Cary Ellison was a talent spotter who worked for Spotlight. As part of his work from 1953-1980 he went on twice yearly tours around repertory performances across the UK to locate the up and coming performers, directors and plays. The Cary Ellison Theatre Programme Collection consists of the theatre programmes collected by Cary Ellison on these trips, complete with his added notes on the actors, plays and directors he saw. He commented on a number of well known actors in the early stages of their careers, as well as offering his view on several well known plays.

Scrapbook relating to the Enfield Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society, including theatrical programmes, playbills and newspaper cuttings of reviews for performances by both the Society and other operatic and theatrical societies.

The collection consists of minutes of management meetings, 1974 - 1994; membership lists; internal correspondence; external correspondence concerning the reactions of the public to the productions; correspondence regarding funding; copies of scripts written by members of the company and outside authors; audition notes and CVs; correspondence and accounts relating to tour arrangements; tour reports; posters and programmes for productions; photographs, video cassettes and loose film reel of productions; promotional material; newspaper cuttings relating to specific productions and Gay Sweatshop in general; theses based on Gay theatre.

Records of the Greater London Council (GLC) Staff Dramatic Club. The collection comprises a complete series of minute books from 1903, financial accounts, scrapbooks of programmes, notices, reviews, a rehearsal register and correspondence.

Papers of the Hackney Empire collection, 1962-2009, comprising:

Material relating to the CAST theatre troupe, 1962-1985, including: papers concerning Roland Muldoon's theatre training, membership of the Unity Theatre, drama classes at the Working Men's College, London, and the foundation of CAST, 1962-1969; correspondence, financial records, publicity material, scripts, press cuttings, tour schedules, photographs and audio recordings regarding CAST productions, 1966-1985, film reels of CAST film 'Planet of the Mugs', [1972];

Material relating to CAST Presentations Ltd, CAST New Variety Ltd and New Variety Performers Agency, 1982-[mid 1990s], including: minutes of management meetings, 1982-1990; correspondence and other administrative material relating to the running of CAST New Variety, [1983]-1986; proposals seeking home venues for the CAST New Variety, 1980-1985; minutes, correspondence, reports and other material relating to Diorama Arts Ltd, 1984-1989; publicity material for comedians, musicians and other cabaret acts either for spots in CAST New Variety shows or representation by New Variety Performers Agency, 1983-[mid 1990s]; posters and flyers advertising CAST New Variety shows, [1983]-1986; financial records, 1980-1991;

Material relating to Hackney Empire Theatre and Hackney New Variety Ltd, 1986-2009, including: minutes of management meetings, 1988-2005 (very incomplete); correspondence, 1988-2004 (very incomplete); press cuttings, 1986-2007; posters and programmes for Hackney Empire productions, 1986-2009; photographs, video recordings and other material relating to New Act of the Year, 1991-[2000] (very incomplete).

The collection consists of member lists and registers; correspondence, notes and publications relating to the building of the new theatre; financial papers relating to loans; financial papers concerning various productions; legal papers relating to the lease of land; applications to the Arts Council of Great Britain and the Greater London Council for funding, including annual reports and accounts; papers and publicity material relating to productions; scripts; programmes and posters for plays; material concerned with the Women's festival of June 1986; publications about fringe theatres and the East End of London; photographs of productions and cast; press cuttings.

The collection contains administrative papers relating to Company contracts and internal and external correspondence; financial papers relating to budgets and funding, miscellaneous personal papers of the Company's director, Jonathan Holloway; production records including scripts, technical notes, rehearsal and production notes and directions, stage directions, information on casts, and tour and venue information; audiovisual recordings of productions; promotional, marketing and educational-outreach material; press-cuttings and reviews, photographs of named and un-named actors and productions; publications inspiring Red Shift productions; a study of the Company's production of 'The Love Child'; and an untitled script.

Copies of correspondence and memoranda relating to a dispute between the proprietors of the Theatre Royal at Covent Garden and performers.