Maidstone Scouts Gang show 9th-13th April 2024
19th Feb - 12th Apr
Maidstone Gang Show is a family variety show performed by the cast of over 75 talented performers from Maidstone Scouting.
Come and celebrate their return to the stage in this bi-annual evening of entertainment. Packed full of modern songs, dance routines with comedy and sketches featured throughout.
About Scouts’ Gang Shows …
The first Scouts Gang Show was performed in London in 1932. It was produced by Ralph Reader, a well known composer and choreographer of the day. He had become successful in America, producing shows on Broadway. When Ralph (an ex-Scout) was asked by the Scout Movement to produce a Scout Show he readily agreed. The style of the show was to be a revue containing songs, dancing and sketches and afterwards, the Daily Mail wrote, “The best revue in the West End”. Gang Show was born!
During the war years Ralph was asked to produce similar shows for the RAF to raise morale. Over the years, both the Scout and RAF Gang Shows have played a significant part of many early careers in show business – Tony Hancock, Dick Emery, Roy Hudd and Peter Sellers, to name but a few. Since then, Scout Gang Shows have snowballed all over the world. The Scouts and Guides of all nationalities produce high quality shows that provide first class entertainment. A platform for the youth of today enabling them to contribute to charity as well as their own funds.
It was once said that “Every night of every year, somewhere in the world a Gang Show is playing”. Today, this is very much an understatement!
The Maidstone Gang Show has been part of this history for over 70 years - our first show was in 1939 as one of the first provincial towns to participate outside of London! In 1970, Tony Palmer produced the first full Gang Show; this was the first of many shows to be performed at our present home, Maidstone’s Hazlitt Theatre. These shows were traditional Ralph Reader Gang Shows using only his original songs, sketches and an all male cast. We can’t wait to be back for another bi-annual showcase at the Hazlitt Theatre this April.
The aim of the show is to give young people in Scouting the opportunity to develop theatre skills and perform on a professional stage. For some this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. The performers are children and adults who are members of the Scouting movement within the Maidstone area who perform items based on Musicals, Comedy Sketches and Popular Music giving their time for rehearsal and the performance free on top of other Scouting and education/work commitments. Those you will see on stage are supported by a support team of over 60 people again donating their time and skills in areas of Costumes, Front of House, Make-up, Band, Stage Crew, Scenery, Show Content and Production.
The show week is the culmination of over six months of hard work by both performers and support teams.
All tickets can be booked online, through the box office 10.30am - 2.30pm, Monday - Saturday on 01622 758 611 or book online following the booking link here: Maidstone Gang Show - The Hazlitt Theatre | Parkwood Theatres
