Jock Shaw Interview: The Theatre Royal's Own Scouts Award
Title
Jock Shaw Interview: The Theatre Royal's Own Scouts Award
Date
4 September 2017
Description
Oral interview with Robert 'Jock' Shaw, one of the long-standing producers of the Gang Show, the biennial variety show at the Theatre Royal presented by Nottinghamshire Scouts and Guides.
What's the story?
Established at the Theatre Royal since 1953, the Gang Show involves around 200 young people from the Scouting and Guiding movements in the county.
The show is a mix of songs, dance and comedy sketches, which gives the performers an opportunity to hone their skills over a six-month period of rehearsal before the week-long show in the spring.
Born and brought up in West Bridgford, Robert ‘Jock’ Shaw was involved with the Scouts as a child and later became a Scout Leader, as well as one of the Gang Show producers.
Jock’s passion and enthusiasm for both theatre and his work with young people is evident throughout.
In this interview Jock talks about the close relationship that he has developed with the Theatre Royal, resulting in the venue getting its very own scouts award:
We’ve been at the Theatre 67 years now. And we’ve made friends, I certainly have. I can’t speak for the other producers, but I’ve made good friends with the staff here and we know each other and I’ve worked very well with them and I’ve had no problems with them at all. I often drop in for a coffee if they’re free, if they’re not putting up a show or setting something up, and I’m grateful for that.
And in one of the years, I forget which year: it’s downstairs. If you go downstairs and I’ll show you in a moment. I’ve just passed it with David, actually, coming up, and David’s always wondered what that was. But there’s a plaque downstairs, outside Dressing Room Number 1, and it’s a picture of myself presenting a Scouts Thanks Badge.
Now, a Thanks Badge is like a medal for, a way of saying thank you to a member of the public, or in this case, theatre staff, for helping us with what they do. They’re not given away like sweets. You have to apply and I managed to get an award, and there’s a photograph of myself and the cast presenting Mike and Mac, with a little bit of hair, when they were about knee high to a sparrow. And you’ll see it downstairs. I’ll show you later on with a picture. I think it was 1997 or something. The programme front’s there as well. So, that in itself is there. Now they won’t let any members of staff coming in, it doesn’t matter who it is. Even if the Manager said “It’s time we moved this off the wall”. They’d rather strike than take it off the wall, they tell me. And that’s one of the nicest things they’ve said by way of thanking, which is what Scouts is all about. Not to forget, but to thank. So that was purely a way of myself, as producer, on behalf of the Scouts of Nottinghamshire and the Guides saying “Look, thanks for the last, whatever it was, 30/50 years. We hope for more, but thank you”.
The show is a mix of songs, dance and comedy sketches, which gives the performers an opportunity to hone their skills over a six-month period of rehearsal before the week-long show in the spring.
Born and brought up in West Bridgford, Robert ‘Jock’ Shaw was involved with the Scouts as a child and later became a Scout Leader, as well as one of the Gang Show producers.
Jock’s passion and enthusiasm for both theatre and his work with young people is evident throughout.
In this interview Jock talks about the close relationship that he has developed with the Theatre Royal, resulting in the venue getting its very own scouts award:
We’ve been at the Theatre 67 years now. And we’ve made friends, I certainly have. I can’t speak for the other producers, but I’ve made good friends with the staff here and we know each other and I’ve worked very well with them and I’ve had no problems with them at all. I often drop in for a coffee if they’re free, if they’re not putting up a show or setting something up, and I’m grateful for that.
And in one of the years, I forget which year: it’s downstairs. If you go downstairs and I’ll show you in a moment. I’ve just passed it with David, actually, coming up, and David’s always wondered what that was. But there’s a plaque downstairs, outside Dressing Room Number 1, and it’s a picture of myself presenting a Scouts Thanks Badge.
Now, a Thanks Badge is like a medal for, a way of saying thank you to a member of the public, or in this case, theatre staff, for helping us with what they do. They’re not given away like sweets. You have to apply and I managed to get an award, and there’s a photograph of myself and the cast presenting Mike and Mac, with a little bit of hair, when they were about knee high to a sparrow. And you’ll see it downstairs. I’ll show you later on with a picture. I think it was 1997 or something. The programme front’s there as well. So, that in itself is there. Now they won’t let any members of staff coming in, it doesn’t matter who it is. Even if the Manager said “It’s time we moved this off the wall”. They’d rather strike than take it off the wall, they tell me. And that’s one of the nicest things they’ve said by way of thanking, which is what Scouts is all about. Not to forget, but to thank. So that was purely a way of myself, as producer, on behalf of the Scouts of Nottinghamshire and the Guides saying “Look, thanks for the last, whatever it was, 30/50 years. We hope for more, but thank you”.
Type
Oral interview
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Contributor
Interviewers: Julia Holmes & Sue Threakall
Transcriber: David Chilton
Transcriber: David Chilton
