On Sunday 13th and Monday 14th December 1987 the Bristol Light Opera Club presented Thanks for the Memories, “Bristol Hippodrome’s 75th Birthday Show”, at the theatre itself. Written by Gerry Parker and “Conceived—Choreographed—and Artistically Directed” by Vicki Klein, with musical arrangements and direction by Christopher Northam, the revue retold the Hippodrome’s history in twelve scenes, from its 1912 opening melodrama through twice-nightly variety, the war, pantomime, the fire and the re-opening to the “Premières” of Guys and Dolls and The Music Man. Chairman Alan Seager invited the audience to “relive the 75 years in song and dance”. The show was presented “in association with Apollo Leisure (U.K.) Ltd and BBC Radio Bristol”, and the programme appears inside the Hippodrome’s souvenir brochure for its seventy-fifth anniversary.
Cast
- Frank Matcham (Architect) — David Portlock
- Sir Oswald Stoll — Richard Randall
- Mary (The Heroine) — Alison Sutton
- Basil (The Villian) — Andrew Cunningham
- John (The Hero) — Roland Kitchen
- Duet (Scene Two) — Bob Bradshaw, Alan Holbrook
- Sarah Bernhardt — Sally Noble
- Heckler — Roderick Young
- Policemen — Len Hall, Tony Holley
- Call Boy (Archibald Leach — later to become Cary Grant) — Nicholas Hicks
- Gracie Fields — Valerie Keates
- George Formby — Robert Hurst
- Wilson, Kepple and Betty — Andrew Cunningham, Matthew Jeanes, Tina Kelly
- Max Miller — Dennis Dew
- Peter Lorrie — Peter Townsend
- Ann Ziegler — Sylvia Shore
- Webster Booth — Alan Holbrook
- Randolph Sutton — Gerry Parker
- Clara Butt’s sister — Peggy de Lacy Adams
- Tom Mix — Michael Ames
- Nanki-Poo — Eric Arnold
- Ko-Ko — Len Hall
- Pooh-Bah — Malcolm Daw
- Katisha — Barbara Graeme-Drury
- Yum-Yum — Vicki Sealey
- Pitti-Sing — Sara Bishop
- Beep-Bo — Rachel Walke
- Pish-Tush — Peter Marlow
- George Higgs (The Theatre Manager) — Richard Randall
- Jonathan — David Portlock
- Einstein — Roland Kitchen
- Mortimer — Matthew Jeanes
- Abby — Mary Lamb
- Martha — Rose Pellow
- Old Mother Riley — Ged Clapson
- Kitty — Tina Ayers-Hunt
- Jack Marriot (Stage Manager) — David Portlock
- The Queen — Joan Walke
- The Prince — Chris Punter
- The Princess — Christine Parker
- Soloists (Scene Nine) — Malcolm Daw, Robert Hurst
- Duet (Scene Nine) — Lucy Bernard, Corinne Britton
- Mrs Marjorie Bleasdale — Sylvia Shore
- Nun’s Chorus — Soloist — Meirion Ashton
- Hair — Soloists — Becky Evans, Craig Purnell, Lisa Mason
- Do-re-mi — Maria — Alison Sutton
- Liesl — Louise Lovell
- Friedrich — Chris Golding
- Louisa — Claire Holdsworth
- Kurt — Stephen Kendal
- Brigitta — Jemma Browning
- Marta — Victoria Hayes
- Gretl — Stacy Austin
- Guys and Dolls — Nathan — Christopher Ladkin
- Nicely — Lionel Davies
- Benny — Peter Townsend
- Music Man — Harold Hill — Roderick Young