The Pantomime Years: 1940s and 50s
Genevieve Horne (nee Brunt), Newspaper photos courtesy The Wiltshire Times, August 2018
Genevieve Horne (nee Brunt), Newspaper photos courtesy The Wiltshire Times, August 2018
Cast of Snow White and Seven Dwarfs in 1947
My earliest memory of our house at 2 Valens Terrace, Box, was that I couldn't see the walls of the lounge because of theatrical costumes hanging down from the picture rail around the room. My parents Stanley and Mildred Brunt were committed to the amateur dramatic shows that the family put on in the village and surrounding area.
Cinderella 1940
The first pantomime was produced by Mrs F Sheppard and mothers in the Box Infants School, largely for the enjoyment of the evacuee children who had been billeted in the village.[1] Also invited were older people of the village. Mildred was due to play the part of Prince Charming but was unwell at the very last minute and Mrs Hillier had to take her place.[2] Mrs G Hall was Cinderella and Mrs F Sheppard The Witch. The Ugly Sisters, deemed to have uproarious antics, were played by Mrs Hinton and Mrs Holmes, and the children involved included Pat Burningham, Janet Hinton, Thelma Cannings, June Coadwell and Sheila Cleverley. Tea was served afterwards in the hall.
Below Left: The full cast in dress rehearsal photograph and Right: Prince Charming (Mildred Brunt) getting to know Cinderella (Mrs Hall) at the Ball.
The first pantomime was produced by Mrs F Sheppard and mothers in the Box Infants School, largely for the enjoyment of the evacuee children who had been billeted in the village.[1] Also invited were older people of the village. Mildred was due to play the part of Prince Charming but was unwell at the very last minute and Mrs Hillier had to take her place.[2] Mrs G Hall was Cinderella and Mrs F Sheppard The Witch. The Ugly Sisters, deemed to have uproarious antics, were played by Mrs Hinton and Mrs Holmes, and the children involved included Pat Burningham, Janet Hinton, Thelma Cannings, June Coadwell and Sheila Cleverley. Tea was served afterwards in the hall.
Below Left: The full cast in dress rehearsal photograph and Right: Prince Charming (Mildred Brunt) getting to know Cinderella (Mrs Hall) at the Ball.
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Babes in the Wood 1943
The show was held for two nights on 29 and 30 December, produced by Mildred Brunt with dances arranged by Joan Warwick. Mildred trained all forty children in the production and they raised £30 from a pantomime for the Holy innocents' Home at Sunnyside, Middlehill. Box Parish Council took an active role because, in the war time clothing restrictions, they lent a number of the children's costumes.
The show was held for two nights on 29 and 30 December, produced by Mildred Brunt with dances arranged by Joan Warwick. Mildred trained all forty children in the production and they raised £30 from a pantomime for the Holy innocents' Home at Sunnyside, Middlehill. Box Parish Council took an active role because, in the war time clothing restrictions, they lent a number of the children's costumes.
Joy May played Baron Hardup , Mildred was the Fisherwoman and Glenice Hulbert was the Lawyer . But the show was really about the children including fairies, elves, demons, sailors, soldiers and dancers. The vicar Rev AF Maltin hoped that another pantomime would be held next year.
Below: The children of the cast (courtesy Sheila Baker) includes Carol Harris and Sheila Baker
Below: The children of the cast (courtesy Sheila Baker) includes Carol Harris and Sheila Baker
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Sleeping Beauty 1945 In January 1945 five hundred people attended the Box pantomime of Sleeping Beauty at the Bingham Hall which Mildred wrote, produced and directed with forty local adults and children performing. It was a real village affair and local people lent stage props, furniture, costumes and helped with costume changes and refreshments. Extra seating borrowed from the Methodist Hall, Leslie Bence did the lighting, trees were loaned by Mr Miller and teacher Bert Swan was master of ceremonies. Right: Edwina (Sleeping Beauty) with Glenice Hulbert (Prince Charming) |
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The Box Platoon of Army Cadets (all boys) made a female beauty chorus and much of their script was their own. Village yokels comprised Les Hinton, Stan Brunt and Monty Dermott. It toured but only up to Boxfields Community Centre, Hawthorn.
The show was most remarkable for another reason though. During rehearsals, the children taking part began to fall unconscious one after another. One boy slept for 25 minutes, during which time a doctor and nurse arrived. It wasn't the show that caused the effect but a release of gas in the Bingham Hall which had gone unnoticed.
