Gang Show in Melbourne A few small shows based on Ralph Reader scripts and ideas were staged in Melbourne before the Second World War.
But the real beginning of the Melbourne Gang Show story came in 1951 when the 9th Brunswick Scout Group staged a musical comedy written by Ralph Reader called "We'll Live Forever". The Group Leader of 9th Brunswick John Wass, who had seen the London Gang Show, tried to get Victorian Headquarters to start a Gang Show. They showed no interest and so John Wass set his group to work on a more manageable show. But in 1952 Headquarters decided to back a second season of "We'll Live Forever" and this led to the establishment of the first Gang Show in 1953 when it was decided that the London Gang Show formula could be presented to Melbourne audiences. Levi Molineux would be its producer / director; and John Wass became the first publicity director. It was clear that there was ample talent and enthusiasm within the various scout groups in Melbourne and its suburbs to emulate the London Gang Show The first Gang Show found it hard to sell its seats although there were only 498 to fill at the Union Theatre at Melbourne University. The show had a cast of 60 and they found it hard to fit backstage too. So the next year the show moved to Cathedral Hall in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy where backstage space was bigger and the cast could be increased to 80, the maximum number which could be squeezed into the stage area. Gradually the show grew. In 1960 the Gang Show took its biggest gamble - it moved to the Palais Theatre, St. Kilda, which lifted the potential audience capacity from 700 to nearly 3000 a performance. The move was a near disaster and ended in a huge loss which was underwritten by the then Gang Show director "Bosun McKellar". If he had not done this the Melbourne Gang Show story might well have ended then. In 1961, Betty Stewart Enterprises was engaged to promote the show to the theatre going public of Melbourne. Betty Stewart achieved what to the production team was a miracle. On four of the five nights of the show, "house full" signs were put up. Betty, who had been very successful in promoting stage shows and guest artists, was able to obtain space in newspapers and time on radio and television, then in its relative infancy. With Ken Bayly as producer/director and Betty as promoter, the Melbourne Gang Show was part of the annual fare for theatre goers, many of whom had never had contact with the movements started by Baden-Powell. Audiences built up in the 1960's and 1970's as the baby boom led to big rises in the Scout population and to huge attendances.
But rising costs brought problems in the 1980's and the show moved to the National Theatre, St. Kilda in 1984 and 1985 which created challenges of its own. The dressing rooms were much too small for the large Gang Show cast numbers, so portable buildings were sourced and placed in the park next door to the theatre. The more limited technical facilities caused some dissention in the backstage ranks. So it was back to the Palais in 1986 and 1987, and then came the chance for a season at the historic Princess Theatre in Melbourne, then on the eve of refurbishment. After a four year return to the Palais, costs and lower audience numbers brought a return to the National for some years. Then in 1999-2000 the Show split its season between the Alexander Theatre at Monash University and the Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre in Preston to increase the audience. Last year the season was split between the Besen Centre and Darebin, but Darebin had to be abandoned as a locale because of its high hire host in proportion to seating capacity.
Melbourne Gang Show was the first Australian show to turn its eyes to overseas associations. It brought two New Guinea boys to Melbourne in 1965 to perform and in 1988 Gang Show toured to the Phillipines and in 1992 Thailand, backed up by the other shows around Australia and labelled as the Australian Gang Show. In 1968 it was the first Gang Show in Australia to abandon all male casts and bring girls and women to an honoured place behind the footlights. Now there are more girls than boys in Gang Show.
Many people in radio, TV films and live theatre had their career beginnings in Gang Show which has offered its members a host of experiences and training in various theatrical skills on stage and backstage. The Show continues to evolve. In the early days a cast member might be in six or seven items, requiring different costume and different make-up. Make-up was originally applied with sticks of Leichner mutton fat which has now been replaced with liquid chemical formulas which can be used more easily and speedily. The scheme of packaging up the first half and second half of the Show as separate mini musical stories has become a uniquely Melbourne development in recent years. |
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Over the years, local talent was encouraged. Ken Bayly wrote many of the songs and others provided sketches that were more suitable to the genre of Melbourne and Australians. The degree of Ralph Reader material was reduced in consequence, but the program always paid tribute to the founding role of Ralph. He in turn, would provide a letter of encouragement and congratulations which was also printed. It was similar throughout the world, where it was claimed that "every night of the year somewhere in the world a gang show would be playing." 
In its 50 seasons, the Melbourne Gang Show has only had four production directors - Levi Molineux, Doug Clarke, Ken Bayly and currently Robert Motton. Their dedication and leadership has been central to the strength of the team. 
Melbourne Gang Show spawned all the local shows that have been such a feature of Victorian Scouting life, including Camberwell, South Metro and Whitehorse Showtimes that continue today.