Ron Drew's Theatre Page
Reminiscences
- SCOUTING AROUND THE STAGE
It all started before the '39-'45 war with the Scouts of South Shields. In the Majestic, a building on Pier Parade near the town's pier, doubling then as a ballroom and theatre, the local scouts put on the first of their ‘GANG SHOWS’. I was only 15yrs. old at that time but it laid the foundation of my 'theatrical career'.
The details escape me but I can remember being in a chorus of ballet dancers. We were complete with tu-tus, and yes, we were drilled to do the correct movements of the arms and legs: everything was quite correct - except that we were all wearing hob-nailed boots! Our choreographer, Olga Bolton, a local dance teacher, taught us with firmness and patience; at the she end was proud of us! And I learnt my first lesson in stagecraft - slapstick had to be taken seriously to be good.
Also in that gang show was Fred Lawson (qv) who was not only a scout leader, but also a leading man in the South Shields Amateurs (SSAOS) in the 1940’s to 60’s. For 50 years of his life he would entertain the community, singing to his own guitar. Fred had a wide repertoire of songs but he particularly liked singing the local folk tunes such as 'THE FOLKS O' SHIELDS' and wrote a number songs himself in this style. One of these he adopted as his signature tune, 'MY SONG'. Many local old folks' clubs and other organisations will remember him with gratitude for his generosity. Sadly missed, he left a legacy of happy memories.
Back in 1944 there was an increasing number of young boys in town after having been evacuated during the earlier war years. At that time it was difficult to provide many activities for them within the limited financial constraints. This led to the two Congregational Church scout groups in South Shields, the 1st. (Ocean Rd. Congos) where I was an Assistant Scoutmaster and the 5th.(Tyne Dock Congos) combining to put on a small scout show. Called 'The Congo Gang Show', which I had the pleasure to co-produce, it was played on the cramped Congregational Hall stages at Ocean Road and Tyne Dock.
It was to rekindle my love of music and the stage which has stayed to the present day.
After the war I was still an Assistant Scoutmaster in the 1st South Shields Congregational Troop (the Ocean Road Congos) and it was then that our troop linked up with another troop in Haugesund, Norway as part of the 'Link-up' Scheme. This was a nationally organised venture to link up scout troops in Britain with those in countries that had been taken over by Germany during the war, with the resulting suppression of scouting.
The two Group Scoutleaders, George Smith of the Ocean Road 'Congos' and Kristopher Larsen of the 5th Haugesund Scout Group very quickly made contact and agreed that a combined camp of the two troops should be arranged. It was to be held in the Haugesund's troop scout hut and campsite, just outside Haugesund. (Both George and Kristoffer have since died and the Ocean Road Congos no longer exists as a troop. However contact is still maintained by Evelyn and myself with Kristoffer's son, Olav Larsen.)
To take the troop over for a joint camp required funds and to help raise the fare I produced a Gang Show for the group in 1947. There were 26 stars in ‘SEA FEVER’, as our Gang Show was called, again playing on the cramped Congo Hall stage in Ocean Road.
It was also my introduction to songwriting, being responsible for a couple of numbers in the show including the Title song, 'SEA FEVER'. I also wrote an anglicised version of a local Norwegian sailor's song. The scouts had learnt the original Norwegian words of the song transcribed from a record, but we thought it better that they sang a cleaned up version in English rather than recount the tale of Amanda - every sailor's girlfriend! However, in all innocence of its meaning, the scouts also sang a chorus of the original Norwegian words of 'AMANDA FROM HAUGESUND'.
Another song I used in the show was a piece I had earlier written for my wife and later unsuccessfully submitted for the Radio Song Contest organised by the then Light Programme (now Radio 2) The contest was. hosted by Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson who were later to become the first winners of the Eurovision Song Contest. In SEA FEVER, however, 'YOU'RE EV'RYTHING TO ME' was sung by Des Hub playing the part of the ventriloquist, Peter Brough, with Jimmy Bruce on his knee as his dummy, 'Archie'. An unlikely set up, but it worked!
Further songs followed in another ‘SEA FEVER 52’ which I again produced in 1952, and I continued songwriting for pleasure until 1975. It was then that I wrote ‘MY DREAM’ to thank my first granddaughter, Nicola, for being born. That song meant a lot to me and I was thrilled when it was recorded by the GROSVENOR SINGERS and later broadcast from Radio Newcastle. The 'GROSVENORS' was an extension group of the SSAOS created and conducted by 'Stew' Blenkinsop and provided many happy hours for both singers and public alike.
Meanwhile, back in 1949, the SOUTH SHIELDS BOY SCOUT GANG SHOW had started up again. This was produced by Allen Young and George Franks in St. Aidan’s Hall and I was pleased to be, once again, one of the cast. Also in that show was Ken Dunn, who recited the prologue: he, like me, was later to become a stalwart of the SSAOS and the WESTOVIANS. The Gang Show became an annual treat for the scouts in the town. It wasn't long before I was 'promoted' from the acting group to being their Chief Steward - in other words the Call Boy!
It was through my scouting expedition into show business that I was bitten by the bug and I haven’t lost the feeling of wonderment and atmosphere of theatre to this day.
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