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JOLLY ROGER (SEPTEMBER 1960) |
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There is no doubt that as a Society we most enjoy performing those plays which give scope for versatility of acting linked by good rousing choruses. The decision to put on this musical burlesque was almost unanimous, although at first some were a little shocked by many of the words used in the script. At that time there was a very famous law-suit in connection with a book which contained many four-letter words, and although the connection was really irrelevant, some of us did not really use such words as "bloody" and "rape" in our everyday vocabulary. |
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But our producer (Ken) with a touch of artistic arrogance, insisted that all such words were burlesqued - after all, the beery gusto of "The Vagabond King" had been a favourite with our audiences - and there was no reason why they should not enjoy this very colourful and animated show. They did - and so did we. For happiness and merriment are virtues which characterised most of our rehearsals, and some of the inspirations Ken had for keeping the humour alive provided us with roars of laughter. For instance, the scene when the Governor of Jamaica (Vic Randall) and The Bloody Pirate (Bernard Johns) sat on a seesaw which pivotted alarmingly on a beer barrel, was one of sheer delight to watch. |
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In contrast to this, probably the most touching scene was the opening of the second Act, when all the puritanical ladies sang a hymn on board ship to harmonium accompaniment, their hands clasped devoutedly in front of them. The sudden rush of crude, drunken sailors interrupting their meditations was sacrilege indeed, and when one of the pirates (Dick Bates) rubbed his hands together with fiendish anticipation and asked coarsely "May we at 'em, sir?" their shrieks of outraged dignity were most distressing. |
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Delightfully colourful costumes for the girls and really comical outfits for the pirates, made this a very attractive and memorable show indeed. |
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DORIS SEAMAN |
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EDITOR'S COMMENTS |
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Another unusual choice - the musical burlesque "Jolly Roger" by Scobie Mackenzie and V C Clinton-Baddeley with music by Walter Leigh. An article in one of the local papers gives some further background about this show: |
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"Jolly Roger", the burlesque opera which contains some of the raciest language in show business, is being revived by the Hatton Operatic Society. In 1933 it opened at the Opera House, Manchester, with George Robey as Sir Roderick Venom. Later it played at the Savoy Theatre, London. Kenneth Newell who is producing this production told me that Robey actually put in lines here and there that have since been included in the libretto. "Most companies that stage the opera seem to blue-pencil these lines" he said. "But as far as we are concerned they stay in. They're too good to skip and we want to give our audiences their money's worth" |
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The work, which is in the same vein as "The Beggar's Opera" has, as far as I am aware, seldom been performed in the London area. Perhaps this is because the language is so broad. The scene of the opera is Kingston, Jamaica, in the year 1690. It is a tale of piracy and lust. |
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Joyce Randall, a leading player in the Hatton Operatic Society, is in the chorus this time. She is one of the abused colonial ladies. Her husband in real life has the part of Sir Roderick Venom. "Sir Roderick is just a rou‚" she explained "But I don't mind my husband playing the part on the stage. I know the girl he is acting with. She's great" |
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This show was obviously enjoyed by the Society and received fairly good reviews from the critics, although the lack of humour in the script was commented on and one reviewer felt that the word "bloody" was used more frequently than was necessary or desirable! |