Keith’s Theatre

During the 1920s and '30s, Keith’s Theatre was part of a chain in the US that hosted Vaudeville acts. Among those to perform were the all-girl acrobatic troupe The Six Rockets, including Inésita’s grandmother and her sister. Both were from Leipzig in Germany.

At the age of 15 (1923) Nanny Tyralla sailed for the "new world." She spent eight years touring the continent visiting New York's Broadway, Auburn, Niagara Falls, Atlantic City in New Jersey, Kansas City, Cuba and Canada too, even London and Glasgow in 1928, acrobats always under chaperone!

Fortunately many of her experiences are documented through a wonderful series of photos, several of which serve as the backdrop to this website. Keith's Theatre, shown here in 1929 was in Lowell, Massachusettes, as confirmed by this 1913 postcard, courtesy of J.V.Roy.

When Nanny Tyralla settled in Amsterdam, Holland in the early 1930’s, she left behind her family in Germany. In 1931 she met her husband while performing at Amsterdam’s Carré Theatre. Until he passed away in 1965, she continued to be closely associated with the world of theatre, socialising with Carré's staff in their favourite hang-out, Café van der Laan.

During the early 1990’s Inésita grew intrigued by their old world and spent a decade or so researching what become of her family and the “Landhaus” where Nanny Tyralla spent her summers before she travelled overseas. Little did Inésita know that was to be the start of her own voyage of discovery, that saw her first move to a "new world" in central Europe in the mid-90's, before finding a place on her own stage within "Keith's Theatre."

The results of her research are being documented in a book. As of Jan. 2016, fourteen chapters concerning the period 1850-1939 are complete, with the remaining 6 drafted. Chapters X-XII concern Nanny Tyralla's 'US years' and was completed at the end of 2014. For further information, please visit www.wandervogel.org.

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