| Gang Show facts | - The St Albans Scout & Guide Gang Show is renowned to be one of the best in the country. People will be travelling from across the UK to see it.
- OFFICIAL! – IT’S A SELL OUT! The show will play to packed audiences from Wednesday 8 February – Saturday 11 February.
- There are over 120 cast members (from 11 to 25 years of age)
- Over 40 songs – that’s more than three west end musicals!
- Over 30 dance routines
- Over 18,000 items in the Gang Show wardrobe
- Over 130 volunteers help to put the show on – production crew, musicians, technical crew, wardrobe team, set builders, business team to name but a few
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A lot has happened this week, with the cast moving into the Alban Arena for the first time. This is when many ideas finally become a reality and the show begins to come together. Shifting from the HQ where we practise to the Arena is a shock, particularly with the bright (and very hot!) stage lights glarring down on you! Everyone, however, really enjoyed Sundays rehearsal, and being able to pace an item through from beginning to end not only keeps you on your toes, but gives you a real idea of how things will shape out come show week. I have been reliably informed that the sets are looking amazing as usual this year, and the lighting and sound guys have already been in to size up the cast and work out how to make us look and sound beautiful! We have had our costume fitting evening, where all manner of characters were created! Since I joined the Gang Show, I have played all sorts of roles, from a white cat, to an ophan in a workhouse. I've played a tramp and a sweet factory worker. Put this together with items such as "stand and sing", when the cast wear a more standard t-shirt and trouser combo, and you begin to get an idea of just how much sewing takes place!! Having just returned from a rehearsal at the Arena, I am knackered, and have many-a dance routine and song lyric running round my head, and am trying to make sure I don't forget anything! But rehearsals are going well and we're set for a great show; there are some really good numbers.
 | | Our Gang Show Diarist - Flis! |
We have now been taught all the songs and learnt our words (in theory!); we've been set for the different items and have begun running them from start to end. I hear the front of curtain sketches are shaping up nicely, and each area of the backstage crew are working their hardest to ensure we all look fab! We had our annual trip to see our rivals, when 80 of us descended on Harpenden Gang Show a few weeks ago. Everyone had a really good evening, and it spurred everybody on to ensure that we keep up the high standards! As with every year, there were a number of songs we all recognised from previous shows, as well as a few that will appear in ours this year. I really enjoyed going as a cast to see their Gang Show, and I cant wait until they come to see us in a few weeks, and (hopefully) give us a cheer or two! Over the two weeks until the curtain goes up, we have a lot more hard work to put in, but also a lot to look forward to. We will have the first time we run the show in costume, the night when we present our newest cast members with their gang show scarf, and our first opportunity to sing through the finale to name just a few. Don't forget to come back soon, to catch up with the next installment of the Gang Show online diary from Flis! |
