The Grand Victory Variety Concert

Reviews and Cuttings

From the Totnes Times of July 21, 1945

VARIETY SHOW AT SOUTH BRENT
Successful Production for the Welcome Home Fund
RUN OF FOUR NIGHTS

What was publicly acknowledged as the greatest variety show ever produced at South Brent was presented at the Church Hall on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week. During these three nights close on 1000 people paid a visit to the show. So great was the demand for seats that it was decided to give a repeat performance on Saturday evening and again there was practically a full house. To put on a show for four nights in succession in South Brent surely prove the quality and success of the production.

The producers, Mrs L Hawke and Mrs Shepherd, deserve highest honours for this outstanding success. Great credit must also go to the whole of the members of the cast who after many weeks of training put every item across the footlights in a manner which may be enied by any amateur actor.

A really fine setting to this show was given by Mr Arthur Manning and his orchestra. Mr Manning has been known in South Brent and district for many years for his masterly qualifications in the music world and although he has not appeared in public for some considerable time he has certainly made a great, come-back, appreciation for which was clearly shown at his ‘call’ on Saturday night.

Mention must also be made of the compere Mr Rowe. The way in which he kept the show going left no time for dull moment.

In regards to the cast equal honest must go to all, and this includes Mrs R Joint the ‘pin-up Girl’ who behind the scenes had four nights of very hard work. The booking arrangements were once again in the capable hands of Mrs A Vickery.

The proceeds of three nights were for the Welcome Home Fund and the one night for the Devon Army Welfare Fund, both of which should benefit considerably.

The first half of the programme was taken up by the presentation of three one-act plays by the South Brent Players. The Players have many times acquitted themselves in a very highly commendable manner and in this have added yet another owner to their previous list.

DANCING CONTRASTS

The second half was a complete contrast and presented ‘Dancing Through the Ages’. There were in all twelve scenes and by the way in which the audience received each scene there was no doubt of the professional manner in which the whole of this half of the programme was put over. The outstanding feature of each scene was the colourful dainty and typical dresses, and this together with the lighting and sound effects by Mr John Hawke, and the very high quality of the dancing and singing gave a show which without any doubt will be difficult to equal by any amateur company.

The first four items covered roughly 45 years to the beginning of the century, starting with a modern opening chorus (sent to popular ‘hits’ of the war) and working backwards to the familiar tunes of the war of 1914-18. The third item shows the type of dancing, half  ‘stage’, half ‘ballroom’, which was introduced from America in the last war by Irene and Vernon Castle, generally known as ‘exhibition dancing’. The fourth item showed the typical music and a song and dance of the Gay ‘90s.

Before the arrival of wireless and the cinema much more entertainment and talent was developed in the home circle. The fifth item was a typical drawing-room party of the era of Edward VII with two of our lovely traditional ballads. Then came a very lighthearted version of the Polka which in 1860 with Victoria on the throne, was considered a most flighty dance. Now came the period from 1783 - the triumph of Nelson, the defeat of Napoleon; the ladies copying the Empress Josephine’s bonnets and frocks, with the ships and sailors always in the news as they are today. This was depicted in Scene 7 by a scene on the quayside with old sea shanties. In the early 1700s ballet as we know it today first came into its own and the ballet frock made its appearance instead of the heavy clothing used by earlier dancers. Scenes 8 and 9 showed first a ballet dance of the year 1730 followed by a minuet of a century earlier. The minuet was the typical ballroom dance of the reign of Louis XVI. The next scene depicted the Middle Ages. The ladies of this period were very industrious, sewing and weaving and singing, also knights were very bold, clad in shining armour and fighting, and the ladies were proud of their heroes.

The dances of Ancient Greece have probably been copied more widely than any other historical type of dancing. This may be due to the fact that such a complete record of the movements used has been handed down to us in pictorial form on vases, frescoes, etc., And in statuary. The next dance was typical of the Hellenic age of Greece when the fair face of Helen ‘launched a thousand ships’ - but this dance had nothing to do with ships!

The last scene was purely imaginary and depicted South Brent in BC 1945. Brent in those days was undoubtably a borough of some importance with its own Mayor and Mayoress. On this occasion they were present at a Welcome Home ceremony for the returning troops. The financial side of the show also proved a huge success, the Devon Army Welfare Fund receiving £32.0s.4d. and the Welcome Home Fund £96.