For those of you who dont know (and there are quite a few, I am sure) the Boy Scout Gang Show, a Music-Hall/Vaudeville-style show produced by local Scout Troops more often than not as a fundraiser, is played all over the world, and there is, it is said, no evening in the year when a Gang Show is not produced somewhere in the world! When one watches a Gang Show, it appears to be a wonderful, happy and very polished performance. But one wonders if behind the scenes everything is actually going as well as it is portrayed on the stage. In fact, it could very well be so poor that it might even overflow onto the stage !
"...And the Worlllllld...Iiiiis.... Ourrrrrs!!!!!"
The well-known words of Ralph Readers Crest of a Wave
happily roared out from eighty scouting throats filled the huge auditorium
of Griffith Citys Albion-St John Theatre, and the applause and cheers
and cries of "Encore!" were deafening.
The Producer and Director, Graham Prendergast, came out in front of the
huge audience, and with a very wide smile bowed. When the director Graham
Thompson, well respected by all, had died quite suddenly in his sleep two
weeks before the show was due to run, Prendergast had stepped in and taken
over directorship of the show, without even warning anyone. All the work
for the show had been done, and it appeared as if Prendergast had done a
wonderful job.
Prendergast stepped up to the microphone which slid up from the floor, and
waved the crowd to silence.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your appreciation of the show.
"However, I feel it is a very good time now for us to acknowledge the
passing of a great man.
"Mr Graham Thompson, who most of you will recall, was the director
of this show for many years, passed away only a week before this show was
due to open."
Prendergast looked modest, "I was able to step into his shoes and continue
on, to produce the wonderful show you have just seen. I hope to be allowed
to return next year to produce just as great a show. We will all be back
again, and we wish you all a very pleasant ride home. Goodnight all!"
And he waved.
The applause broke out again, and Prendergast waved again, before indicating
the orchestra.
Francis Cuthbertson, the musical director raised his baton with a smile,
and the whole cast launched into a repeat of Crest of a Wave.
The crowd clapped along, enjoying the well-known tune.
Graham Maxwell Prendergast esq., unmarried, five foot nothing and sixty-kilos-soaking-wet,
was extremely confident of his talent. He was quite sure he could produce
a show as good as, if not better than, Graham Thompsons. He had longed
for recognition for almost all his life, quite often making a fool of himself
and a nuisance to others in earlier days, and now that the opportunity presented
itself, almost out of the blue, he looked forward to it no end. But if the
truth be known, the little man had an ego bigger than all outdoors. As far
as he was concerned, this Gang Show was the greatest show of all, and he
was the greatest director in the world - only a step away from Hollywood
and Broadway!
About three months after the closure of that show, he started making plans
in preparation for the following year.
He used several ideas he had come up with, including a new sketch he himself
had written, and a new song.
The rest of the show he cobbled together from old Gang Show tapes and films.
As the shows preparation progressed there came over the cast and crew
a sense of foreboding. It was not going well at all.
Finally Opening Day arrived.
Francis Cuthbertson tried to put a good face on it. He desperately smiled
heartily to his little orchestra, prior to them going out, "OK folks,"
he said, "Heres where we can prove that we are a good orchestra!"
He was met with a few dismal nods. Few had any hope for the show.
And to everyones dismay it turned out to be a dreadful failure. The
sketch Prendergast had written could not have been worse; as the joke (there
was only one!) was so old that it barely raised a chuckle, and the rest
of it consisted of two boys talking to each other in front of black tabs,
without any action at all! His song faired no better, for it didnt
scan, and the tune was very unremarkable, in spite of Cuthbertsons
attempts at an upbeat orchestration. The three girls who sang it could never
get it right. The main reason was that, although he would never admit it,
Prendergast himself was not too sure how it should sound!
And he could never make up his mind about the rest of the show. He was sure
he could do better, so kept on changing things around, sometimes even dropping
whole sketches or songs, even on the performance nights, just to see
if it would work better!
Nobody knew what changes he would make, which was very unsettling for the
whole cast and crew.
The first five nights in the Albion-St. John were full, riding on the previous
successes, but the audiences quickly became more and more disenchanted.
