The scarf or neckerchief of the London Gang Show, worn by a former member of the cast.
A Gang Show is a theatrical performance by members of Scouts and Guides. The shows are produced with the dual aims of providing a learning opportunity for young people in the performing arts, as well as contributing to the artistic and cultural growth of their local community.
Gang Shows will have members of all ages involved, however, the on-stage performers are often limited to current Youth Members (those being aged under 25 in most cases). A large amount of other areas will have members of all ages, including backstage, technical, administration, management and other areas.
Gang Shows are entirely volunteer run, and often feature a majority of work written by Scouting and Guiding members. This may be new work, or may be existing works adapted to suit the show's intended narrative.
The shows may be a simple affair in a local scout hall, but are often more involved and take place in a local theater. A season may only run for a single weekend, but performance seasons lasting one or two weeks are common. Tickets to these shows are often available to the public, and can be a useful tool to engage the local community in Scouting.
Gang Show format
The format is a revue or variety show; song, dance and short comedy sketches are the most common. The number of items varies between 12 and 25, some stand-alone, others a series of songs to a chosen theme or a running gag.
The format was created by Ralph Reader, who wrote material including the signature tune, "Crest of a Wave". Other standards Reader wrote include "Strolling", "Great Great Game", "Gee, It's A Wonderful life", "Gee, It's Great To Be Young", "A Touch of Silver", "Three Cheers", "Show Time", "Together", "These are the Times" and "The Scout Hymn".
History
Woven badge issued to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Gang Show productions
In 1931, Reader, a Rover Scout trying to make his mark in theatre in the United States and London, was asked to write a Scout-based variety show to raise money for a swimming pool at Downe Scout Camp (now a Scout Association National Activity Centre). Rehearsals began under Reader's direction on 25 May 1932, his 29th birthday.[1]
Initially the show did not have a title, but during a rehearsal break, Reader recalled, he asked a cast member if everyone was ready, to which the response was "Aye, aye Skip, the gang's all here". The first production, The Gang's All Here, ran between 30 October and 1 November 1932 at the Scala Theatre in central London.[1]
The show was not a sell-out, but enough was raised to fund the swimming pool and the show was well received. Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, persuaded Reader to produce another show in 1933. This was The Gang Comes Back, which ran for a week.[1]
Reader continued to write and produce the London Gang Show. In 1934, the show became The Gang Show, and "Crest of a Wave" was performed for the first time, becoming over the years the anthem for the show.
In 1937, the London show became the first amateur production to have a Royal Command Performance (an honour repeated in 1957 and 1964). A feature film called The Gang Show, starring Ralph Reader and The Gang, premièred at the Lyceum Theatre, London in April the same year,[2] and in New York in December 1938.[3]
A typical example of a Gang Show "Red Scarf", shown here from Melbourne Gang Show in Australia.
When the Gang Show started in London in 1932, Reader organised the cast as a Scout Troop; an arrangement which persists only in a few shows now, mainly in Australia and New Zealand. Members of the first troop wanted an identifying feature, deciding on a red scarf or necker. The red scarf has become a worldwide symbol, and to distinguish shows, an insignia in gold thread (UK: the initials GS in Reader's handwriting shot through with the show's name - AUS: usually a design related to the masks of comedy and tragedy and incorporating the show's name) is embroidered into the point of the scarf. Ralph Reader was originally called "The Holborn Rover" and was with the 4th Holborn Group, whose scarf was half red and half green. Reader chose to have the Gang Show scarf red to be part of the 4th Holborn.
Members of shows in the United Kingdom used to only be allowed to wear the scarlet scarf if they were nationally recognised, i.e. they came up to prescribed minimum standards of performance and production. It is now worn by almost all Gang Shows. While 'National Recognition' is no longer a thing, UK shows still need to be regularly assessed (every five years) in order to maintain standards.
In 1972, Reader founded the London Gang Show Fellowship so current and former members of the London show could keep in touch. Membership later expanded to anyone interested in Gang Show, and the LGSF still meets annually.
