In October 1970 the Bristol Light Opera Club presented “the West of England amateur premiere” of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music at the Bristol Hippodrome, a run of “two weeks, October 20 to 31”. Most principal roles, including the von Trapp children, were double-cast across alternate performances: Sylvia Jordan and Elisabeth Soloman shared Maria, and Robert Bradshaw and Roger Samways shared Captain von Trapp. Scenery and costumes came from the Coventry Theatre, the Hippodrome orchestra was augmented for the production, and the club welcomed David Llewelyn as deputy musical director. A civic party headed by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress attended on Friday 30th October.
Cast
- Maria Rainer, a Postulant at Nonnberg Abbey — Sylvia Jordan / Elisabeth Soloman
- Sister Berthe, Mistress of Novices — Esme Salter / Brenda Munden
- Sister Margaretta, Mistress of Postulants — Judith Bright / Cicely Meyer
- The Mother Abbess — Barbara Bradshaw / Meirion Ashton
- Sister Sophia — Freda Scrase / Doreen Stevens
- Captain Georg von Trapp — Robert Bradshaw / Roger Samways
- Franz, the Butler — Charles Andrews
- Frau Schmidt, the Housekeeper — Ann Stawt
- Liesl — Nita Cordery / Alison Yates
- Friedrich — Nicholas Welsh / Malcolm Robertson
- Louisa — Caroline Beavis / Joanne Pearce
- Kurt — Malcolm Wood / Rex Godby
- Brigitta — Deborah Tranter / Miranda Pope
- Marta — Jacqueline Cox / Laurie-Ann Bruce
- Gretl — Mandy Evans / Lucy Pope
- Rolf Gruber — Eric Arnold / Glynn Stacey
- Elsa Schraeder — Teresa Davey
- Ursula — Jean Licence
- Max Detweiler — Brian Harding
- Herr Zeller — Roderick Young
- Baron Elberfeld — Tony Woods
- Baroness Elberfeld — Gwen Sutton
- A Postulant — Sheila Hill
- Admiral von Schreiber — Frederick Finch