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a compilation of song, dance and
sketches with just a hint of the Emerald Isle about them. The very full
and entertaining programme was rounded off with renditions of 'Good
Night'. The large cast included Mary Knuckey, Ken Knuckey (sang
'Good-bye', from White Horse Inn), Ron New, Colin Hatfield, Neil
Parker, Neil Fuller, Joan Richards, Lloyd Knuckey, Mavis Nichols,
Mavis Fuller, Josie Borello, Peter & Robin Eatts, Yvette
Parker Edna Bettenay, Wirlie Moore, Bill Moore, Jim Newman, Curnow Knuckey
and Mrs Croasdale, Carmody and Collins. The Concert Party didn't restrict
performances to Roleystone audiences. Each year the company travelled
to nearby districts to perform - at Kelmscott, Karragullen,
Armadale, Maddington and on occasions as far away as Byford or Mundijong.
Apparently, the stress of putting on so many concerts created
a problem in finding enough new material. At the beginning of
1952 it was necessary for the secretary to distribute a notice advertising
the fact that the Society would provide a prize of 2 guineas
($2.20) for a programme deemed suitable to perform as a concert.
Transport to the various concert venues was provided in the main by Ted Parker's truck and not always did the passengers riding on the back arrive at their destination unscathed. Pat Teague remembers badly knocking and bruising her shin one night in 1949 when alighting - not quite the case of 'break a leg' but near enough. A few years later Mavis Hart actually suffered that fate while about to perform at a concert at Maddington, very theatrical indeed. The 1946 concert party programme indicated that Ivy Parker was just as active in the drama field as ever. During the period 1947 - 1949, a great number of one act plays were produced including, 'The $10 ~ The Jumble Sale', 'The Monkey's Paw', 'Granny's a Hundred' and the melodrama,' Pansy the Mill Girl'. Many of these were entered in the South Suburban Musical and Elocutionary Society Eisteddfods as well as being included in the repertoire of the Concert Party. A full length play, (probably the Society's first,) 'Pearly Pearls' was also produced, in 1947, with a cast consisting of Margaret Bettenay, Phillip Bettenay and Neil Parker. This play was to be staged again about 6 years later with a different cast, which included Mavis Nicholls, Jack Parkin and Mavis Hart. It was produced not by Ivy, but by her daughter Yvette Green. Excerpts from numerous musicals - royalty costs made full scale productions prohibitive, were basic to the concert programmes developed and selections were taken from shows such as 'Our Miss Gibbs', 'Oklahoma', 'White Horse Inn', 'The Mikado' and 'Showboat'.
In 1951 Mary and Richard Knuckey sailed for England on an extended holiday. The conducting of the choir was carried out apparently by Harry Beard of Armadale. In a letter
to her in March he said 'I should much like to attend one evening whilst you are still there, so as to get, the shall we say, atmosphere. I would desire to work on from your standpoint, although I don't expect there will be any real strangeness between the choir and myself'.
It is interesting to note that many of the ladies associated with the Society during this period now find it very difficult to recall what was done as a member of the Choral and Dramatic Society with that which was done as part of the activities of the Roleystone branch of the Country Women's Association, (which too was founded in 1933). Mary Knuckey was involved in training a ladies choir for the C.W.A. competitions while
Ivy Parker naturally was responsible for producing plays entered in that
organisation's annual one act drama festival. The confusion was both disconcerting for informant and recorder alike when trying to unravel the activities of the late 40's and 50's. The close association members of the two organisations had, was exemplified at the send- off Pat Teague received from the Choral and Dramatic Society in 1955. In appreciation of her contribution over the previous 7 years, she was presented with a large silver tray which was engraved: |
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