"It is
pleasing to record, when drama groups seem to be diminishing in number, that
yet another are embarking on their 21st season. Back in 1949 the Unity
Youth Club of Southwick inaugurated a drama section and on April 15, 1950,
presented four one-act plays at the Red Triangle Club, Southwick, with Mrs. E.
Penney as producer. Thus was born the Wick Theatre Company.
These
young drama enthusiast decided that they would like to make drama a fulltime
hobby, and with an average age of 18 they styled themselves the Young Wick
Players. In these early days Molly Penney offered her house as a
meting-place and Mondays at the Penneys has now become an institution. Mrs.
Penney is founder-president, and the first secretary was "Carps" ...
Betty Carpenter, who met another founder-member, Ralph Dawes, who was building
the first sets in open-air conditions in Penney's Yard. Betty became
Betty Dawes and they lived happily ever after, and with Molly Penney are the
remaining active founder-members of the group.
But many
other present members have a long history with the group. Frank Hurrell
started lighting productions in 1952. Betty Gedge
joined in 1953 and married Ian Elliott, who joined in 1954.
Jean Porter joined in 1955
and was joined by her husband George in 1957, when he
was roped in to play Rainbow in The Happiest Days of Your Life. This
production also brought Ray Hopper and Clodagh O'Farrell as Hopcroft Mi and
Barbara. Patrick Johnson goes back to 1955
Frances Moulton joined in 1956 but her husband Brian
did not succumb until 1958 to take over costume, and
produced Captain Carvello in 1959. Also in
1958, one of the group's stalwarts, Barrie Bowen,
joined to play John Cristow in The Hollow.
It was in
1959 that I first encountered the Young Wick Players
and since then, with the odd few exceptions, the standard that they have
achieved has built up as, also, has the quality of plays that the company have
presented. Not that the early productions were devoid of merit - Madame
Tic-Tac in 1955 [with Blithe Spirit in the
same season, Pygmalion in 1956 and The
Importance of Being Earnest in 1957 were some of
the better plays that they performed.
Looking
back since 1959, so many of their presentations were of outstanding merit that
any choice must leave out rather than include. But there was Don't
Listen Ladies [1960] and A Man for All Seasons
[1965] with fine performances by Patrick Johnson; there
was Anna Christie [1964] with an outstanding
performance by Brian Moulton. In 1963, Ian
Elliott distinguished himself in Mr. Belfry and Barry Bowen in The
River Line and in 1966 a very delightful Gigi
with Susanna Porter in the name rôle.
Time came
when the membership shifted its age-group from an average 18 to an average 30
years, and with this came a change in title from the outgrown Young Wick
Players to the Wick Theatre Company.
This new
season kicks off on Tuesday, November 25, with Ralph Dawes' production of Wait
Until Dark."
The
local press back in 1969 carried articles at the time of the 21st birthday,
coupling both a retrospective and commentary on Wick's future. Here are
the two archived at the time.
Tonight,
[Friday May 8th 1970] the Wick Theatre Company, of Southwick, celebrate their
21st birthday with an anniversary dinner. During that time they have
progressed from infancy to maturity, and now they have the key to the door -
the door of Manor Cottage which is to be used as a theatre
workshop.
From
being a raw offshoot of a youth club, the Wick ha developed into one of the
foremost amateur companies in Sussex. In the Barn Theatre, where they
have acted since the start, the company have a charming and friendly setting
for drama.
The
Wick began as the Unity Players back in 1948/49. Then in 1951 they broke
away from the youth club to which they belonged and formed the Young Wick
Players. They took part in a Festival of Britain pageant in 1951 and for
many years they performed three full length plays every year.
Change
of name
As
the players grew older, the title of 'Young Wick Players' became
inappropriate. So in 1962 they changed their name to the Wick Theatre
Company. They retained a Young Wick section which still takes part in
festivals and competitions with great success. They have won the West
Sussex One-Act Play Youth festival four times. The senior section of the
company have won the Southwick One-Act Festival seven times in 14 years.
Since
1964 there has been a change in emphasis in the plays staged by the
Wick. They have come to rely less and less on pot-boilers and more on
ambitious productions. Says the chairman, Mr. Barrie Bowen:
"We like to give a mixed programme and do whatever we do well. We
now attract a fairly regular audience who are prepared to take
it."
