Fiddler on the Roof
My passion for musical theatre has been part of my life from a very early age and I have done many, many, many musicals in my life since the age of 17 years. There have been many favourites but the most rewarding have been ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, a very emotional and sad show and yet very true to life with fabulous music 1986; ‘Anything Goes’ a fabulous fun loving show with great music and dance routines 1993; ‘Me and My Girl’ another terrific show 1998; ‘Barnum’ a great show where everyone within production had to learn a skill that you would find within a circus environment, this proved to be very exacting but rewarding when achieved 2002.
Oliver & Desert Song
The two shows that were definite favourites but which caused slight amusement for me were ‘Oliver’ in 2003 when I, in my role of Mrs Sowerby, the part owner of the funeral parlour, had to fall backwards into a coffin and then had to struggle to get out, which proved tricky to do but very funny. The one I find the funniest within any performance was in my role in ‘Desert Song’ in 1991 when I had to enter on stage riding a donkey ! What do they say, never work with animals or children !! I can vouch for this as the donkey would never play ball and in order to get him on stage and off he had to be led on and off with a handful of polo mints being given to him to entice him to move and this had to happen throughout his appearance on stage. I don’t think a donkey has appeared on the Gaiety Theatre stage since !! I wonder why ?!
The Christine Wild Theatre School
Another favourite was when I and five other ladies (Val Kissack being one) were performing a tap routine dressed as The Roly Poly’s an older ladies dance troop who were often on TV shows like Morecambe and Wise and The Two Ronnies to name a couple, so we danced on stage in outfits that resembled blown up body suits and as we danced across the stage Val K fell over as she was leading with me falling over her and neither of us could get up because of costume with the remainder of those dancing ignoring us completely finishing the routine and dancing off leaving myself and Val to crawl off stage once we got ourselves more upright. The audience and Ken Radcliffe and Gerry Reynolds in the pit couldn’t stop laughing. Christine herself said it was the best funny thing she had seen and we should do it at every performance ! Needless to say we didn’t.
Centre Stage Productions
Directing has given me great pleasure and tremendous satisfaction working with so many new and talented young people, which I have always encouraged, as these are the theatres future, within some fabulous new and established old favourite musicals with the last being in October 2019 when Centre Stage Productions presented the premier for the Island of the iconic show ‘The Addams Family’, which proved to be a very challenging experience in so many ways when staging but proved to be a fantastic success for all involved in this production and the Island's public absolutely loving it.
As a society we, like many societies, are very lucky to have such a beautiful theatre to present our musicals / plays in, it is so rewarding and long may it continue as we go forward.
Services to Amateur Stage
I have two very happy memories, firstly the joy of being able to encourage and support young talent within theatre and secondly, and a very personal one, was to become the first recipient of 'The Clifford Regan' Trophy at The National Operatic and Drama Association, (NODA) North West Region 2 Dinner in Blackpool in 2016 for my Services to Amateur Stage. This for me was a great thrill and honour and I feel very proud to have been awarded such a trophy particularly being in the midst of many talented and worthy people within the theatre world in the NW region of England.