Jock Shaw Interview: Rehearsals & Preparations for the Gang Show
Title
Jock Shaw Interview: Rehearsals & Preparations for the Gang Show
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 rehearsal and preparations to stage the Gang Show at the Theatre Royal, as well as the benefits the show has on all the young people involved:
The Gang Show has always rehearsed on Sundays. The last production has combined the Juniors and the Seniors together, but the Junior cast would rehearse on a Saturday, the Seniors would rehearse all day Sunday. And then probably Wednesday during the week for different items in the show, as needed. And, maybe the sketches, or the comedy bits, needed rehearsing on another day. So it’s a big commitment and we have to tell all the cast “You’ve got to commit yourself to this” and we lay down the rulings, but generally, everyone’s fine.
So the rehearsal is one thing. Secondly, of course, you’re moving different budgets, so if you’re working in a little hall, you’d be working on a small budget, which is quite easy, but when you work in a theatre, I don’t think anyone would object (I’ll just check on this next bit), our budget I think last year was about £70,000 for the week, while a lot of that is theatre costs, of course there’s staffing. But when I say staffing, we have our own backstage staff and normally what happens is, and over the years we’ve become friends with the likes of Mac and Mike and the Stage Manager, Matt, for instance, is always present. Mike’s out on there. Bob does the lighting, but up until then, our own staff are there and our own staff run everything in the theatre, bar Front of House and anything involving money. So we have our own sewing, our own costumes people downstairs. Every room’s full in the backstage.
It’s the main thing. Working together is the key. They make friends at rehearsals Working with 150 people at a weekend for rehearsal, you’re bound to make friends. So when that show finishes on here, then the girls are in tears and the lads have these usual signing cards, doing the usual, flowers going all around the rooms. And that’s the kids’ enjoyment. Reaping their rewards, if you like, from the hard work that they’ve put in. Because, you go and watch a dress rehearsal, like anywhere, and you sit back in your seat and sometimes I’ve thought “Ooh, I think I could go home now, we’ll just cancel the whole lot and go home”. But the minute that music plays, from our own orchestra, of course: we’ve got our own full orchestra. As soon as that music starts, it’s totally different. It comes alive. And with the help of Mac and certainly Mike up on the lights. Mike transforms it and away we go.
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 rehearsal and preparations to stage the Gang Show at the Theatre Royal, as well as the benefits the show has on all the young people involved:
The Gang Show has always rehearsed on Sundays. The last production has combined the Juniors and the Seniors together, but the Junior cast would rehearse on a Saturday, the Seniors would rehearse all day Sunday. And then probably Wednesday during the week for different items in the show, as needed. And, maybe the sketches, or the comedy bits, needed rehearsing on another day. So it’s a big commitment and we have to tell all the cast “You’ve got to commit yourself to this” and we lay down the rulings, but generally, everyone’s fine.
So the rehearsal is one thing. Secondly, of course, you’re moving different budgets, so if you’re working in a little hall, you’d be working on a small budget, which is quite easy, but when you work in a theatre, I don’t think anyone would object (I’ll just check on this next bit), our budget I think last year was about £70,000 for the week, while a lot of that is theatre costs, of course there’s staffing. But when I say staffing, we have our own backstage staff and normally what happens is, and over the years we’ve become friends with the likes of Mac and Mike and the Stage Manager, Matt, for instance, is always present. Mike’s out on there. Bob does the lighting, but up until then, our own staff are there and our own staff run everything in the theatre, bar Front of House and anything involving money. So we have our own sewing, our own costumes people downstairs. Every room’s full in the backstage.
It’s the main thing. Working together is the key. They make friends at rehearsals Working with 150 people at a weekend for rehearsal, you’re bound to make friends. So when that show finishes on here, then the girls are in tears and the lads have these usual signing cards, doing the usual, flowers going all around the rooms. And that’s the kids’ enjoyment. Reaping their rewards, if you like, from the hard work that they’ve put in. Because, you go and watch a dress rehearsal, like anywhere, and you sit back in your seat and sometimes I’ve thought “Ooh, I think I could go home now, we’ll just cancel the whole lot and go home”. But the minute that music plays, from our own orchestra, of course: we’ve got our own full orchestra. As soon as that music starts, it’s totally different. It comes alive. And with the help of Mac and certainly Mike up on the lights. Mike transforms it and away we go.
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