Word-of-mouth is the best advertisement, but it is also the worst. The second
week was very poorly attended, and got worse as the week progressed and
word spread. The box office received a record number of cancellations, quite
a number not even bothering to reclaim their investment, and the show finished
to an audience of sixty-two, lost in the vastness of the huge auditorium,
twelve of which left before the show ended.
After the final show was over, the secretary of the Albion-St John, Richard
Spencer called for Prendergast and when the little man entered his office,
he indicated a chair.
"Mr Prendergast," began Spencer, seeming to pick his words carefully,
"We - that is, the committee - have received a record number of reports
about this show
"
"Oh, thats nice!"
Spencer paused, shocked. In spite of everything he had seen, Prendergast
still believed in the show! The man went on, doggedly, "It has been
unanimously voted that
um
your contract not be renewed for next
year."
There was a loaded pause as Prendergasts mouth dropped, "Bbb
but
why
?" he began.
"Really now Mr Prendergast," interrupted the man, patronisingly,
"I think you must realise just why. The show has made nothing but a
loss." Spencer leaned forward right into Prendergasts face and
went on brutally, "Matter of fact, I think it is fair to say that this
show was a total disgrace to Scouting in general and to the memory of Ralph
Reader in particular. I will leave it to you to find yourself another auditorium.
South State Gang Show is no longer welcome at the Albion-St John. To be
honest," he went on, musingly, "I doubt if you will find a conventional
auditorium anywhere in Griffith City, but that is for you to find out. We
have nothing more to talk about, Mr Prendergast. Thank you, close the door
on your way out, good bye." He finished pointedly, and very deliberately
turned away to other work.
And totally shocked, Prendergast walked out, his mind stunned.
Then anger replaced shock, and he suddenly snarled. He was sure it was not
his fault. And therefore it was someone elses. And would find out
who was responsible.
And he found a scapegoat!
That evening the world-class choreographer Michelle Howard who had been
doing the show for almost ten years just for the sheer joy of it, had come
home and had a good cry on her husbands shoulder.
Terry Howard was very sympathetic as he loved his wife dearly and supported
her choreographic endeavours to the best of his ability. "OK sweetheart,"
he said to the sobbing woman, "You did your best for the show, everyone
knows that. Its that Prendergast. You can think seriously about leaving
the show and leaving him to it. He doesnt deserve you!"
Michelle nodded and dried her eyes, sitting down to her tea.
Then at about six-thirty the telephone rang. She picked it up.
"Hello Mrs Howard. This is Graham Prendergast speaking." The mans
voice was dry and brittle.
For a split second, Michelle almost slammed the phone down. But then she
decided to put as good a face on it as possible, even though she was talking
to the biggest idiot in the world, as far as she was concerned. "Ah,
hello Grah
."
"Spare the pleasantries. I have rung you to tell you that you will
not be required for next years show. Your disgraceful attempts at
choreography have led to the show being cancelled from the Albion-St John!"
For a moment Michelle stood there, the phone in her hand, stunned. Cancelled?!
Her fault!? Finally she shook her head, "But Mr Prendergast, I feel
"
"What you feel is not important Mrs Howard," came the mans
voice, sneering slightly, "Youre sacked. I shall be passing the
word along and you will never have a job ever again in any production. So
goodbye."
And the phone slammed down in her ear.
Michelle stood there, in utter shock.
It took her all her time to put her jaw back into place.
"Terry!" The cry was almost a croak.
"Whassamatta?!" Terry heard the tone of his wifes voice
and hurried in to see her look of horror.
"That was
Prendergast! Terry, he
he sacked me!"
There was a thick silence.
"He
what?"
"He sacked me! Terry, he blames me for the shows failure! Terry
I
I
"
The womans face crumpled into utter dismay.
Howard ground his teeth. He felt like going around there and smashing Prendergasts
face in, but being a gentleman he decided not to, out of respect for his
wife, Ralph Reader and his own reputation. "Very well, you will never,
with my blessing, have anything to do with Prendergast or Scouting or Gang
Show ever again!"
