In October 1973, the club’s fortieth year, the Bristol Light Opera Club staged Kismet, “a musical Arabian night”, at the Bristol Hippodrome from 9th to 20th October, having last presented it in 1961. Sally Noble produced and Philippa Laing choreographed, with Vernon Jones as musical director “by Courtesy of the Sodbury Vale Operatic Society”. Most leading roles alternated between two performers, including Colin Rees and Bob Bradshaw as the Poet. The programme salutes chairman John Heming, a founder member who in 1956 “directed our first production at the Bristol Hippodrome”, and notes that the club had won the Evening Post Rose Bowl for musicals three times, most recently the previous year with Fiddler on the Roof. The Lord Mayor and civic party attended on 18th October.
Cast
- Poet — Colin Rees / Bob Bradshaw
- Marsinah — Teresa Davey / Judith Bright
- Lalume — Linda Evans / Louise Tucker
- Caliph — Rod Young
- Wazir — Brian Harding / Charles Andrews
- Ayah to Zubbediya — Meirion Ashton
- Omar — Gerry Parker / Arthur Cox
- Jawan — Julian Morgan / Frederick Finch
- Princesses of Ababu — Jane Ashton, Jackie Cox, Alison Williams
- Princess Zubbediya of Damascus — Vicky Maguire / Hilary Wivell
- Princess Samaris of Bangolore — Fiona Campbell
- Widow Yusseff — Adrienne Higgins
- Muezzins — Malcolm Daw, John Lloyd, Ron Slade
- Hassan-Ben — Andrew Clarke
- Chief Policeman — Peter Mathews