MIDDLEWICH YOUTH THEATRE 1973

Today, to prove that there is nothing new under the sun, we bring you MIDDLEWICH YOUTH THEATRE - 1973 style. The MYT was founded by myself and Sheila Page, sister of Geoff Page of Round Table fame, and, for the 1973 Carnival we put together a float (in reality Mike Tully's lorry) with the theme 'Julius Caesar' We were up all night making the banners (we were young, and could do this in those days without feeling like warmed over death the next morning). Our Caesar was Fiona Williams, daughter of Trevor (who ran a delicatessen in the town) with the traditional bed sheet for a toga, fake blood and a plastic dagger. Fiona is the girl in the yellow jumper at the rear of the lorry, and next to her is Sheila page. We assassinated Fiona several times during the procession for the benefit of the crowds. Our picture also shows Geoff Page, Sheila's brother, seen here making a dramatic theatrical gesture.

The MYT never really took off, although we did enlist the aid and patronage of some wonderful people, including Mr and Mrs Millington who lived in teh large house at the bottom of Hannah's Walk.
Mrs M had been an actress and musical comedy star in her day, and had been a memer of the BBC Repertory Company in Manchester. Mr M was Dennis Thatcher to her Margaret. They were a delightful couple.

The whole venture was inspired by my membership, while still at school, of the renowned St Michael's Players. As you might guess, my main involvement was with lighting, sound effects and music.

The photograph was taken, by the way, in Darlington Street, in the yard more recently used by the late Johnny McAlinden for his vintage vehicle restoration business. Now the area is part of what has become known as the 'Tesco land' and may well soon be part of a housing development.

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     Compare and contrast with the present day MIDDLEWICH YOUTH THEATRE which continues to thrive and go from strength to strength.
    
    
    THE PRESENT DAY MIDDLEWICH YOUTH THEATRE
    
    
    This photo was originally published on Facebook on 14th May 2011. The original feedback is below:
    
    

    • Geraldine Williams St Michael's Players - oh yes! Seem to recall Colin King as a police inspector in 'Dial M for Murder' or some such. There was also a very elegant lady, Lenora _. Did they once stage a play at the ICI Club (told you they shouldn't have demolished the Town Hall! hehe)? Of course, most of the live entertainment in Middlewich involved Georgie Platt's Dancers!
      

      14 May at 13:15 · 
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      Dave Roberts 
      
      
      
    • I think you mean Hanorah jackson. We put on a couple of plays at the ICI club in my time - 'The Amorous Prawn' and 'An Inspector Calls'. We used a live shotgun for the sound effects in 'The Amorous Prawn' and had to get a special licence from the police. Chief lighting and sound effects man Don Rushton stood at the back of the club and fired said gun into an oil drum on cue from me. People in Brooks Lane must have wondered what was happening. And in 'An Inspector Calls' the actor playing 'Mr Birling' messed up the all-important last line of the play by picking up the telephone (a vintage victorian one borrowed from the Lyceum, Crewe) and announcing himself as 'Inspector Birling' instead of 'Mr Birling', confusing the audience and everyone else just when the denouement was due.
    
    
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    • • Our method of producing the sounds of the explosions for 'The Amorous Prawn' was interesting, too (according to the plot, some army types were supposed to be setting off dynamite in the local salmon river). One of the actors obliged by simply making the noise of a bomb into a microphone close against his lips (very much like the noise children make when pretending to blow things up). This is a time-honoured way of producing the effect which even the BBC have sometimes been known to use.
  
  
  Geraldine Williams Haha! You can't beat live theatre..........