"Dont worry!" There was a look of ferocious anger on her
face as she answered, "I would never touch the man with a thousand-foot
pole!"
It took her almost three weeks to get over it. And about four months later,
when she happened to meet Francis Cuthbertson on the street, he said, "Hello
Michelle! Coming to the planning meeting?"
"N
No," she replied, hesitantly, but with increasing confidence,
"I am afraid I was sacked. Ill never be coming to any Gang Show
ever again."
And she left the other standing there on the pavement, jaw dropped in shock,
and stalked away, her nose in the air. She was not going to give Prendergast
the pleasure of her plea.
The following year, after considerable negotiation from Prendergast, South
State Gang Show was staged in the Berkley School Memorial Hall/Gymnasium
(which was vastly inferior to the Albion-St John; because, like all school
halls, it had no sound-damping, atrocious acoustics and echoed badly!)
It was very poorly attended.
The day after the last show a phone call came for Prendergast.
"Hello?"
"Mr Prendergast?"
"Yes?"
"Mr Prendergast, it is Graham Greene of the Berkley School Council."
"Ah, hello Mr Greene. I would like to discuss with you the arrangements
for next year. I have quite a few ideas
"
"Mr Prendergast!" Greenes tone stopped Prendergast in mid
sentence. There was a loaded pause, then Greene went on, his speech slow,
and his tone cutting, "I have been asked by the rest of the council
to inform you that the Berkley School Memorial Hall is no longer available
to the South State Gang Show."
There was the obvious pause.
"Wh
why?" asked Prendergast, totally at a loss.
"You want the truth? Well it is simply that even though two thousand
seats were put out, only an average of five percent of them were used every
night. The show last night was witnessed by no lesser person than our Headmaster,
and he said afterwards that he had never seen such a bad show. Not even
the worst play put on by our pupils could compare. (And that is saying something,
believe me!) So thank you for your patronage, and I hope you find another
auditorium - somewhere else. Goodbye."
And the phone clicked in Prendergasts ear.
The third show was produced in a smaller school hall and was even more of
a failure.
And Prendergast managed to find another scapegoat. It was Craig Laurence.
Craig was nineteen, and had been a Rover for almost two years, and had been
loyal to Scouting since he had been a Cub Scout at the age of seven. He
had been a member of the show for almost eight years. He had originally
been in the orchestra playing a synthesizer (and playing it well!) for three
years already when Graham Thompson had died. Laurence had taken the big
step of getting on stage for the following year. He had begun arranging
music for the orchestra at the request of Cuthbertson, and was doing so
well that Prendergast felt threatened.
The little man schemed, and one evening he took one of the girls, twelve-year-old
Rachel Parsons aside.
"Rachel, I have a job for you."
"Yes Mr Prendergast?"
Prendergasts scouting nickname was Ricky, but nobody ever called him
that, it was either Mr Prendergast, or, if they were feeling friendly, Graham.
"There is one man in the cast who is a threat to the whole show, Craig
Lawrence. Now I need some help so we can get rid of him permanently."
The little girls brow furrowed and she nodded hesitantly, wondering
what part she would play in this.
"So what I want you to do is to tell us how badly he has been treating
you."
"But
but thats not tr
"
"Just a minute, I want you to tell me what you and he were talking
about in the back room last performance?"
"We were talking about my songs and how I could get them right."
"Yeah, I think he was doing something to you, and you are just trying
to cover up for him!"
"N
no, not at all
"
"Yes you are! I believe you have been molested by him!"
The girls jaw dropped. Lawrence was one of the kindest, nicest, most
gentle men in the show.
Then Prendergast looked almost savagely at her, "I should point out,
that unless you do exactly as I say, I will have no choice but to expel
you from the show. So make up your mind."
Rachel found herself in a terrible quandary.
Finally after a pause, she said, "Can I think about it?"
"No, I want an answer right now, or it will be the worst for you!"
The little girl began to cry, "I dont want to do that to him!
Hes nice!"
Prendergast sneered. He had no time for emotions. "Yes, Ill bet.
