CADS take you back to music hall days

"Back to those Music Hall Days" will see a return to the good old days of Crookwell Amateur Dramatic Society in the 1990s with a selection of some of their popular 'old time' musical numbers and skits. Not only will the material be plucked from the archives, but so too will be a number of cast members who took part in those early shows.

It will be the greatest of pleasures to welcome back to the stage old time favourites Annette Prell, Debb O'Brien, Chris Croker, Christine Bentley, Stephen Rigby, Margaret Wheelwright, Ken Wheelwright, Tory Simmons (Croker), Narelle Kennedy, Andrew 'Boots' Harborne, Sarah Lowe and Des Rowley.

CADS' stalwart performers Heather Davies, Wal Smart, Michael Lowe and Rechell Naughton, all recently seen on stage, will be joined again this year by Rob Huskinson, Maggie Rikard-Bell, Lyn Green, Margaret Hudson and CADS' latest newcomer to the stage from the 2018 Lady Godiva - Dallas Atkins.

For the very first time, Darren 'Buckets' O'Brien will be making it a full family affair as wife Rie and teenage children Ellis and Misha join him on the Memorial Hall stage.

This year's production welcomes some making their CADS debut, local schoolie Nic Bensley and Goulburnite Kevin Breen. Chris Hinton, recently known to CADS patrons for his direction of Cinderella in 2016, will fill the role of music hall chairman, so capably controlled through the 1990s by the irrepressible Phil Meckiff, now retired to the south coast.

Of course, no music hall can happen without the magic fingers of Mrs Helen Lowe as she once again takes her rightful place alongside Mrs Campbell in 'tickling the ivories' for their 15th music hall. These two ladies form the keystone of CADS' live musical performances. Many times they have enjoyed the accompaniment of "drummer boy" Dale Chalker, who will once again be keeping the beat.

What is going to make this show something special is its salute to those music hall days that have been such a standout feature of CADS offerings over the last 32 years. The effort required to stage the music halls is enormous. The search for material, the construction of sets and lighting design, the organisation of casting and scheduling of rehearsal times, make music hall productions a time-consuming and exhausting venture which takes many months of preparation by a small group of dedicated theatre-loving volunteers.

Some behind-the-scenes 'drivers' who have remained loyal and committed to the success of CADS since 1987, seldom if ever missing a production, deserve highlighting. The triumvirate of Robert Bill, Sandra Bill and Rhonda Cummins ensure CADS and KAOS (Kids Acting On Stage) get a theatre event happening on the stage of the Crookwell Memorial Hall every year. Simon Bill, son of Robert and Sandra, is also now invaluable to the production team as CADS' lighting designer.

And while CADS will continue the tradition of providing quality entertainment for the good folk of Crookwell and surrounds for many more years to come, it will, sadly, be the Rowley Champagne Coach's last hurrah.

We pay tribute to CADS patron Desley Rowley for her tireless organisation of those well-travelled Champagne Coaches, as they make their final road trip to Crookwell in June.

Desley has been responsible each show for gathering the troops from out of town, literally in the thousands over many years, organising the coach, the driver and tables for two of CADS' BYO Supper Show performances.

Departing from Goulburn, theatre-goers from Sydney, Wollongong and Canberra climb aboard the 56-seater coach which offers a bottomless glass of champagne, served with Desley's famous Cote d'Or chocolates and fresh strawberries.

For ticketing information and bookings, contact the Crookwell Visitor Information Centre ph 4832 1988. "Back to those Music Hall Days" will be held over the last two weekends in June. In response to demand, there will be two theatre seating matinees, an opening night half price special and three BYO supper table shows.