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BBLOC History

1954-1959


1959

Waltz Time

Director: John Crane
Musical Director: Brian Wiltshire

Waltz Time

1958

The Dubarry

Director: John Crane
Musical Director: Brian Wiltshire

The Dubarry

1957

Quaker Girl

Director: Kenneth Palmerston
Musical Director: Eric Keats & Byron Brooke

Quaker Girl

1956

Magyar Melody

Director: Victor Newton
Musical Director: Eric Keats

This year saw the closure of the Hippodrome in Boscombe and the company’s move to the Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth which has been our home ever since. To reflect the change of venue the company changed its name to ‘The Bournemouth and Boscombe Light Opera Company’

Magyar Melody

1955

Night In Venice

Director: Victor Newton
Musical Director: Eric Keats

BBLOC’s second show was the southern amateur premier of ‘NIGHT IN VENICE’ – again performed at the Hippodrome in Boscombe. The company were guinea pigs as the new version was still in manuscript. Eric Maschwitz, who wrote the book and lyrics, came to see a performance with a view to editing and streamlining it

Night In Venice

1954

Katinka

Director: George Stone
Musical Director: Eric Keats

The show was produced by George Stone who in 1919, in collaboration with Miss Dorothy Rowe, founded the Bournemouth Little Theatre Club, which later built the Palace Court Theatre in Bournemouth. This was sadly the first and last occasion when George produced for the company as he died later in the year. Production costs were in the region of £1,500.

The souvenir programme cost 1/- (10p in today’s money) and a notice in the programme stated: ‘It is particularly requested that members of the audience will refrain from smoking until after Act 1’ … Imagine!

KATINKA was produced in aid of the Missions to Seamen – described by Arthur Ball as ‘a very worthy cause deserving the highest support, for we can never forget the sacrifices made for us during the War, and the great service our seamen are rendering now’

Katinka

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Bournemouth and Boscombe Light Opera Company