What play and year is this?
RGS: Pride and Prejudice – what year is this?
RGS: Taming of the Shrew 1961
From left to right: Paul Smith, John Evans, John Ellinger, Jacqueline Ovenden, Errol Girdlestone
RGS: Knight of the Burning Pestle – 1962
Programme Courtesy of John Breeds. John adds:
Michael Cleverly and Christine Oates
RCSS (Rye County Secondary School): The Government Inspector 1963
(Photos of programme and action and information courtesy of Barry Ewart)
Cast of The Government Inspector
Action from The Government Inspector
First picture: Top: Thomas Soane, Barry Ewart, Nicholas Machin. (Bottom) seated: ?, Brian Dennis, Adrian Newton. Standing: Nicholas Machin, Barry Ewart
Second picture: Top: Nicholas Machin, Anthony Woods, Barry Ewart, Brian Dennis. (Bottom) Angela Boots, Thomas Soane, Susan Apps, Brian Dennis
More action from The Government Inspector
RGS: Androcles and the Lion 1964
(Jim Holmes played Androcles)
John Apps in Androcles and the Lion
A Midsummer Night’s Dream- 1964
(Photo and information courtesy of Barry Ewart)
Barry Ewart writes: This picture was taken outside the Ellen Terry Memorial theatre in Smallhythe, near Tenterden. It is also known as the Barn Theatre (it is a converted barn) and beside it stands the Ellen Terry Museum – or it did. It shows me as Puck with Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth & Mustardseed in attendance. We were probably taking a break during a dress rehearsal of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in August 1964 when I’d just turned 15. Remarkably, the four fairies comprise two sets of twins so the pic contains five twins! – a theatrical first? I vividly recall the cast being lined up following one matinee performance, in the same spot as the picture, to meet the actor Donald Houston who shook hands with us all rather like the Queen meeting the cast of Royal Command Performance backstage at the London Palladium.
RCSS: Dark of the Moon – 1964
(Photos of programme and action and information courtesy of Barry Ewart)
Cast of Dark of the Moon
RGS: Macbeth – 1965
Brian Dennis (Macduff) and Chris White
Graham Alcock as Duncan
Terry Barden and Alison Hadley as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Terry Barden (Macbeth), John Apps (Banquo) meet the witches – Ingrid Burke, Hilary Hamilton and Jane Albury (Photo courtesy of Hilary Hamilton)
The witches (Photo courtesy of Hilary Hamilton)
The Lady’s Not For Burning – 1966
(With thanks to Colin Swan for the photo – he describes himself as the rather Goth-like Chaplain!)
Peter Ewart has provided the following comments on the above picture:
Colin Swan adds:
‘To follow up on Peter’s ‘Dramatis Personae’, he is quite correct with Alan Milnes, Grant Parrott and John Apps. There is also Jane nee Allbeury, standing beside Tim Rothwell, and in the doorway Simon Allbeurry and Penny nee Hill. Finally behind Peter looms Andrew Page.
We are nearly there and I feel a bit mortified that I cannot identify the last actress, who was really good.’
Chris Williams reminisces about School Plays
Chris Williams Reminisces about School Plays
Chris Williams remembers Romeo and Juliet (1967) and the Crucible (1968)
I think that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was only my second time on a proper stage since being The King, the role of the youngest wolf cub, in a pack performance in the Burnage Parish Hall in south Manchester back in 1956. My one line had been to tell everyone to ‘rock around the clock’ which they did, Bill Haley being all the rage. The other time was at the Lewes Little Theatre as an extra in ‘The Tempest’ while at Lewes CGS for Boys.
Fast forward a few more years to Rye and joining the Sixth Form, a mixed environment with the contingents from Leasam and Saltcote. I don’t know how I was first pulled into the school plays – perhaps it was the girls – but never as the romantic lead, swash-buckling hero or comic turn. The roles were the serious ones – The Prince in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and then Deputy Governor Danforth in ‘The Crucible’. Was this in fact type-casting, a premonition of 20+ years mostly as the senior deputy head in a large secondary schools? However it may have started and regardless of the roles, the acting, teamwork and the social spin-offs were great fun and yes, character-forming. We discovered what it meant to be wished “break a leg”. Being immersed in the productions, I remember very little about the actual performances beyond the most dramatic moments – the Mercutio-Tybalt fight, the Romeo and Juliet death scenes, the build-up of tension as the Salem ‘witches’ are revealed – but I do recall being stunned by the quality of the acting and the energy of the cast, usually from a very slow start. These shows were great.
After Rye I threw myself into Drama Soc in my first year at UEA and was involved in four plays, student politics and all the rest of it before the Swinging Sixties came to an end, and meeting the requirements of the degree course took over. As a young teacher I wrote a few more sketches and did a little acting in school productions while doing an occasional turn in Sixth Form revues, the scripts of course written by the next generation.
