The Gang Show is a family variety show, guaranteed to raise the roof and leave you with a smile from ear to ear. The dedicated youngsters have been rehearsing weekly since October, and have clocked up well over 100 hours of rehearsal time – and this is on top of their usual Scouting and Guiding meetings and adventurous activities.
The show opens to the theme of Robin Hood, and continues with hits from BTS to Pink Floyd, as well as numbers from many well-known shows such as Hairspray and Matilda – the Nottingham Gang Show has something for everyone. This year’s show is set to be a hit with thousands of audience members expected to attend throughout its week-long run.
More than 70% of the cast are brand new to the show this year, having missed out on the chance to perform during the covid lockdowns. Max, aged 8 from 7th Nottingham Scouts, said “Gang Show really fun and active. The is my first the performing and I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet new friends.”
Part of the cast who are returning to Gang Show once again includes Jack, aged 16 from Gemini Explorer Scouts in Gedling, who said “I’ve done this many times. I really enjoy the atmosphere and how it builds up to show week – that’s something I look forward to every time.”
This year’s chosen charity is the Nottingham Children’s Hospital, who support the 40,000 babies, children, and young people who are treated at the hospital each year.
Christie Wood, the show’s producer, said “We’re thrilled to bring this show to the community and to raise money for such a worthy local cause. The Scouts and Guides have worked incredibly hard to put on a fantastic show, and we hope that the community will come out to support them and the Nottingham Children’s Hospital”.
Steven Tupper, Head of Nottinghamshire Scouts, said “Our goal is to offer a variety of new and exciting opportunities to children and young people, and the Nottingham Gang Show certainly is a great example of this.”
The Theatre Royal has been staging Nottingham Gang Show since 1953. For ticket information, call the box office on 0115 989 555, or via their website at https://trch.co.uk/whats-on/nottinghamshire-gang-show-2023/.
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Gang Show began in 1931 when Ralph Reader, then a Rover Scout who had already made his mark in theatre in the USA and London, was asked to write a Scout-based amateur variety show to help raise money for a swimming pool at Downe Scout Camp (now a Scout Association National Activity Centre).
Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, approached Reader and persuaded him to produce another show in 1933. This show was called The Gang Comes Back and ran for a week. A tradition had been born and Reader continued to write and produce the London Gang Show. In 1934 the show became known as The Gang Show and the song Crest of a Wave was performed for the first time, becoming over the years the show’s iconic song internationally.
In 1937 the London Gang Show achieved the distinction of being the first amateur production to have a Royal Command Performance (an honour repeated in 1957 and 1964).