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 Martins Operatic
Society in Bless the Bride by A P Herbert and Vivian Ellis.
Staged: 9 to
14 March 1970 at the Neptune Theatre Liverpool
 Less than three months
after the upheaval of Martins Branches merging their business with those of
Barclays, the show is about to go on once more! Sadly, the word “Bank” has
been removed from the title of our merry band of performers, and we must now
become used to the rather unwieldy “MARTINS OPERATIC SOCIETY under the auspices of
Barclays Bank Arts Council”. Auspicious indeed, but it is really just
business as usual for our band of players who will go on to perform a total
of ELEVEN light operatic works between
1970 and 1980. Martins Bank Magazine
published its final full edition in the Autumn of 1969, so we can no longer
draw on their wonderful Archive for images and reviews of productions. We are however lucky to have an almost
complete set of programmes covering the 1970s, and thanks to our friends at
the British Newspaper Archive, we can bring you stories and reviews from the
local press. We’ll bring you a synopsis of the plot of, and later a list of
those who made it all happen, from the performers to the backstage crew and
production team. Somewhat fittingly for this production of BLESS THE BRIDE, two of the backstage
staff have some exciting “getting together” news of their own! - and where would a Martins Operatic
production be without the great Hughie Ross of the Liverpool Echo to sprinkle
his familiar verbal dexterity over the proceedings by way of critique!
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 It is the eve of her wedding, but Lucy Veracity
Willow is far from happy; she confides to her sisters that her intended,
the Hon. Thomas Trout, is not all that she would wish. Thomas further
upsets the Victorian equilibrium by introducing two French play actors,
Suzanne Valdis and Pierre Fontaine. Lucy and Pierre fall in love on sight.
Augustus and Mary Willow, Lucy's parents, invite Pierre and .Suzanne to
attend the party that evening to celebrate Augustus’ parents Golden
Wedding. The following day finds Lucy and her Nanny preparing for the
wedding, when a message from Pierre gives Lucy her chance to escape. She
feigns illness and changes clothes with Buttons the page boy. The guests
return anxiously enquiring after the sick bride, when Suzanne bursts in to
announce that she has just seen Pierre driving away with Lucy. Confusion
reigns. Lucy and Pierre unwelcomingly chaperoned by Suzanne have now
reached Eauville, a French seaside resort, but Lucy’s parents accompanied
by Thomas and George are hot on the trail. They all come face to face in
the Cafe des Pommes when Augustus and his party, heavily disguised, are
accused of being Prussian spies. Lucy saves them as the news arrives that
war has been declared. Pierre leads the men off in a rousing chorus “To France”
leaving poor Lucy to return to England with her parents. A year passes, the
war is over, but Lucy is broken hearted at the news of Pierre’s death.
Thomas who is a changed man proposes again, but Lucy tells him she can
never love any other man but Pierre. Thomas says he will wait and she
accepts his ring. As it is Lucy’s birthday her sisters have arranged a
surprise party, but in the middle of the celebrations, Suzanne arrives from
starving Paris; upon hearing that it is Lucy’s birthday she produces her
own present which ensures a happy ending.
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“Their lovely day”…
Love
is certainly in the air backstage at the Neptune Theatre, during the
production of BLESS
THE BRIDE. The stage manager and his assistant have fallen
in love, and declare their engagement to the cast and crew during one of
the rehearsals. The Liverpool Echo takes up the story, at a time long
before social media and the idea of personal privacy - when publishing the full address of each person and
details of their parentage was still quite normal for a local newspaper!
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A hit song from the musical Bless
the Bride had a special significance for two of the back stage team at the
dress rehearsal at the Neptune Theatre, Liverpool. The song “This is my
Lovely Day”, reflected the mood of stage manager John Crowther, aged 28 of
Princes Avenue West Kirby and assistant stage manager Colleen Rolston, aged
21, of Banks Road, West Kirby, who chose a break in the rehearsal to
announce their engagement.
They are both members of Martins
Operatic Society, who are presenting the musical at the Neptune this week,
and met at the Deeside Gilbert and Sullivan Operatic Society at West Kirby,
of which they are also both members. On April 26 they will both be singing
in the “Gilbert and Sullivan for All” production at the Gateway Theatre,
Chester.
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The
Liverpool Echo 9 March 1970
Text © Reach PLC and Find my Past
created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Text reproduced with kind
permission of The British
Newspaper Archive
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Colleen is the only daughter of
Mr and Mrs R R Rolston. Her father is stage manager for the Deeside Gilbert
and Sullivan Society. Her fiancé, only son of the late Mr and Mrs Arthur L
Crowther of Neston, is with Associated Octel Co Ltd at Ellesmere Port.
“So tuneful!”
The
Liverpool Echo’s column “The Amateur Stage with Hughie Ross” is a
long-running and respected source of critique for every kind of amateur
performance on Merseyside, and in Cheshire and the Wirral. Hughie is a seasoned critic who knows our
Society well, having covered its performances in the 1960s. Here, he gives
his verdict on Bless the Bride…
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The Liverpool
Echo 9 March 1970
Text © Reach PLC and Find my
Past created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. Text reproduced with
kind permission of The
British Newspaper Archive
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The musical play “Bless the
Bride”, by A P Herbert and Vivian Ellis, contains so many tuneful and
singable melodies that it was obvious Martins Operatic Society (under the
auspices of Barclays Bank Society of the Arts) decided for their production
this week at Neptune Theatre to concentrate on them rather than decor. Set
against sombre black drapes, even the colourful period costumes looked
rather drab.
However, the singing throughout
and particularly that of the principals, not only relieved the gloom but
gave an air of gaiety to the proceedings.
Pat Carrier made a charming Bride, and with Clive S. Jones as a
splendid Pierre were outstanding in the show-stopping numbers – “I was
never kissed before”, “This is my
lovely day” and the lively Ma Belle Marguerite”.
JAUNTY
In the jaunty role of the Hon
Thomas Trout, we welcomed the return at John Bowen to further enliven the proceedings,
and also strong vocally were Ian Wilson and Cynthia McLachlan. Pamela Rooke used her lovely voice well
in her solo number, and Jean Robinson was a vivacious Suzanne. Producer
Kenneth Jones had his problems in handling a big chorus on the small stage,
but achieved good movement and gave the six sisters of the Bride
opportunities to show their skill in neat dance groupings.
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The
many wonderful operettas written by Gilbert and Sullivan and countless
others are memorable first and foremost through the songs themselves –
someone, somewhere, will know the words to one of them, even if they
personally have never actually been to a performance. The secondmost
memorable feature must surely be the weird and wonderful names of the
characters, and the strangely named places in which the action takes
place. Whether it is “Poo-Bah”
“Nanki-Poo” “Pish-Tush” and “Ko-Ko” from THE MIKADO, or “Captain Spatz”,
“Captain Spitz” “Major Spotz” and “Major Sputz”, who are Officers in the
army of “Gerolstein” in THE GRAND DUCHESS, the list of places,
and of the characters and who played them are a must-read in the official
production programme. Outlandish
tales of love and war in faraway, mostly made-up places, embody all that is
light-opera and operetta. Our
programme for BLESS
THE BRIDE does
not disappoint, and to end our journey through this 1970 production of the
newly named MARTINS
OPERATIC SOCIETY,
we’ll have a look at the lists of cast and crew and the elaborate ordering
of the scenes – not least to show just how many people are involved in
lovingly bringing these little comedy masterpieces to the stage...
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With special thanks to Mike Ellis and the late, great Beryl Creer.
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