The show was most remarkable for another reason though. During rehearsals, the children taking part began to fall unconscious one after another. One boy slept for 25 minutes, during which time a doctor and nurse arrived. It wasn't the show that caused the effect but a release of gas in the Bingham Hall which had gone unnoticed.
Above: The full cast of Sleeping Beauty and Below: Box Platoon Boys' Army Cadets as a Bevy of Beauties.
Jack and the Beanstalk 1946
By 1946 Mildred started organising more ambitious productions including huge pantomime shows in the Bingham Hall, Box. Jack and the Beanstalk featured 50 performers, including friends and family. Jack Hinton was Jill the Giant's Servant, Alec Dancey Widow Twanky, Mary Hinton Odorius Egg, and Leslie Bence Giant Snuffle-Gobler. Mary Hinton made most of the costumes and thirteen-year-old Edwina trained the 32 juvenile dancers. The production was a triumph and toured to Hilmarton, Boxfields, Box Hill, Colerne, Calne and Semington as well as two separate runs in Box in January and March. The Box shows were in aid of the Holy Innocents Home, Sunnyside.
By 1946 Mildred started organising more ambitious productions including huge pantomime shows in the Bingham Hall, Box. Jack and the Beanstalk featured 50 performers, including friends and family. Jack Hinton was Jill the Giant's Servant, Alec Dancey Widow Twanky, Mary Hinton Odorius Egg, and Leslie Bence Giant Snuffle-Gobler. Mary Hinton made most of the costumes and thirteen-year-old Edwina trained the 32 juvenile dancers. The production was a triumph and toured to Hilmarton, Boxfields, Box Hill, Colerne, Calne and Semington as well as two separate runs in Box in January and March. The Box shows were in aid of the Holy Innocents Home, Sunnyside.
The colourful costumes of the children were quite remarkable in 1946 when clothes rationing still existed. Blackout curtains and home dyes (using vegetables like beetroot) helped to fill the gap.
Left: Jack and the Beanstalk 1946 and Right Aladdin 1947 with Janet Hinton as Princess Jenin
Left: Jack and the Beanstalk 1946 and Right Aladdin 1947 with Janet Hinton as Princess Jenin
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Aladdin 1947
The sixth annual show was promoted as a Children's Production, under the name of the Dwina Players.[3] It was the same formula which had been so successful in previous years. Janet Hinton was Princess Jenin, Mary Hinton Hoo Sit, Leslie Hinton The Wicked Uncle, Edwina Brunt was Aladdin, John Brunt Owl , Mildred Brunt made a vicious Sultan and two-year-old Genevieve and 3-year-old Pamela Sheppard were Eastern ladies. Songs performed by the small children, Maureen Sheppard, Ann Hayward and Diana White, were much enjoyed. Many other Box children performed including Mary Franklin, Rosemary Rabbinowitz and Eileen Hancock.
It was a lavish production: Leslie Bence did the lighting of the Bingham Hall, Harry Miller and Richard Webster made the scenery which was painted by Bert Swan and Wallace Weeks produced noise effects. Proceeds were given to the National Institute for the Blind and Box Church. They performed at the Bingham Hall and toured to Calne and Corsham with profits going to Corsham Town Football Club.
The sixth annual show was promoted as a Children's Production, under the name of the Dwina Players.[3] It was the same formula which had been so successful in previous years. Janet Hinton was Princess Jenin, Mary Hinton Hoo Sit, Leslie Hinton The Wicked Uncle, Edwina Brunt was Aladdin, John Brunt Owl , Mildred Brunt made a vicious Sultan and two-year-old Genevieve and 3-year-old Pamela Sheppard were Eastern ladies. Songs performed by the small children, Maureen Sheppard, Ann Hayward and Diana White, were much enjoyed. Many other Box children performed including Mary Franklin, Rosemary Rabbinowitz and Eileen Hancock.
It was a lavish production: Leslie Bence did the lighting of the Bingham Hall, Harry Miller and Richard Webster made the scenery which was painted by Bert Swan and Wallace Weeks produced noise effects. Proceeds were given to the National Institute for the Blind and Box Church. They performed at the Bingham Hall and toured to Calne and Corsham with profits going to Corsham Town Football Club.
Dressed in costumes full of Eastern promise for Aladdin in 1947
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1947
The cast in this show was largely small children, including Maureen Nixon as Snow White, Dorothy Humphreys as Prince Charming, and June Coadwell as The Huntsman.
