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REPERTORY CLUB

By Ron Whyatt

In 1930 a Repertory Club was formed. As the years went by leading roles were played by Tom Wilkinson, Norm Drummond, Dorothy Stewart, Sam Stewart with Dorrie Aylmore as the prompt for many years.
Community Concerts were held annually to raise funds for local organizations. Tom Wilkinson was the MC (later lan Simpson) and different local artists such as Marg Pozzi, Phyllis Flanagan, Edgar Burridge, Sam Stewart were the vocalists.
Wally Parnell was very clever at putting on skits, Fred Lloyd was violinist, Arthur Napier played the saxophone, Bob Richards on the banjo and Vera Wilkinson was an excellent pianist who played solos.


 


Community singing was very popular with the words of the songs being projected on to a screen, operated by Jack Bennett.
Many years later there was a Crazy Night to raise funds for the local hospital
Ronnie Pollard organized a group of men to perform Swan Lake. Some of the participants were Tim Wellard who acted as the Swan with a broken wing, Bruce Howard, Rod Davies and myself.
This act brought the house down and we had to repeat the performance. Other acts included Mary and Jean Brown who did the Can-Can, Mitchell and Peter Brown sang a duet as well as other comical acts to an audience in excess of 200.”

 

 


 

GNOWANGERUP REPERTORIANS
HELP SILVER CHAIN

"Here We Come Gathering," a three-act farce by Philip King and Anthony Armstrong, was presented to a full house at Tambellup on July 11 1953, in aid of the Silver Chain funds by the Gnowangerup Repertory Club.
This was the first occasion of travelling by the Gnowangerup Repertory Club, but the air of confidence displayed and the adept manner in which some of the staging and arrival arrangements were carried out speak well for the high morale and good fellowship that permeates the Gnowangerup Repertory Club.
 

The play, which takes place in one room of an empty house, requires good acting and continuous action on the part of the performers to hold the attention of the audience, and from a somewhat quiet start at Tambellup the audience at the end of the first act left no doubt that it was enjoying itself to the full and was not missing any of the lively repartee which makes this play good entertainment. The enthusiasm of the audience and full hall no doubt reacted upon the performers, who gave their most confident performance without hesitation or hitch witnessed so far
Miss K. Shepley took the part of Anne, the young wife, and with a pleasant speaking voice carried the role well. The young wife experiences the first onslaught of her mother-in-law and the advent of a male hiker who turns out to be an old friend and considerable source of comedy. Miss Shepley fulfilled the necessary requirements of the part
 

 

 
 

The part of the husband, under much of the domination of his mother-in-law, was taken by E. Mays, who acted well. Luke Betterworth, who played the hiker and old friend, acted quite well, though would do better to look up and speak out to the back of the hall.
The part of the Rev. Kellaway was taken by Jack Firth in a very able manner. As the husband of Harriet, the tigeress of a mother-in-law, he acted with pleasant restraint and his sitting on the stairs fondling the dead duck brought the house to cheering.
Mrs. Pozzi, as Harriet Kellaway, gave a good performance of domineering motherhood that brought good fun out of every situation and avoided the overdoing of the part so often displayed by amateurs of less experience and ability.
The reason for the drama of this family in the empty house is due to the non-arrival of furniture of George Hawkins, taken by Jack Wright. Having run a big end in the motor of the furniture van, George arrives on foot followed by a girl called Shirley, taken by Miss Godfrey, who had obtained a lift in the truck. Complications are increased by the girl falling into the flooded river which had now surrounded the house and George spraining his ankle as he tries to save her.
The acting of Jack Wright as the furniture truck driver, portraying the character of George Hawkins, was excellent and gave the necessary boisterous lift to the show which enabled the actors and audience to let themselves go.
Miss Godfrey, who changed from her wet clothes after falling into the flood to the cover of a blanket, was charming and intriguing in her effort to remain respectably covered. The slapstick of her attempts and the rescue added much amusement.
The non-arrival of food adds more confusion, as this irrepressible young girl insists on the party playing games. The advent of Luke Betterworth and the teddies from the cellar of this empty house, well played by Peter Lewison (sic), provided the party with whistles, and the domineering attitude of Harriet, having been somewhat overcome, the party proceeded to blow whistles in unison to attract attention from a neighboring farm to their marooned plight.
Members of the cast were introduced on the stage by Mrs. M. M. Dolley, the producer, and a presentation of flowers was made to the performers on behalf of the Silver Chain.
Mr. T. Wilkinson, who put in such sterling work for the Gnowangerup club, also disclosed his talent as an entertainer at the impromptu sing-song at the conclusion of proceedings, and it is this feeling of spontaneous goodwill that is such a noted asset of membership of the Repertory Club.

 

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References:                 Article:     Ron Whyatt

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Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2024