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| Crewe
Gang Show |
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Gang
Show History |
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The
inspiration for Gang Shows comes from Ralph Reader who started Gang
Show in London in 1932. Ralph Reader once said, "... every night
of the year, somewhere in the world a Gang Show is playing." What
a staggering thought! Crewe Gang Show is proud to be a successful part
of this worldwide phenomenon and also provide Scouts and Guides with
the opportunity to take part in the performing arts. Gang Show is only
part of a wide range of training activities available to members of
the Scout and Guide movements, but it is perhaps the one single activity
that brings together so many friends and supporters.
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Ralph
Reader CBE 1903 - 1982 |
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Gang
Show began back in London in 1932 under the title, "The Gang's
all Here". At that time Ralph Reader was one of the most sought
after of all professional choreographers, yet he undertook to mix his
professional and amateur activities, and he decided to write and direct
the entire show. That decision, to put on a production to raise funds,
was a move which would affect his career and which would change his
life forever. Two of Reader's
earliest and best loved Gang Show hits were "Song in my Heart"
and the London Gang Show theme "Crest of a Wave". |
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Soon
after the Gang Show began the war years came along. The 1939 Gang Show
was stopped in mid rehearsals as the nation mobilised, Reader's future
seemed set in a new direction. His counter intelligence duties for the
RAF in France saw him posing as an entertainment officer, and he organised
a Gang Show with ex-scouts who had been drafted in to the RAF. The RAF
Gang Shows, as they came to be known, grew to 25 different units consisting
of RAF recruits considered unsuitable for combat duties. Many of these
unknowns - Peter Sellers, Dick Emery, Tony Hancock, Norie Paramor -
went on to become well-known entertainers. |
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The
RAF Gang Shows played all over the world - wherever the troops went,
the Gang Show's followed. |
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The
1950's saw the resurrection of the Scout Gang Shows. The concept spread
throughout the world - Ireland, Hong Kong, Chicago and Australia to
name a few. They were based on the London Gang Show in both concept
and material. |
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In
the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 1957, Ralph Reader received the
CBE for his services to Scouting. During the Jubilee Jamboree of 1957,
The Gang Show was staged for a week in Birmingham and played twice nightly
to the Scouts of the World. The box office set up a record for the theatre.
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The
Gang Shows were like any other theatrical presentation for that time
except the stars were unpaid and the girls were boys! Until 1967 The
Gang Show was an all-male show. In the following year they were joined
by girls and the change was warmly welcomed by most of the audience
members and, especially, by the cast. |
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The
18th May 1982 was a day that marked the passing of a great man - one
whose contribution to Scouting throughout the world is exceeded only
that, by Baden-Powell. |
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Ralph
Reader is a theatre legend. In his lifetime he produced 19 shows on
Broadway, 34 in London's West End and 50 shows in the Royal Albert Hall.
He also wrote 15 books of plays, played in 5 films and composed over
400 songs. His contribution to Scouting was inimitable. He gave lavishly
of his time, energy and talent and the Scout Movement is eternally grateful
for the benefits he gave to the Movement as a whole. What better memorial
to any person than, "These are the time we shall dream about, and
we'll call them 'the good old days'." |
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| © Crewe Gang Show 2004 | ||||||||||||||||