Nice in the nastiest possible way! Hes a menace, and you will get
rid of him for me, or
!"
He left the unspoken threat hanging.
"Wh
what do you want me to say?"
"Just as I said. At the next rehearsal, you can come out and say exactly
what I tell you to. Then we will be rid of him immediately!"
"B..,"
"Remember, if you so much as speak out of turn, youll be out
of the show forever! And not a word to your parents about this either, or
else!"
Swallowing hard, the little girl nodded.
The following rehearsal, Rachel was looking very unhappy, and was very quiet.
She had kept clear of Laurence, but every now and then she caught sight
of him, and her heart thudded as she remembered what Prendergast had ordered
her to say at the closing ceremony.
Finally the rehearsal ended, and the various patrols of the show came together
for taps and dismissal in the usual way.
They were standing in their lines alongside the dance floor when Rachel
stepped forward. "Please, I want to make a complaint!"
Her tiny voice rang out in the quite of the room, and everyone stopped talking.
Looking the picture of surprise, Prendergast said, "Yes, Rachel?"
The little girls voice went into a monotone, "I want to complain
about Craig Laurence."
Craigs eyebrows went up.
"Oh?" said Prendergast, "And what has he done?"
"He
" she paused, and Prendergast gave an almost imperceptible
nod. "Hes done wicked things to me!"
Her voice was monotone, and sounded like she was reading lines.
There was the silence of shock.
"Excuse me," said Laurence, "What to you mean
"
He didnt get any further.
"I SEE!" said Prendergast, a thundercloud on his brow, and he
turned to Laurence, his face the picture of righteous anger, "Laurence!
I am a very easy-going man, and can accept many wrongdoings, but molestation
of a minor, I will NOT accept!" The man looked positively pious, "I
should go to the police, but I am lenient, and will let it go. Now get out,
pervert! Get out, and never darken this Gang Show again!"
There was a horrific silence in the hall. Nobody had ever thought that Laurence
could ever be accused of such a horrendous crime!
"But
" Laurence was gob smacked and began to protest, "I
never did any such thing
"
"I see, and you are throwing a little girls words in her face,
are you? Thats it, Laurence. You will never be wanted in a show that
I produce ever again!"
"B
"
"Get out!"
"I
"
"I SAID GET OUT! MUST I REPEAT MYSELF!?"
And shaking his head in dismay and anger, Laurence walked to the door.
Behind him, Rachel Parsons stood looking after him. And there were tears
in her eyes.
"Thank you Rachel," said Prendergast, "That will be all."
"
!"
"I said,
that will be all!"
And the little girl walked back to her place. Her mind was in a turmoil.
What more could she have done? She did not know.
Her conscience was destined to suffer for quite a while
The young man had stayed away for two years, but then one afternoon received a heartfelt invitation from Cuthbertson:
Dear Craig,
I know, as do most of the other adults that you were done rotten by Prendergast,
but the fact is that we need you. Your musical talent made the show; such
as it was, and it is going downhill so badly that nothing short of your
input can possibly save it. Please, please find it in your heart
to forgive, and come and join us again.
Your pal,
Francis Cuthbertson.
It took much soul-searching, but finally Craig came to the conclusion
that he should indeed try. After all, he and Cuthbertson had always been
good friends.
Two Sundays later, with grave misgivings, he took a deep breath and walked
through the door to attend the first audition.
As he entered, it was to see Francis sitting at the piano on the other side
of the hall.
"Craig!" whispered Francis, catching sight of him, "Oh thank
god!" And he stood up from the piano and walked over to his friend.
"Hi Francis," said Craig, a little hesitantly, "I only came
because you asked. If Prendergast had done so I would have sent the letter
back to him with something unmentionable in the envelope!"
Francis gave a shocked grin, and tried hard not to laugh. "OK, now
look, I have had words with Prendergast, so lets get this audition
over and done with, then well see what happens."
The audition of course went without a hitch. Craig sang the emotion-filled
song The Impossible Dream (which, Francis found himself thinking
with a wry grin, was very apt for Prendergast!).
Just as Craigs fine tenor was singing the last line, Prendergast came
in from one of the outer rooms.
