Marjorie Dence

Dence's management career began when she asked her father to buy the theatre in Perth, after she 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. Dence appointed the new theatre's company and in 1935 they staged their first play The Rose without a Thorn by Clifford Bax.^[3] This was followed by 18 plays in weekly repertory.^[1]

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

During World War II 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. When the theatre made a profit, those profits were shared equally with the company.^[1]

Dence was also a Justice of the Peace. She was made an MBE in 1952 for Services to the Festival of Britain.^[1]

Dence died in Perth on 23 August 1966.^[2] 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.^[1]

There is a plaque in Perth Theatre's foyer recording Dence's contribution to the city.^[3]

In 2022, the Raise the Roof project created a series wire sculptures of notable Perth women, including Dence.^[6] The Wire Women project was part of the VisitScotland Year of Stories, with community groups, creatives and cultural organisations sharing the stories of women.^[7]

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