The first David Fisher was born in Norwich in 1760, though the family lived in Hethersett. He trained originally as a carpenter, but his reputation as an amateur actor was enough to encourage the manager of the Theatre Royal in Norwich to give him a trial, and from 1786 he appeared there regularly, both as an actor and as a singer.

He was probably the most entrepreneurial of the Davids. He married in 1788 and, as his reputation grew, he decided that he should move into ownership as well as performance. He made a first step by buying the major share in an existing touring company run by a William Scraggs. He not only took over the major share of the business, but also its management, where he quickly showed that his talents were not limited just to the stage. Scraggs provided, initially, the contacts, his company -The Company of Comedians – had been touring for many years, Fisher provided the drive, the ambition, the marketing and the day-to-day management of the company.

An original view of the Bungay Fisher Theatre. (Image: Newsquest Library) The newly managed company opened first in Bungay, for a two-month season and moved on to other towns, establishing a regular bi-annual tour route – they were welcomed back wherever they went, and continued in the same vein for 40 years. There was competition, particularly from small bands of travelling actors, but the Fishers company was in a class of its own. Properly prepared sets, sometimes painted by leading scene painters from the London theatre, were transported from town to town, sometimes a 40 mile journey. David’s training as a carpenter probably helped with the placement of these and he had amassed a substantial wardrobe, picking up the discarded clothing of the local gentry to the financial benefit of their servants who sold them on – the wardrobe travelled with them.

The company was larger than some of its competitors, about 20 in number but initially most were members of either the Fisher or the Scraggs families and were expected to assist with the routine work of the business, not just the glamorous parts. When William Scraggs and his wife died, their son left the company to set up on his own. The company became a straight Fisher enterprise, and David Fisher, in their play bills, described it as ‘a respectable company of performers’. They lived up to that reputation, and the description stuck – it was still being used by a local clergyman nearly 50 years later.

Unlike some other company managers,........

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