The Visitor, December 1, 1948
Great Gang Show
BOY Scouts dressed as full-bosomed, homely ladies in a musical interlude “Ladies of the station buffet”, and as pantomime characters in “Babes in the Wood,” drew roars of laughter from a packed audience of Scouts. cubs, parents and friends when the Parish Church Scout Group, 11th Morecambe, presented a Gang Show in the Memorial Hall on Wednesday night.
Scouts and cubs came from all over town to see the show – a grand production in which community singing (always popular with youngsters) comedy sketches, a pantomime and novelty items were well mixed.
Grouped round a camp fire singing, with a cleverly lit Scout emblem in the background, Scouts and cubs provided a rousing opening number. Clever comedy sketches and the pantomime followed. In “The second minuet,” Mrs. Bolton sang whilst two Scouts dressed as an old-fashioned lady and gentleman in crinoline and breeches, danced a minuet – and very well they did it too.
Boys always love to get a chance to blacken their faces and Scouts and Cubs are no exception. Three Scouts, “blacked up” for a cannibal number and it took six Cubs all their time to take the blacking off their faces after laboriously applying it for a Nigger Minstrel sing-song. Giving an impression of famous radio singers “Mrs. Smith’s five little boys” – five of Scoutmaster Smith’s boys dressed in immaculate white slacks and shirts sang popular choruses. The show ended with the company singing Scout songs.
Producers of the show, which was in aid of Group funds, were the Smith family: Scoutmaster H. S. Smith and Cub Akali Mrs. Lamb (Mr. Smith’s daughter), Mrs. Smith helped back stage. The Scouts parents helped with all the numerous jobs that a show entails. Mrs. Lamb accompanied at the piano.
The show was also presented on Thursday and Friday nights, and was attended by District Commissioner Wright and Field Commissioner Winn.