There
most ambitious play so far, Becket, was extremely well received earlier
this year and was solidly booked. They are opening their next season
with another new venture Oh What a Lovely War which will include
singing and dancing.
Continuity
In
the 21 years they have put on over 90 full length plays and only two have ever
been performed more than once. Continuity has been provided by their
founder president, Mrs. Elizabeth Penney, who has written several plays for
them, and by Ralph and Betty Dawes, who have been acting for Wick right from
the start.
Amateur
drama as a whole has been going through a sticky patch. Television has
been robbing it of performers and audiences of the past. Economic
factors have played their part, too, in the demise of many theatre
groups.
But the Wick,
through efficient organisation, have surmounted this problem. They spend
over £200 on a production, but usually break even.
Nearly all the 70 members serve on sub-committees so that they have an
interest in the administration. They have been very fortunate in their
backstage team, so that the leading actors do not have to be painting props
ten minutes before they go on stage. Barrie Bowen describes an audience
as 'a fickle floating mass which has got to be entertained.' He says:
"It doesn't know what it wants, but having seen it it must realise it
enjoyed it." With this in mind, the Wick hope to instill into many
people between Rottingdean and Worthing the habit of regularly attending the
theatre in the same way as people used to go to the cinema.
Gains
Already
between 800 and 900 people see a Wick production. About half of these
are regulars and the other half come through the publicity the company
make. Most of the people who work for Wick are from the managerial of
professional classes. Barrie Bowen says they act to boost their own egos
- and also to use their creative powers. The gains they obtain from
acting include self-confidence, relaxation - and the company of people with
similar interests.
What
of the next 21 years for Wick? They will attempt increasingly ambitious
works and will try to broaden their spectrum to include classical plays and
musical comedy. They also hope to take a bigger part in writing their
own plays and to experiment in drama as much as possible. They would
like, in company with the other groups who use the Barn, to put on productions
more regularly so that theatregoers in Southwick can make a habit of
attending.
On
Tuesday, the company will be again celebrating their anniversary at the first
night of their latest production Hotel Paradiso. Confectionary
will be given to members of the audience and afterwards they will be invited
to meet the cast over a drink.
The
long cherished dream of the Wick Theatre Company to have a theatre workshop in
Southwick may at last be coming true. Southwick Council's allotments and
parks committee are considering their application to convert Eastbrook Barn
into a workshop and centre for the company. But first the committee have
to see if a 1964 plan to convert the barn into a youth and sports centre is
likely to be put into effect. Agreement was reached at the time with
West Sussex County Council for the scheme. But although the Minister for
Housing considered it to be desirable, he said that there was not sufficient
reason to grant loan consent. Yesterday the chairman of the committee,
Councillor Mrs. Irene Sweet, said that West Sussex would be asked whether they
were now prepared to approve the sports centre scheme.
Sympathy
This
has to be done before the theatre workshop idea could be considered. She
had sympathy with the company as suitable buildings in the town were in short
supply. Mr. Barry Bowen, chairman of the Wick Theatre Company, told the Herald
that for about six months the council had been helping them find
premises. One building considered had been 21 Southwick-street, the
house in the town centre over which there was a big argument earlier this
year. The council eventually decided that this should be restored and
used for office accommodation.
Mr.
Bowen said that the problem of providing a workshop was becoming
urgent. Premises where their scenery is stored is due to be demolished
shortly under a road widening scheme.
At
present the company use the Barn Theatre in Southwick Community Centre for
their productions. But this is so heavily used that it cannot be
employed for many rehearsals. The company, 21years old this year, wants
to develop the youth side of their activities to support the company. At
present people aged between 21 and 25 often lose interest in the theatre after
leaving schools and youth clubs. A theatre workshop would help to keep
their interest alive and would also help in other ways, such as improving
their ability at public speaking. It would have a stage and a series of
rooms where carpenters, painters and dressmakers could work. Mr. Bowen
said the company had some money to invest and were prepared to work hard to
convert a suitable building.
Bridgehead
"We
want to provide a bridgehead from the schools into the company", he
said. "We have had the dream of this workshop for many years but
Southwick has few places suitable. We don't want to move from Southwick
as we have been here 21 years and like its community spirit. Our concern
is to provide an atmosphere in which people who are interested i drama as an
aspect of further education can practice it."