Half a century later I deliver ice-breaker sessions at multi-national contact seminars for teachers, mostly in Eastern Europe. The purpose is different but perhaps the need to deliver for an audience is not really that far from the Verona and Salem locations recreated on the Rye GS stage. ‘The Rev’ taught me and countless others how to project our voices, follow a script, remember our cues, support each other and please ‘Joe Public’. “The show must go on”. And it did. Thank you.
RGS: The Crucible – 1968 (With thanks to Peter Ewart for the pictures and notes)
Crucible rehearsal – directed by Mr David Gaunt. 
Crucible rehearsalRye Youth Drama Group: 1961-62
Thomas Peacocke School Plays and Entertainments
With grateful thanks to Fran Mileman (Née Francesca Hutchinson) – Saltcote 1967-1974 – for the following contributions.
Hastings Music Festival 1969
Oliver – 1971
Christmas Variety Concert – 1972
My Fair Lady – 1973
Christmas Variety Concert – 1973
Dark of the Moon – 1974
Rye College Christmas Show 2024 (courtesy of Rye News)
Can we do it again please?
The annual Rye College Christmas show took place on Thursday, December 12. Our Press Club at the college look back at a memorable evening.
We shuffled through the door at ten past six and were immediately greeted by the eagerly waiting front of the house, the student leadership team, who helped us to our seats with grins and tips on how to endure the opening speech. Tickets, in aid of the summer performance, were sold out months in advance and the venue was packed: full of parents and friends and cousins and nans all eagerly awaiting. The atmosphere was electric. As curtain call drew near the lights dimmed and a hush fell over the audience, we quickly took our seats munching on mince pies and flicking a last glance at the programme.
The show opened with a fire safety briefing (if you know you know) and a beautiful piano piece from Cecily followed by a duet of “waltzing dustily” with Dusty. It was Dusty’s first time performing with the double base, but she didn’t disappoint and neither did any of the other music students whose amazing performances left us buzzing with the Christmas spirit, especially the final medley from the music teachers incorporating violin, double bass and the best Christmas classics.
Next came the first junior drama piece and immediately the tone shifted to the middle of a fight and then a Greek tragedy, their clean transitions and direct audience address pulled me out of my seat and into the performance. As did the year 9 drama performances written and produced completely by the pupils. The first, an insight into a comedic Christmas catastrophe which cut just a little too close to home, and the second, a Cluedo-esque murder mystery with a plot twist no-one saw coming.
The drama led into the year 10s GCSE dance – all their dances were incredibly choreographed, but, so my dance-educated sister has informed me, the use of suspense and leg lines was what really stood out, as well as their sharp lifts and incredible acro work which left me and the rest of the audience in awe.
We dipped back into music for a violin solo from Hannah which was beautiful but she was, as she confided in me, “really really nervous” going into it because of some backstage drama. “My violin string broke and I didn’t think I’d be able to perform, luckily my violin teacher lent me hers but even then I was still terrified because her violin was so different to mine.” Thankfully it all came together in the end and Hannah’s performance was one of the highlights of the show.
We ended the first act on a high with a war dance from the junior dance company where poor Ethan was sacrificed. When asked what he thought of the experience he said: “Being pretty short I really enjoyed being lifted above everyone else as it made me feel tall for a change. We practiced it so many times before.”
I spent the interval chatting with front of house team seeing how much shortbread is too much shortbread whilst bobbing along to the Christmas music. The atmosphere was very cosy and all people were talking about was how amazing it was.
We hit the ground running with the second act refuelled by caffeine and orange squash with three excellent singing performances from years 9 and 10, including an original song from Molly sung while playing guitar. This was followed by some more Christmas hits from the years 8 and 9 bands, including my favourite act of the show “White Winter Hymnal” performed flawlessly. Despite the band being quite big they were so organised, all in time and tune, and it sounded amazing. The years 7, 8, 9, 10 choir stunned with their performance of “Shake it out” with an incredible vocal duet from Cecily and Kitty and an accompanying dance duet choreographed by Isla and Molly.
The show closed with a grand finale of “Rule the World” from the year 7 choir and years 10 and 11 GCSE students. The evening was rounded off with a speech from headteacher Mr Downes thanking everyone for their involvement, including the sound and lighting crew who for the first time were students and you wouldn’t have known! Credit to their excellent work.
I had an amazing time and left wishing I’d been a part of it. The performances were exceptional and everyone so lovely. It was a credit to the performing arts team and all the creative arts students that it was so high quality. I’m looking forward to next year’s show already. 10/10 would recommend.
Image Credits: Amy Biddle .
Rye Primary School Plays
Garry Blackman posted these on the Rye’s Own Magazine Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/793502067374037/
Does anyone know anything about them?
Tilling Green Infants School
Tilling Green Infants School 1954-55? Left to right ?, ?, Pat Magrath, Nick Machin, ?, David Green, Margaret Sands, Eric Igglesden, Lillian Arkley, James Jarrett, Clifford Arkley, Donald Bennett, Alan Beeching, Beryl Read, David Smith.
Courtesy of Eric Igglesden