Blackpool Grammar School Dramatic Society 1947 - 1949

The Dramatic Society had been inactive during the war years and the first production after the war was Macbeth which was performed on Monday & Tuesday March 31st and April 1st 1947 (the latter not perhaps being an auspicious day for such a play!!).

The cast was:
Witches - B. Todd, J.C. Bradbury, R. Bullough;
Duncan - J.H. Leavesley;
Malcolm - K.E. Marshall;
Donalblain - J. Symonds;
Captain - W.L. Tatlock;
Lennox, G.J. Garbett;
Ross - K.G. Thurley;
Angus - P. Tattersall;
Macduff - P. Threlfall;
Macbeth - J.D. Hildes;
Banquo - D. Wetherell;
Lady Macbeth - D. Street;
Servant - A. Chappell;
Fleance - D.W. Tennant;
Porter - E.P.T. Crampton;
Old Man - C.F. Hosking;
Murderers - B.B. Croker, J.P. Gilding, J.R. Haslam;
Lady Macduff - P.A. Sayer;
her son - B.V. Cox;
Apparitions - A Chappell;
K.S. Braithwaite, B. Hinton;
Messenger - P.G. Bullough;
Lord - J.P. Gilding;
Doctor - S.F. Hall;
Gentlewoman - B.M. Fletcher;
Monteith - V. Tonge;
Caithness - B.G. Blood;
Seyton - L. Robinson;
Old Siward - J. Newton;
Young Siward - P. Greenwood.
Helping behind the scenes were:- make-up - Mrs & Mrs C. Loveman;
lighting - Bickerdike;
music - Gilchrist;
properties - Mr J. Bevan;
stage manager - Mr H. Asquith;
swords shields made by boys under direction of Mr Aitchison & Davies;
assistant producers - Mr H. Asquith & J. Bevan.

The programme for this show was a duplicated. Subsequent shows had them properly printed.

In 1948 St Joan was performed on Wed., Thur. & Fri. December 10-12th -

the cast:-
Robert de Baudricourt - A.W. Cocking;
Steward - P.H. Grimley;
Joan - J.C. Bradbury;
Bertrand de Poulenger - J.B. Haigh;
Archbishop of Rheims - G.J. Garbett;
M. de la Tremouille - D. Wetherell;
Page - P. Nutter;
Gilles de Rais - K.S. Braithwaite;
Dunois - P. Tattersall;
Richard de Beauchamp - K.E. Marshall;
Chaplian - J.D. Hides;
Bishop of Beauvais - P. Trelfall;
Warwick's page - B.V. Cox;
Inquisitor - K.E. Thurley;
d'Estivet - B. Todd;
de Courcelles - J.R. Haslam;
Brother Martin - J.P. Gilding;
Executioner - B.B. Croker;
The Charles, The Dauphin - Alan Chapell;
English soldier - D. Wetherell;
Gentleman - S.F. Hall;
Ladies in waiting - M.O. Wade & M. Jameson;
Nobles/soldiers - L. Robinson & B.M. Fletcher.
The production crew are not listed on the programme.

The final show that I was involved with was that of April 1949 -
The Tragical History of Dr Faustus.

Cast:-
Chorus - K.E. Marshall;
Faustus - J.P. Gilding;
Valdes - D. Elliott;
Cornelius - B.M. Fletcher;
Wagner - C.D. Batty;
Good angel - J.C. Bradbury;
Evil angel - P.H. Grimley;
Scholars - L.R. Ainsworth, D. Jackson, H.R. Halliday;
Mephistophilis - P.G. Bullough;
Clown - A. Adamson;
Lucifer - A. Chappell;
Pope - G. Lamb;
Cardinal - J.I. Hurst;
Robin - J. Hopwood;
Ralph - H.K. Thomas;
Vintner - J.B. Parker;
- Emperor - J.D. Teague;
Knight - E. Whitehead;
Old man - B. Pemberton;
Friars, attendants, etc. - M.O. Wade, B. Wilson, D.G. Buxton, B. Melia, S. Meek, J.R. Preston, D. Elliott & B.M. Fletcher.

Again the back stage personnel are not listed on the programme. I collected the autographs of all of those there and I see that the following staff members signed and therefore must have helped in some capacity: J.H. Aitchison, J.S. Grindrod, W. Watts, R.R. Hill, P.H. Holway & C. Loveman.
My programme is dated 6th April (price 1/6), but surely there was more than one performance.

I also have a programme from the BGS Old Student's Associations Dramatic Society production of Housemaster by Ian Hay. Five pupils (marked * below) were enlisted to fill out the cast which consisted of:- Charles Donkin - Norman W. Crosland;
Bimbo Farrington - Colin Bradbury*;
Victor Beamish - Eric Marshall*;
Frank Hastings - Frank Silcock;
Ellen - Grace Carney;
Barbara Fane - Joan Gray;
Button Farrindon - Hilda Haworth;
Matron - Kathleen Tighe;
Rosemary Farringdon - Ruth Potter;
Cris Farringdon - Eileen Standring;
Philip de Pourville - Allan Hodgkinson;
Flossie Nightingale - Alan Chappell*;
Rev. Ovington - Edward K. Batty;
Sir Berkely Nightingale - Wiliam Atkinson;
Travers - P. Threlfall*;
Pop - Jack Newton;
Old Crump - Peter Gilding*.

The play was produced by G.M. Lyne & D.G. Murdoch, stage managers were D. Brien and N.D. Coop.

K. Eric Marshall

St Joan Memories added 05/06/2008

Hi !

In 1948 The Blackpool Grammar School Dramatic Society produced George Bernard Shaw's 'St Joan' and this month Chemainus Theatre here on Vancouver Island is producing the play. This is the first time I have seen this play performed professionally. In 1948 I was Richard de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, who, for political reasons was anxious that Joan (Colin Bradbury in our play) be executed.

Looking through the 1948 programme I see that there were some 20 speaking parts and also four non-speaking roles. There is a photograph of some of the cast elsewhere on the website. In the Chemainus production seven men perform two or three characters each and, of course, St Joan is played by a woman.

The producer of the Chemainus version has added a new dimension to the play by having the seven men sing Gregorian chants at the opening of the play. Seeing the play brings back memories of the school version after almost 60 years have passed. There are many memorable quotations in the play which have become household phrases in our home "Fifty thousand thunders; what no eggs!!" opens the play. The Chemainus play is very different to the BGS production and uses no scenery apart from a table and chair and a banner but it is surprising how many of the lines come back to you when quoted on the stage.

ERIC MARSHALL 1942 starter.

1941 Starters Index
1942 Starters Index
1943 Starters Index
1944 Starters Index
1946 Starters Index
1947 Starters Index
All years Index

Thanks to Eric Marshall for this information

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page last updated 23:06 05/06/2008

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