Gang Shows around the world
Cover of the 2006 Cumberland, Australia, Gang Show program
Since the first in London, productions have been organised around the world,[7] Ireland,[8] Australia,[9] New Zealand[10] and Canada.[11] While individual in character, they share the ethos of Reader's concept and have common elements, often including a finale performance of "Crest of a Wave".
In 1958 Reader went to Chicago to produce and direct the first Gang Show in America. He returned to Chicago next year to guide the second. Reader first went to Chicago in 1920 as a teenager and began his stage career there.[12]
Newcastle Gang Show started in April 1937[13] followed by Peterborough Gang Show in November 1937 and apart from the war years has run ever since.[14]Harpenden Gang Show has performed every year since 1949, making it the longest continuously running Gang Show in the world.[15]
In the United States, the only known Gang Show in existence is performed annually in Derby, Connecticut, produced by BSA Troop 3, Pack 3 and Venture Crew 33 since 1924, also making it one of the world's oldest continuous Gang Shows.
Gang Show spin-offs
In some countries an over-18 only show often referred to as a Bag Show are produced, often with a dinner and a more cabaret style and with more adult content such as risque jokes and burlesque elements. This is done for Rover Scouts and leaders.[citation needed]
In Melbourne, Australia, the Showtimes came out of the strong theatre culture of the area. These are smaller than the local Gang Show, with the exception of Whitehorse Showtime which is actually the largest show in the Southern Hemisphere, originally pulling from a single district to produce a show. Currently, there are four of these shows; Whitehorse Showtime, South Metro Showtime, CamberwellShowtime and Strzelecki Showtime. Because these showtimes are not Gang Shows, they do not have the red scarf instead choosing a different colour, such as Strzelecki Showtime's gold scarf or Whitehorse Showtime’s lilac scarf.[citation needed]
Signature tunes
A group of scouts performing in a Gang Show
"On the Crest of a Wave" has become the signature tune throughout the world[citation needed] and is usually performed at the end. It may be sung as just the chorus (traditionally twice, the first time with gusto, the second part-quiet and staccato, part with gusto once more) but there are also two verses.
"A Touch of Silver" (sometimes referred to as "Silver on the Scarlet"), written by Reader and Brisbane Gang Show producer Hugh "Kirra" McKee, is the signature tune of the Brisbane Gang Show and may be sung by any show that has performed for at least 25 seasons.
"Birds of a Feather" written by Reader, is the signature tune of the Albury Gang Show and is sung at the end of every show performed by the group.
A Scout is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section. Scouts are organized into troops averaging 20–30 Scouts under the guidance of one or more Scout Leaders or Scoutmasters. Troops subdivide into patrols of about 6–8 Scouts and engage in outdoor and special interest activities. Troops may affiliate with local, national, and international organizations. Some national Scouting associations have special interest programs such as Air Scouts, Sea Scouts, outdoor high adventure, Scouting bands, and rider Scouts. In the USA there was around 6 million scouts in 2011.
A neckerchief, sometimes called a necker, kerchief or scarf, is a type of neckwear associated with those working or living outdoors, including farm labourers, cowboys and sailors. It is most commonly still seen today in the Scouts, Girl Guides and other similar youth movements. A neckerchief consists of a triangular piece of cloth or a rectangular piece folded into a triangle. The long edge is rolled towards the point, leaving a portion unrolled. The neckerchief is then fastened around the neck with the ends either tied or clasped with a slide or woggle.
The Wood Badge is an award for Scout leader training, first awarded by The Boy Scouts Association in the United Kingdom in 1919 and subsequently adopted, with variations, by some other Scout organizations. Wood Badge courses teach Scout leadership skills and instil an ideological bond and commitment to the organizations. Courses generally have theory and practical phases followed by a practice project. Scouters who complete the course are awarded a pair of wood beads on each end of a leather thong, from a necklace of beads Robert Baden-Powell claimed to have taken from the African chief Dinizulu.
