Lively, non-stop, musical review
The Gang Show is here again — that biennial celebration and exuberant musical review put on, in this case, by the scouts of greater Christchurch, backed by the Christchurch East Rotary Club. The show starts on Tuesday in the James Hay Theatre, at the Christchurch Town Hall, and runs for a five night season. There is also a matinee on the Saturday of the final night at the Town Hall, which is followed by a presentation at Templeton Hospital for the enjoy-
ment oi the patients. In authentic Gang Show tradition, this year’s Christchurch production is a continuous performance, “blazing with gay colours, crammed with the unexpected and in line with professional standards," according to one of the promoters, Mr Bob Andrews. “A non-stop musical review, designed as a family show,” is how the. creator/ producer/director, Mr Peter
Henwood, describes this, the seventh Gang Show for which he is responsible. Peter is the scout movement’s Canterbury area training leader and his association with Gang Shows dates back to 1952 when, as a young leader, he was a member of the cast.. This year’s show opens and closes with the traditional “mass” event — with a slight difference. In between, there
is plenty of variety in song and dance routines and sketches. “The show has punch and speed,” Peter claims, “and there is always someone on stage, performing. “There is something for everyone, and no one member of the show is a star in this team effort,” he says. Singable- songs and sketches based on down-to-earth slapstick are, tradition-
ally, the “stuff” .of the show but there is drama as well as comedy.
Much of the material used as a base is the work of the veteran British sketch and song writer, Ralph Reader, who started writing for Gang shows, as they quickly came to, be called, in the early 19305:
Some of the items have been developed for Australian shows and some are Peter Henwood’s own. All are fashioned to suit the currrent time and place.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19810820.2.88.3
Bibliographic details
Press, 20 August 1981, Page 14
Word Count
338Lively, non-stop, musical review Press, 20 August 1981, Page 14
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in