article

A Gang Show is an amateur theatrical performance, generally of a high standard, where the cast is made up of principally youth members of Scouts and Guides and a minority of adult leaders. The aim of the shows is to give young people in Scouting and Guiding the opportunity to develop performance skills and perform in a close to professional theatrical environment. Opportunties are also afforded to young people to work backstage, in front of house roles, and to perform as musicians in the show's musical items and in the orchestra.

Generally, youth members, adult leaders and volunteer helpers have to participate in many hours of planning, writing, composing, choreographing, building stage scenery and props, and making costumes stretching over several months before the actual performances. In order to reach what is perceived to be the required performance standard for a Gang Show, a high level of commitment is needed from all involved in the production and, to a marginally lesser extent, their families.

Frequently performances take place in commerical theatres (such as the New Theatre Oxford) over several days and are attended by the general public as well as participants' friends and families and other scouters and guiders.

Nothwithstanding the amateur nature of the Gang Show, the cost of mounting a show with acceptable production values capable of attracting the ticket buying public has required some shows to become quite commercial in character with financial sponsorship being canvassed from business houses and governments.

The Gang Show Format

The format of a Gang Show is generally that of a variety show and includes comedy skits traditionally quick-witted but lacking complexity, short routines or sketches, and musical and dance numbers frequently of some sophistication, usually with minimal plot cohesion across a show but sometimes conforming to an overall theme. For example, the 2006 Cumberland Gang Show, entitled A Moment to Shine, included, among 26 items in a show of two and a half hours duration, an adaptation of a Monty Python piece, original comedy sketches and comic songs (one involving a parody of Dame Edna Everage}, a tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen which included solo and ensemble renditons of the group's ouevre with original arrangements as well as a traditional Gang Show finale.

The format was introduced by Ralph Reader, a young Rover Scout, who wrote the first Gang Show in 1932, to help raise money for a swimming pool. He went on to write many sketches and songs for Gang Shows including the signature tune We're Riding Along on the Crest of a Wave. Some other songs Ralph Reader wrote include Great Great Game, Gee it's a wonderful life, Silver on the Scarlet, Three Cheers, Show Time, and the majestic Scout Hymn.

When the Gang Show first started in London in 1932, Ralph Reader decided that the cast should be organised as a Scout Troop. This arrangement was so successful that it has been carried on ever since. But the lads who were members of the Gang Show Troop wanted some kind of identification, and it was decided to adopt a distinctive scarf. Who actually decided on the scarlet scarf is not known, but it has since become traditional and internationally accepted as the symbol of Gang Shows. As Gang Shows extended throughout the world, some further means of identification was needed to distinguish one show from another. London led the way again by embroidering in gold, on the point of the scarf, the insignia G.S. London. Today, each Gang has its own local identifying badge in gold on the point of the scarf. Gang Show has become a tradition throughout the Scouting world and, as with all traditions, there are some rules which have sprung up. One of these is that a show does not adopt a badge on its scarf until it has completed three annual performances and demonstrated that the show is established as a working concern, and not just a one off event.

In 1972 The London Gang Show Fellowship was founded by Reader solely for the current and former members of the London show to keep in touch with each other. Over the years this has now expanded and membership is open to anyone who has an interest in The Gang Shows and its founder Ralph Reader.

The Gang Show around the world

Gang shows are organised in several countries around the world. Indeed it is claimed that a Gang Show is being produced somewhere in world every day of the year. Whilst they are all individual in their character, they all share the general ethos of Reader's original concept and have some common elements such as a Finale which almost invariably incorporate at least some traditional Reader scouting standards such as We're Riding Along on the Crest of a Wave.

The Gang Show in Australia

Gang Shows in Australia are generally organised on a regional basis.

The Brisbane Gang Show was started in 1951, and is notable for having changed the words in its performance of Silver on the Scarlet to "For there's gold now on the scarlet", in honour of the 50th Year of Brisbane Gang Show, following the Gang Show tradition of a person reciving a silver trimmed scarf after being in the show for 25 years, and a gold trimmed scarf after being in a show for 50 years. The show completes its 55th season in July 2006 with a tour show in the city of Maryborough, making it one of the oldest Gang Shows currently still performing in the world.

It is also tradition that for the final performance for a season, a small stand is placed in the middle of the stage, upon which is placed the scarf of long servong producer Hugh "Kirra" McKee. A spotlight is kept on the scarf at all times during the show. During the Finale, it is placed on one of the younger cast members usually by long-term cast member.

The Cumberland Gang Show was founded in 1969 and draws its performers from Scout and Guide groups in western Sydney. After an exhaustive audition process in December each year about 140 perfomers and musicians are chosen from more than 400 hopeful Cubs, Brownies, Scouts, Guides, Venturers, Rovers and Rangers. Performances take place in the school holidays in July of the following year at the Riverside Theatre, Parramatta.

The Canberra Gang Show began in 1966 with the help of Melbourne Gang Show and went solo in 1968, earning its own red scarf with the distinctive Canberra Coat of Arms - a pair of swans - emblazoned on it. The red scarf, patrols named after Shakespeare characters, the traditional finale song We'll Go On And On and other traditions remind the members of where the Gang Show came from and what it has achieved in the past. Given the relatively small size of Canberra, the various teams are open to everyone, as the number of applicants rarely reach any limit. Since 1984 the Erindale Theatre has been home of the show, before that, various other theatres in Canberra were used. In July 2006, Canberra Gang Show opened that year's show Mayhem and celebrated the 40th year of Gang Shows in Canberra.

External links

History

Gang Show Links

Australia

New Zealand

United Kingdom

Theatrical genres | Scouting | Variety entertainment

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Gang Show".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world