The New Stagers Theatre Club has been around for many years,
but when and where did it begin? Thanks to Paul Johnson (our longest standing
member) some information from the programmes of the first ever production,
and the first production under the name "New Stagers" is now
available below.
"The Mascoteers"
A new verse comedy by John Glasscock
Performed by The Colts XI on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th March 1967,
at Southfields Methodist Central Hall. Below is an extract from the programme,
priced at two shillings and sixpence. (It is thought that this price also
included the entrance fee)
CAST
(In order of appearance)
Lady Delphia Pengavon............................... Janet Lincé
Lt. Col Sir Jabez Pengavon....................John Nicholson
Pte Martyn Haskins................................ Graham Riddell
L/Cpl Simon Pengavon................................. Hugh Lincé
Sgt-mascot-handler Percival Pentreath.... Martin Perry
Sgt-armourer Augustine Poleaxe..........Peter Henshall
Irene Breakspeare, B.Sc......................Janice Knowlson
Fonelon Pengavon................................Geraldine Enfield
Hengist Jorensen......................................Janet Dilloway
Caractacus (a dragon).........................................Himself
Produced by Susan Dilloway and John Glasscock
Stage Manager............................................David Bentley
ASMs.......................................Janet Lincé & Roger
Whitt
Lighting........................................................Malcolm
Whitt
Wardrobe...........................................................Pat
Enfield
Make-up..............................Janet Dilloway & Pat Enfield
Continuity girl...................................................Janet
Clark
Set designed by David Bentley and erected by the company
Caractacus fails to appear by permission of the Natural History Museum
"All the action takes place in a corner of the armourers courtyard
of the T.A. barracks of the King's Own Lyonesse Mounted Volunteers at
Camelot. The time is Saturday, late May, and a very long time ago."
"Three One-Act Plays"
Performed by The New Stagers Amateur Dramatic Society on Friday 26th and
Saturday 27th April 1968, at Southfields Methodist Central Hall.
"Davy Jones' Locker" by T.C. Thomas
Signalman Davy Jones..............................Hugh Lincé
Warden Morgan...........................................John Nicholson
Fred, the station lampboy..........................David Thackwell
Liza Hargest, a hawker..............................Rosemary Wall
P.C. Prosser................................................Tony McNeill
Davies Tyisha, a platelayer.......................Michael Hall
Price-the-Cwm, a platelayer's lookout.....John Glasscock
Produced and designed by John Glasscock
Scene: Pentrefelin signal box in South Brecknock.
Time: From 8.15 p.m. on a wild Welsh Monday evening, November 1942.
The New Stagers wish to thank the following for their assistance with
this production:
The Mid-Wales Constabulary
British Rail, Southern and Western Regions
Bermans (Costumiers) London
And in particular, the real Davy Jones - now Inspector David Jones of
Waterloo, who taught us all we know about signal box procedure.
"First Production" by John Glasscock
Chorus.....................................John Nicholson
Wardrobe.................................Thelma Harden
Producer..................................John Glasscock
Electrician...............................Tony McNeill
Stage Manager.......................David Bentley
Assistant Stage Manager.....Janet Dilloway
Produced by Peter Henshall
Music by Hugh Lincé
"Non Nobis" by Lake Aske
Nurse Langland
Nurse Walsh
Tommy - a foreign Nurse
Sister Curry
Paul Dessage - a patient
Produced by Susan Dilloway
Scene: The duty room of a Ward in a T.B. Sanatorium
Time: A warm evening in September 1942
The New Stagers wish to thank the following for their assistance with
this production:
Tooting Bec Hospital
St. John Ambulance Brigade
"Despite the fact that, shortly after these plays are performed,
John and I are leaving the country, we still managed to get together a
good stage crew. We were very ably assisted by Dennis Wildey and Dave
Thackwell on the lights, Hugh on the piano, Dave Thackwell and Sue McNeill
prompted and the sound effects were by Marguerite Jackson.
The whole lot, including me, were kept in order by the Assistant Stage
Manager - Janet Lincé."
- David Bentley (Stage Manager)
Who Were the Colts XI?
"The Colts XI was instigated one Tuesday evening early in 1963,
when Margaret Perry (then leader of the Primary Sunday School dept.) found
the combined laughs of David Hosking, Malcolm Whitt and myself, something
of a trial. She suggested that her brood of eccentric young teachers should
channel their natural tendency towards clowning into a show to raise money
for new Sunday School equipment. That show (An Evening of Southfields
Rubbish) required a minimum of eleven performers, and since we were all
young, the title "Colts XI" came into being.
Since then four more shows, including this (our first real play) have
gone out under that heading, and have, we hope, atoned, to some extent,
for the loss of our resident drama group. We feel it is a very healthy
sign that, of the eleven people who appeared in that first show, ONLY
ONE is acting tonight. But we also feel that youthful enthusiasm is not
enough; the time has come to wind up the "Colts" and revive
the old name "The Southfields Drama Group".
If you would like to join a regular dramatic society within our church,
please detach the slip below, and send or hand it to Sue."
- John Glasscock.