those characters. Miss Hebe Ridmead acted extremely well as Kate Merryweather, and others who contributed to the successful production were Mr Woodford Grant (Bennett), Miss Mabel Sandy (Mrs Cross), and Miss Alice Rhodes (Mrs Glynn-Stanmore). The play was well staged under the direction of Mr C.W. McCabe, the furniture being supplied by A.C. Ebbutt of High Street. The Croydon Excelsior Bijou Orchestra (conducted by Mr Arthur Money) was present, and during the evening rendered a choice programme of music.