Mountview in 1945-1955: Where It All Began

As we celebrate 80 years of Mountview, let’s take a trip back to where it all started.

On 13 April 1945, Peter Coxhead and Ralph Nossek founded ‘The Theatre Club’ on a military base in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Their first production? Outward Bound by Sutton Vane – not chosen for its brilliance, but simply because it was the only script they could find.
 
Two years later, back in Britain, the dream continued. On 6 November 1947, Mountview Theatre Club presented a production of The Importance of Being Earnest in its new home in Crouch End. The venue had exactly one coke stove for heating during that cold winter.

Opening night was pure chaos: thick fog rolled in, most of the cast arrived late, and the curtain rose 40 minutes behind schedule. Just thirteen audience members showed up, huddling around that single stove, peering through the haze at the tiny stage.
 
Despite it all, the audience gradually built up, and by the end of the week, the theatre was full.
 
From these humble beginnings, our story began!