The cast in this show was largely small children, including Maureen Nixon as Snow White, Dorothy Humphreys as Prince Charming, and June Coadwell as The Huntsman.
Above: Snow White with Tim left, Genevieve front second right and Maureen Nixon encased.
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Maureen Nixon remembers the production well. She wrote to us about it:
Yes, the girl in the coffin was indeed me, playing Snow White. Dorothy Humphreys played Prince Charming and my young sister, the one nearest my head in the headline photo, was a rabbit! My, that was a very long time ago, but I remember my dress, made of butter muslin with a bodice and stand-up collar of deep blue velvet. It was so pretty and effective in those austere times. For a nine-year-old it was all very exciting. I had a duet with Dorothy “Want to know a secret? Promise not to tell?” The lyrics went “I'm Wishing (echo “I’m Wishing”) for the one I love To Find Me (echo “To Find Me”)” and Dorothy was the echo. It was quite daunting but we managed well, I think. |
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The show was a strain on Mildred, who wrote, produced and played the piano, and during rehearsals lost her mother Kate Garland. Edwina as the Wicked Stepmother left rehearsals half way through when she was required to attend rehearsals for the professional Bath pantomime.
Squibs and Rockets 1951
Squibs and Rockets 1951
Mildred produced the show in the Box Methodist Hall in aid of church funds. Kate Smith, her neighbour at Valens Terrace, assisted with the production. It was a bit of a rush because Edwina had only a week's break from the tour of her professional work and squeezed the performances in. Audrey Eyles and Maureen May were the pianists and her future son-in-law Tony Kurpiel and Alec Smith were stage managers. I presented a monologue All packed up in my little bottom drawer and my cousin Diane gave a recitation.
Left to Right in 3 rows. Back row: Ann Heath, ?, Norma Dancey, Alec Smith, Val Smith, Dora Bush, Jeanette Bush, Barbara Nicholson, Tim Brunt, Stanley Brunt (bridegroom), Janet Hinton (bride), John Sumner, Mildred Brunt (in trilby), Mary Hinton, Doris Hall, Doreen May. Middle row (seated): Mary Evans, Gillian Lister, Derek Bray, Roger Sumner, Brenda Nichols, Sheila Ford, Janet Oliver, ?, Gen Brunt, Julie Sumner. Front row (squatting): Graham Nichols, ?, ?, Geoff Bray, Grayston Dancey, ?, Diane Brunt,
Carol Plowman.
The show was a series of sketches, songs and dances which exploded with humour and excitement, hence the firecracker title. There were the usual players and plenty of children and, in addition, some risqué items such as Expectantly Yours where adult themes were presented in a comic way. The Perfect Family Group featured the whole Brunt family.
Children's Shows
With Edwina trying to break into professional theatre, Mildred found another outlet for her talent organising and producing children's shows for Box Methodist Church. Always her aim was to fundraise for good causes: The Wiltshire Association for the Blind, the Methodist Hall and the education of children through the Methodist Sunday School. The theme was variable, often just dressing up when clothing was still rationed after the war.
Carol Plowman.
The show was a series of sketches, songs and dances which exploded with humour and excitement, hence the firecracker title. There were the usual players and plenty of children and, in addition, some risqué items such as Expectantly Yours where adult themes were presented in a comic way. The Perfect Family Group featured the whole Brunt family.
Children's Shows
With Edwina trying to break into professional theatre, Mildred found another outlet for her talent organising and producing children's shows for Box Methodist Church. Always her aim was to fundraise for good causes: The Wiltshire Association for the Blind, the Methodist Hall and the education of children through the Methodist Sunday School. The theme was variable, often just dressing up when clothing was still rationed after the war.
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There were various costumes in the Methodist Sunday School in 1951. On the right are Genevieve and Diana as Boy Blue and Alice Blue Gown.
By the mid-1950s drama had moved on significantly because of television and cinema. These showed action and movement which could not be displayed in tableaux, processions or costumes. Mildred's productions had become old-fashioned and with new post-war wealth beginning to emerge, children wanted more adventure than straightforward acting permitted. Post-war Box needed to find a new beginning with the scouts, guides and sports clubs flourishing throughout the village. References [1] Wiltshire News 26 April 1940 [2] Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald, 17 February 1940 [3] The Wiltshire News, 24 January 1947 |
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