Harpenden is a town and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England. The population of the built-up area was 30,674 in the 2021 census, while the population of the civil parish was 31,128. Harpenden is a commuter town, with a direct rail connection to Central London.
A scarf is a long piece of fabric that is worn on or around the neck, shoulders, or head. A scarf is used for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or to show support for a sports club or team. Scarves can be made from materials including wool, linen, silk, and cotton. It is a common type of neckwear and a perennial accessory.
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William Henry Ralph Reader, known as Ralph Reader, was a British actor, theatrical producer and songwriter, known for staging the original Gang Show, a variety entertainment presented by members of the Scouting movement, and for leading community singing at FA Cup Finals.
Ralph William John Brown is an English actor and writer, known for playing Danny the drug dealer in Withnail and I, the security guard Aaron in Alien 3, DJ Bob Silver in The Boat That Rocked aka Pirate Radio, super-roadie Del Preston in Wayne's World 2, the pilot Ric Olié in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and Henry Clinton in Turn: Washington's Spies. He won the Samuel Beckett Award for his first play Sanctuary written for Joint Stock Theatre Company in 1987, and the Raindance and Sapporo Film Festival awards for his first screenplay for the British film New Year's Day in 2001.
Scouting started in Victoria, Australia, as early as 1907 and local Boy Scout patrols and troops formed independently. Several separate central organisations began operating including Boys' Brigade Scouts, Church Lads' Brigade Scouts, Chums Scouts, Imperial Boy Scouts, Girl Peace Scouts, Imperial Boy Scouts Victoria Section, Imperial Boy Scouts Victorian Section, Gippsland Boy Scouts Association, Australian Boy Scouts, Australian Imperial Boy Scouts, The Boy Scouts Association, Life-Saving Scouts of the Salvation Army and Methodist Boy Scouts.
Shane Jacobson is an Australian actor, director, writer, and comedian, best known as the "Dunny Man" for his performances as the eponymous character Kenny Smyth, a plumber working for a portable toilet rental company, in the 2006 film Kenny and the spin-off TV series, Kenny's World. In 2006, he won the Australian Film Institute's Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for that performance. In 2017 and 2018 he presented Little Big Shots, on the Seven Network, based on the American series of the same title. In 2019, Jacobson became a judge on Australia's Got Talent.
Stars in Battledress (SiB) was an organisation of entertainers who were members of the British Armed Forces during World War II.
The 9th World Scout Jamboree, also known as the Jubilee Jamboree, was held at Sutton Park, Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England, for twelve days during August 1957. The Jamboree marked dual milestones as it was both the 50th anniversary of the Scouting movement since its inception at Brownsea Island and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Scouting's founder Robert Baden-Powell.
Scouting in the region of Greater London is largely represented by The Scout Association of the United Kingdom and some Groups of traditional Scouting including the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association.
Scouting in North West England is about Scouting in the official region of North West England. It is largely represented by the Scout Association of the United Kingdom and some Groups of traditional Scouting including the British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association, Baden-Powell Scouts' Association and the Federation of European Scouts.
Scouting in South West England is about Scouting activities in the governmental region of South West England. The largest number of Scouts, volunteer leaders and groups are members of the Scout Association of the United Kingdom while there are some traditional Scouting groups such as the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association. The Scout Association administers the region through 7 Scout Counties, overseen by a regional commissioner, which follow the boundaries of the ceremonial counties they exist within. There are six active student associations at various universities in the region, each of which is affiliated to the Student Scout and Guide Organisation (SSAGO).
Scouting in East of England is about Scouting in the official region of East of England. It is largely represented by The Scout Association of the United Kingdom and some Groups of traditional Scouting including the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association.
Donald Ralph Smoothey was a British stage actor, variety entertainer and comic.
The Gang Show is a 1937 British musical film about a Boy Scout Troop who stage a variety show to raise funds, when the lease of their meeting place expires.
Frederick Haydn Dimmock MBE was a British Scouting and science fiction magazine editor, writer of children's literature and supporter of the Boy Scouts Association.
Admiral Edward Montgomery Phillpotts, CB was a Royal Navy officer.
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