The Cicala Players - The White Sheep of the Family

The Cicala Players in The White Sheep of the Family by L du Garde Peach and Ian Hay

Staged: 13 and 14 April 1954 at the Toynbee Hall Theatre London

Eastenders? Well, not exactly, but for this 1954 performance of the comedy “The White Sheep of the Family”, the Cicala Players try out yet ANOTHER London Theatre, which this time situated in the East End - the Toynbee Hall Theatre E1, which today as Toynbee Hall survives as a modern creative hub, works tirelessly to tackle poverty in the East End of London AND continues to support the arts. Martins Bank Magazine might sound a little stuffy to say that using this theatre to avoid high costs, means a loss of support for a production, but that probably was the reality at that time, and the Cicala Players did well to focus on staging the play with its usual flair and, by this time also, its considerable experience. (Reading between the lines, the Magazine was practically pleading with readers to help keep the Players performing in the WEST END along with the amateur groups from the other Banks!) “The White Sheep of the Family” had actually been produced live on BBC Television just ten months earlier, on 6 July 1953. At that time the UK still had just one TV channel, and programmes were transmitted totally live. Videotape arrived on the scene in America in 1956, and two years later, it was successfully demonstrated on the BBC “Panorama” programme. It remained an expensive option until the advent of digital recording, consequently there are huge gaps in Britain’s TV Archives due to programmes being wiped in order to re-use videotape. The play itself was very popular and performed by many local amateur dramatic groups in the 1950s, so you might say that they, including the Cicala Players were in effect producing a “repeat” programme, long before such things existed!

The Spring production was L. du Garde Peach's and Ian Hay’s comedy “The White Sheep of the Family” and was staged at the Toynbee Hall Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 13th and 14th. This theatre has not been used by the Players since 1947 and the choice was dictated on this occasion for financial reasons. It seems to be impossible to avoid incurring some loss on the productions at the Fortune Theatre because of the high overhead costs. At Toynbee Hall loss can be avoided, but, unfortunately, loss of support has to be faced when the production is transferred to the East End.
We ourselves feel that to avoid loss of support we should at all costs stick to the Fortune Theatre and, if a loss has to be faced, an endeavour should be made to increase patronage. The Players have done and are doing a fine job for staff relations in the London District. Somehow, they must be assured the modest financial support needed to keep them in the West End, along with the Dramatic Societies of the other banks. The comedy which was their Spring choice is a naughty comedy in which normal values arc inverted and to be a clever crook is to maintain the tradition worthily of a talented line of forbears. The boy who decides to go straight and become a bank clerk “disgraces” and brings shame upon the family. The humour of the lines in the light of this inverted outlook immediately becomes apparent.			Edna Robinson and Roger Peace
The father, outwardly a pillar of the church and a Justice of the Peace, but secretly a master burglar, was played by Ernest Yates with his usual sharp and snappy application to the dialogue, presenting us with a bright and sparkling character, quite lovable despite his complete lack of any moral sense. June Howden played opposite him as the worrying and doting mother making her own complete lack of moral standards vastly amusing because of the complete incongruity with which the two aspects of character appeared in relation to each other. She made us wonder whether it was we who were abnormal!
Tony Garland and Ernest Yates		Helena Currie John Cross June Howden and Ernest Yates
Helena Currie as the attractive pickpocket who frequents the opera for professional reasons, scored a great success, and succeeded in making her characterisation orthodox, true to type and entirely convincing. It needed to be shown this way; for if everyone had followed the line portrayed by the father and mother the net result would have been unreal. The other member of the family, the “ White Sheep ” who decides to go straight and abandon the career in which he had already made a name as the cleverest note forger since “Jim the Penman”, was portrayed by Roger Peace, a newcomer to acting. He made a most notable success of the part and his facial expressions, especially, were excellent. A star in the making.
Helena Currie and Janet Morland	The extremely humorous part of the absent-minded vicar was played by John Cross. It was a part demanding acting ability of a high order and. though his lines received many of the laughs they were meant to evoke, mere greying of the hair and its accompanying tricks of voice and movement, proved insufficient to create the illusion of senility. He is too upright, too youthful and too alert to be convincing in a part such as this, which was a pity, for it is a delightful part and adds the right amount of relief at the most dramatic moments of the play. Nevertheless, he made something of it and, as has already been said, he got his laughs. Another newcomer was Hazell Francis who played the part of the Assistant Commissioner of Police. He looked the part and his portrayal was good, too, though inclined to err on the side of presenting the old style of flat-footed, slow-thinking bobby, which is not quite in keeping with the modern conception of the inhabitants of Scotland Yard.			Edna Robinson and Hazell Francis
The criticism is only a mild one, however, and he gave a most promising performance. Janet Morland makes an excellent maid and as the “learner pickpocket” she had something more than a maid's part this time. A very good, polished little performance. The part of the “ fence ” was played by Tony Garland. He burlesqued it slightly but he did it very funnily and no one complained. Make-up was not quite right: he did not look “flashy” enough for a “wide” boy. Edna Robinson made her debut with the Players as the fiancée of the White Sheep, and daughter of the Assistant Commissioner of Police. A most accomplished burglar too, though her interest in the profession lay in the thrill and excitement of it and did not extend to the booty which she always returned. She made a very good job of her first part. The play was produced by Charles Hawkins and it was nice to sec so many former principals, “ resting ” this time, helping with the less glamorous but necessary jobs—programme selling, prompting and attending to the Box Office. The team spirit of the Company is always admirable.

Sep3M x