Marjorie Dence

Perth Theatre in 2008

Dence was born in Teddington in 1901. Her parents were Annie Eleanor Searle and Ernest Martin Dence (d. 1937) who was a brass-founder and company director.[1]

Dence went to University in London where she joined the local dramatic society where she knew David Steuart.. In 1934 they were both members of the Lena Ashwell Players.[2]

Dence's management career began when her father decided to buy the theatre in Perth after Marjorie saw it advertised for £4,000 in The Stage.

Dence's parents appointed her as manager and she and David Steuart found another £1,000 to refit the theatre. David was an actor and close friend but they were (only) business partners. Dence appointed the new theatre's company and in 1935 they staged their first play The Rose without a Thorn by Clifford Bax followed by others each week.[2] Dence and Steuart created the "Perth Repertory Company" which was the first professional theatre company in Scotland, led by a woman. In 1937 her father died and she became the owner of the theatre.[3] Finances were slim and the theatre closed for three months in 1937 and 1938 but the following year they created Scotland's first Theatre Festival just before the second world war started.[4]

During the war the theatre was organised and staffed by the company. The actors lived in the theatre and they undertook all the jobs necessary to keep the theatre running. The theatre made a profit and those profits were shared equally with the company.[5]

Dence was a Justice of the Peace and in 1952 she was made an MBE.[5]

Plaque commemorating Marjorie Dence displayed in Perth Theatre

Dence died in 1966 in Perth.[1] Under the terms of her will the theatre was offered to the city of Perth for the fixed price of £5,000. This was equal to the original investment in the 1930s. There is a plaque in Perth Theatre hallway recording Dence's contribution to the city.[2]

During a "Raise the Roof" 2022, (Visit Scotland Media Toolkit [6]) a Visit Scotland Year of Stories, event in Perth, Scotland, conducted a project to create artistic wire women of notable Perth Women, including Dence.[7] The Wire Women project took place as part of Perth and Kinross’ Year of Stories' with community groups, creatives and cultural organisations sharing the stories of women.

Dence was No 17 of 20 wire sculptures which were set out in a trail around Perth City Centre.[8] The Dence sculpture was situated outside the Theatre's High Street entrance, Perth, Scotland, but was subject to vandalism, whilst it was sited there.[9]