KIDDERMINSTER PLAYHOUSE
1946 - 1968 A Souvenir
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TRILBY 1961 - 1962
The year began with a new manager of long experience, Donald B. Edwards, and a new secretary for the Nonentities, Frank Hodges, who took over from George Slater, a pillar of the organisation for 18 years, an actor who specialised in marathon police inspector parts no-one else wanted to tackle and a devoted enthusiast in all to do with the theatre.The event of the year was to be a milestone in the Nonentities' achievements, a 100th production which lived up to everything expected of it. Kenneth Rose will not improve on his adaptation of George du Maurier's Trilby as a musical; any other amateurs who revive it will be hard pressed to equal its casting.
Pauline Evans, with the height and coloratura brilliance for the title role, also bore a strong resemblance to the du Maurier engravings. Len Reeves was in his element as Svengali, David Oakley was as like Little Billee as any director could wish and Maurice Pound and Graham Orr could not have been bettered as the Bohemians. The late Conway Jones, who was in charge of the music on so many of these occasions, conducted.
Kidderminster artist John Edwards painted a portrait to be destroyed on stage each night the happy ending was played (the adaptor having thoughtfully provided for those who believed that du Maurier's original was too harrowing). This was the amateur theatre at its best but it was the last of the home-grown musicals. Like other luxuries, they were becoming too costly. On the final night Ella Johnson presented Kenneth Rose with a clock to mark his 25 years' leadership of the society.
The season had opened with Roar like a Dove, with Doreen Evans and Maurice Pound in good form in the leads. Margaret White made a first appearance and there was a child performance by Carolyn Lowe. The "House Full" boards were out for Donald Edwards's first production, The Unexpected Guest, a rare occasion. This was one of many in which John Hackett played the sergeant to John Pell's inspector.
In The Crucible (a first appearance by Janet Higgens) a large cast responded to firm direction, reminding old hands of the Family Portrait days. The Boy Friend was an engaging romp into the 1920s, Lady Windermere's Fan promoted a newcomer, Ann Elford, to a leading part with justification and the season ended with a farce, Caught Napping.
The Carpet Trades show was an old favourite revived, Me and My Girl, and the KAOS production the nostalgic musical, Brigadoon.
Donald Edwards's first rep plays were Hot Summer Night (introducing his wife, Jeane Stenning, who was to play many leads), Hot and Cold in All Rooms, Subway in the Sky, Dear Delinquent and .A Taste of Honey.
Other professional work included Two Dozen Red Roses and Bell, Book and Candle (in the same week. with a Television personality in the leads), Opera for All with Don Pasquale and Cosi Fan Tutti, another Don Ellis music hall show and the pantomime, Mother Goose.
The Town Council raised its grant to £750 but the Arts Council still declined to support weekly repertory.
The Nonentities made a profit on their own plays again this year, £887, and although the Playhouse lost £953 the debt was reduced by £243.
A quota system among members of the society for selling cards took the
number of subscribers to a record 1,850.
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