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The first Scout Gang Show was performed in London during 1932. It was produced by Ralph Reader, a well known composer and choreographer of the day. He had become successful in America, producing shows on Broadway. When Ralph (an ex-Scout) was asked by the Scout Movement to produce a Scout Show he readily agreed. The style of the show was to be a revue containing songs, dancing and sketches and afterwards, the Daily Mail wrote, "The best revue in the West End". Gang Show was born. During the war years Ralph was asked to produce similar shows for the RAF to raise morale. Over the years, both the Scout and RAF Gang Shows have played a significant part of many early careers in show business - Tony Hancock, Dick Emery, Roy Hudd and Peter Sellers, to name but a few. Since then, Scout Gang Shows have snowballed all over the world. The Scouts and Guides of all nationalities produce high quality shows that provide first class entertainment. A platform for the youth of today enabling them to contribute to charity as well as their own funds. It was once said that "Every night of every year, somewhere in the world a Gang Show is playing". Sadly Ralph died in 1982, but he left us with a wealth of material which Gangs all over the world continue to use.
During the run of the London shows, local Scout shows, using the Gang Show format, began to be produced all over the U.K. and later all over the world. In the vanguard of these local shows came the Christchurch Show which was first produced in April 1960 in the Priory Church Hall. The production team of this show was Terry Cropper, Freda Worsley and June Payne. The second show was held in 1963, at which time it moved to the Town Hall, and in 1965 John Reed took over as producer. Following the fifth show, in 1966, Ralph Reader attended a celebration at the local Pontin's Ballroom in November to award the Christchurch show the coveted red Gang Show Scarf. In 1969 the show moved home to Twynham School where it stayed for just under 30 years!
John Reed produced the show for 21 years taking a break just once in 1976 for Simon Gardiner to take the lead. In 1983 the Gang performed “All for the Boys” in memory of Ralph Reader who sadly ‘went home’ in the previous year.
In 1984 the Gang were interviewed by the local radio station to promote the show. Click here to listen to the broadcast.
In 1985, as it was our Silver Jubilee year, it was thought the Gang should do something special. After much discussion, it was decided to take the entire show (including 75 cast and 75 backstage crew) to our twin town of Aalen in West Germany for a week, to include one performance of the show in their Town Hall. This took place immediately after the Christchurch performance, which included the Chief Scout attending the Civic Night. After clearing Twynham School in the early hours of the morning, the 14 stage sets, 750 costumes and much other equipment were loaded into a removal van and the Gang piled into 2 luxury double-decker coaches and set off for Germany. A wonderful reception awaited the Gang in Aalen and a fantastic, if tiring, time was had by all. The German audience, numbering over 600, was superb and all efforts in translating various bits into German (including one entire sketch) were appreciated.
For the following 3 years, production was taken over by Dave Ward with John Reed becoming an invaluable assistant. Steve Potter, who had joined the Gang in 1974, took over as Producer in 1990.
In 1998, female members of the Scout and Guide Movements were invited to join the cast, their glamour and enthusiasm making an immediate impact. In the same year the show moved to the Regent Centre Theatre in Christchurch High Street. Goodbye to the plastic chairs and foam rubber cushions and, unfortunately, to the Gala Nights where the show was performed cabaret-style with the audience having a 4-course meal starting in the interval and continuing into the second half!
In March 2000, the Gang held a reunion at Hoburne Park, Christchurch, to celebrate its 40th birthday. This was attended by 243 past and present cast members and back-stage staff, including 11 members of the first Show in 1960. Sadly John Reed, who had helped to organise the reunion, died before the event took place. The programme and evening were dedicated to his memory for his incomparable contribution to Gang Shows in Christchurch.
With shows in 2000 and 2001, the Gang changed direction in 2002, with a spotlight show, aimed at promoting the show within Christchurch Scouting and encouraging new members to join up. The idea worked and both the 2003 and 2005 shows were deemed successful on all fronts. The gang took a break in 2007, due to the Centenary Celebrations but returned the following year with “A View to a Thrill” with a new producer, Jane White, taking over the role from Steve Potter.
2010 is the Golden Jubilee year for Christchurch Gang Show and the cast are delighted to be on stage at the Regent Centre again to celebrate such a special occasion. Under the new directorship of Susie and Stuart Darling the show follows a slightly different format but has lost none of the essence of Gang Show that have been enjoyed by audiences and members of the Gang for the last 50 years.
Click here for a complete list of all those who have appeared on stage since 1960.