“Armed with such experience, managers were charged with securing programmes likely to appeal to house patrons, overseeing the maintenance of the physical fabric of the building, ensuring order, particularly at crowded Saturday evening shows, and thereby securing the house’s reputation within the local community. In pursuing their business, managers found themselves answerable to a variety of publics: directors and shareholders, anxious as to the portability of the concern, audience members seeking attractive entertainment with which to occupy their free time and a workforce occasionally vociferous in defence of its status rejected both in wages and working conditions.”
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