IN my talk and book, Of Fish and Actors, which is about theatre history in Darlington, I have a little go at the Quaker rulers of the town who, in the mid-19th Century, were avidly anti-theatre.

They had many reasons, from religious to political to concerns about public order.

Looking for something else in the Darlington and Stockton Times in 1866, I found that the Peases may well have been correct. The theatre lot were drunkards and dissolutes. This disturbance happened at the newly-opened Theatre Royal in Northgate, and this report amplifies an anecdote in my book (it's always the way that you find the juicy stuff after publication).

DISGRACEFUL PROCEEDINGS BY A MOB

William Wear and Thomas Thomas, ironworkers, were charged by PC Porteous with being drunk and creating a disturbance in Northgate, on Saturday night. It appeared that PC Porteous and PC Wilson hearing that the Theatre Royal was the scene of a row, proceeded thence in haste, and found the tow defendants in the midst of a disorderly crowd assembled in front of the threatre. It was stated that the defendants had been attempting to make their way into the gallery of the theatre when they were prevented by the manager, who ahd been called off stage."

The theatre manager was James MacDonald and he was also a keen actor. On the evening in question he was playing the lead role in Rob Roy. He jumped off stage, still attired in his kilt, waded into the gallery and tried to deal with troublemaking ironworkers.

"Having knocked him down and assaulted him, they were turned into the street, and were thus found the policemen. On being taken into custody, a portion of the crowd hurled stones at the officers.

"The Superintendent of Police remarked on the necessity for placing a policeman near the theatre, in consequence of the crowd which generally assembled there and obstructed the footpath.

"Defendants were fined £1 and costs; indefault they were sentenced to imprisonment for one month."