"Ah," he said sneeringly, "I thought I recognised the voice."
He came over close to Craig, and his voice sank to a threatening whisper,
"Now listen, you pervert, I feel you should know that if I see you
hanging around with the kids, or even looking at them, youll be out
of the show quick-smart! You keep your filthy hands to yourself!" His
voice became sanctimonious, "Its only through the goodness of
my heart and Mr Cuthbertsons sincere requests that I am allowing you
to rejoin the show. Do I make myself clear?!"
Seething with anger, Craig desperately plastered a neutral expression on
his face, and not trusting himself to speak, merely nodded.
"Good." Prendergast bared his teeth, "Im so glad we
understand each other. I was thinking of giving you a solo or two, but I
have changed my mind. You will be in the chorus. Any complaints?" And
he looked ferociously at the boy.
Craig shook his head.
And from that moment on, Laurence was never given another solo, nor even
a part in any sketch. He found himself forever in the chorus, in the back
row and right out of the limelight.
But perhaps it was for the best, for unknown to Prendergast he was once
again arranging music for Cuthbertson, and together they managed to support
each other.
And so time passed
It was three years later.
The shows were getting worse, and Prendergast was blaming everyone and everything
- but himself.
After being shunted around the city, the South State Gang Show finally had
to move here, to the tiny 200-seat Unicorn, which was actually a proper
theatre, but it was tucked away in the suburbs, had next to no parking facilities,
and usually was only used for minor performances and poetry readings. Cuthbertson
had had to cut his orchestra almost by two-thirds to get them into the tiny
pit. And even now, the show was turning out to be a dismal failure, not
only in staging but also in the box office. It was running at a loss amounting
to something like twelve thousand dollars.
This particular show featured a sketch that Prendergast had written. It
was a science-fiction story; Crisis on Ganymede!, and
several very poor, unrelated jokes were incorporated into it, which Prendergast
had obviously thought funny. But it looked like he had got his ideas from
a third-rate 1940s pulp magazine, and combined with Prendergasts
inability to write reasonably coherently produced a script that was, not
to put too fine a point on it - dreadful! The grammar was awful, and the
whole read very stiltedly.
The sketch included a rap, which was a dreadful thing, horribly
childish, and extremely embarrassing.
To try to make up for it, Cuthbertson quickly put together a version of
the old faithful 'Robin Hood', together with a couple of bouncy songs. He
presented it to Prendergast, who looked at it critically. Then the weasel
said, as if he was doing the man a huge favour, "Wellll; all right.
It's not all that good, but you have obviously worked hard on it. so we'll
include it."
Cuthbertson almost smacked the little man in the face. But at least there
would be one part which would be reasonably good.
Then to everyone's dismay, Prendergast deliberately sacked Penelope Gregory
the choreographer and the singing instructor Jennifer Raymond in the most
sordid way! It had been only two weeks into rehearsals, and right at the
beginning of the practice, and right out of the blue, Prendergast had called
them to the front of the group.
"Miss Gregory, Mrs Raymond
" he paused, and everyone looked
on, wondering just what was happening.
Then the bombshell fell.
"Neither of you will be required for this show from now on. Miss Gregory,
your choreography leaves a lot to be desired, and you, Mrs Raymond,
"
Prendergast paused and sneered, "You fat, ugly pig! You couldnt
sing to save your life! I hope you can both find jobs elsewhere, for you
will never get another one here! Good-BYE!" he snarled, pointing at
the door.
The casts jaws dropped. Jennifer was overweight certainly, but she
was a very nice woman, liked by everyone, and did not deserve that!
Penny gaped! This just could not be happening! "Now just a minute
"
she began.
"I SAID GOODBYE! Must I repeat myself!?"
The two women, both in tears and faces flaming with rage and embarrassment,
headed for the door.
Gregory turned as she reached the door. "Damn you, Prendergast, I hope
you rot in hell!" she whispered, tears falling.
Then she turned and followed Raymond.
The two were never seen again.
Then to compound the problem, Prendergast had done the job himself.
and had made a complete hash of it! The man had no idea of rhythm
or movement!
