Closure of The Windmill Theatre - The Evening News - 1st October 1964

 

 

 

'Curtain' At The Windmill

And It's Goodbye To The Windmill Girls

By Bill Boorne

The "We Never Closed" theatre, the Windmill, which has been producing glamorous shows for 32 years, will give its last live performance on October 31. Next day it will open as a Cinema.

Right - On the 31st of October 1964 the Windmill Theatre shut its doors on Revudeville for the last time. Click here to see the last night programme.

The news was broken to the Windmill cast and staff to-day by Miss Sheilla Van Damm. The Windmill is being taken over by the Compton Group, the film production and distribution organisation.

To-day was a day of nostalgia for the stars who were given their show business start at the Windmill - stars like Jimmy Edwards, Peter Sellers and Jean Kent.

At the theatre this afternoon there was a forced cheerfulness among the pretty girls tapping their way up the wooden spiral staircase between the stage door and the dressing rooms.

And as he watched them going past his stage door office Mr. "Ben" Fuller, stage door keeper for 31 years, had tears in his eyes.

At the front of the theatre behind the fine mesh grille of her cash box sat Mrs. Constance Drummond in the position she has occupied for the past twenty years.

She said: "My darling, I feel very very upset. We have always been so happy here because we have had a wonderful guv'nor and I can't imagine what life will be like not coming here day after day.

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