IN 1957, 120 amateur players presented seven magnificent performances of the ‘White Horse Inn’ at the open-air theatre in Worsbrough Park.

The players were members of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation North Eastern Area 5 (South Barnsley) Amateur Operatic Society and the production was their fourth annual show – all well-attended and very successful.

Three years earlier in 1954 they had presented, much to the acclaim of the huge audiences, ‘The Desert Song’, recently featured in this column. Memories of The Desert Song brought about an excellent response from our readers, not only in this country but from as far away as Florida, America, Melbourne, Australia, and Ottawa, Canada.

Producer of the ‘White Horse Inn’ and of the company’s three previous productions, ‘Desert Song’, ‘Rose Marie’ and ‘The Vagabond King’, was area assistant welfare officer Ernest Kershaw who was described as doing a ‘marvellous job’.

He held the National Operatic and Dramatic Association’s medal for 25 years’ experience in amateur productions. He produced musical plays and dramas for 35 years.

The ‘White Horse Inn’ is a show especially noted for its exceptional scope for colour, movement and elaborate presentation. An amazing 500 costumes were needed for the many changes of scene. The Tyrolean dancers alone appeared in ten scenes, each time in a different costume.

Three of the costume changes had to be completed within four minutes and the men and women of the chorus changed their costumes four times each. Rehearsals had to be planned well ahead to cope with the demands of the working lives of the male members of the cast.

As the company was formed mainly of mining people there were somtimes problems in getting the men together for rehearsals. Shift-work meant there would be a fortnight’s lapse between a member’s appearance at rehearsal. This led to the situation that it was not possible to hold a complete rehearsal until a week before the opening night.

Because the theatre grounds were required for the Area NCB Gala before the first performance of the ‘White Horse Inn’, only two weeks were left to erect the scenery. This consisted of two immense wings representing a Tyrolean hotel, annexe and villas, flanking a backcloth almost the full-width of the vast stage (120 feet x 27 feet) which represented forest and mountain panoramas.

All this scenery was designed, constructed and painted by Barnsley Main training centre instructor Arthur Newton.

Stage director was Smithy Wood chief electrician R Boyes. His wife, Mrs V R Boyes, was wardrobe mistress. Both had over 20 years’ experience in amateur production. Ballet mistress was Miss Phyl Beard. More pictures in the Chronicle, Friday, November 19.