It was an utter catastrophe.
The fourth day of the season dawned, and the afternoon matinee was due to
start in two hours time.
Prendergast was sitting in his dressing room, which resembled a corporate
directors office, as it had a huge desk in the middle, one that Prendergast
had ordered personally, because, he thought, it suited his personality.
Cuthbertson entered, having been summoned.
"Ah yes," said Prendergast grandly, "Mr Francis Cuthbertson.
I want a word with you!"
"What gives, Graham?"
"Its Mr Prendergast to you!" said the little man with a
sneer.
Francis gaped. Oh no! Now what was going to happen?
"I have produced many shows," went on Prendergast grandly,
sounding as if he actually knew what he was talking about, "and I have
to say that this is the worst of the lot. And - it is your disgraceful
musical production which has ruined this show."
There was a pause as Cuthbertsons jaw dropped.
A figure was passing the door, but paused as it heard Prendergasts
chilling statement. It stopped and listened
Then...
"You will not be required for any more shows after this one finishes."
"B
but
"
"Thats it. We have nothing more to talk about. Goodbye!"
And Prendergast turned his attention to a small pile of paperwork, dismissing
Cuthbertson as if he were no more than a cockroach.
The figure outside shook its head in dismay and disappeared.
Grinding his teeth, Cuthbertson walked slowly out the door. The musical
director had actually discussed the situation with his wife only that morning,
and had made up his mind to resign as of the end of that show anyway. He
was utterly fed to the back teeth with the mess that Prendergast had created.
It was a total and utter failure! But this put a whole new slant on the
situation! He was not going without a fight!
Damn Prendergast and everything he stood for!
And then, only two hours later
To say that the matinee had been miserable would be to praise it, and there
was a smattering of applause accompanied by several embarrassed coughs from
the little audience. Twenty-three people had already left before the show
ended.
In the orchestra pit, Cuthbertson, close to tears, strongly resisted the
temptation to break his baton across his knee in anger and frustration,
and carefully laid it down before burying his head in his hands in despair!
His little orchestra looked on in sympathy. They had tried hard. Man, had
they ever tried! But, good as they were, nobody could possibly fight against
a man who seemed intent on destroying everything that Gang Show had stood
for.
And the show itself
!
The singing and choreography were badly unrehearsed and the acting embarrassingly
poor, simply because not enough time or practice had been allotted to them.
Many of the boys and girls in the show had missed or forgotten their lines,
and at least three kids had almost come to tears on the stage. There were
at least fifteen huge pauses; one almost a minute long, as crewmen behind
the scenes desperately got their act together.
Cuthbertson remembered Predergast's sketch 'Crisis on Ganymede'. The whole
thing was so embarrassing that many of the children who took part went out
to the toilets after the production and hid their faces in shame.
Cuthbertsons immediate reaction as he had read it first was, This
is not going to work!
And it hadnt.
And Cuthbertson had to stand there and watch it every show.
He cringed every time, as did every other cast member!
And then as if things werent bad enough, Prendergast made a recording
of the rap, obviously very proud of it, and had it made into a CD, along
with a couple of other songs that he had written.
He had a hundred and fifty copies made to be sold during the show. It must
have cost him a packet.
And not one was sold.
It would have been laughable if it had not been so pathetic. Every one of
the audience felt they had been conned out of the fifteen dollars they had
paid for their seats. Even if it ran to packed houses the rest of the shows,
it would still be a staggering loss. And every member of the cast and crew
looked relieved that the weeks performances were almost over.
But there was still the evening show, and the second week of shows to go!
And Cuthbertson knew that under it all, nobody wanted to do them! A Gang
Show was supposed to be a joyous occasion, with cast, crew and audience
enjoying it equally. But this was utterly joyless as well as being horribly
embarrassing.
But he also knew that unless something miraculous happened, the show would
go on, and the director would once again come out smelling of roses, and
he, Cuthbertson, would be down the road without a show and his reputation
in ruins.
And then, as if to make matters worse, to Cuthbertsons disgust, Prendergast
came out in front of the miserable audience, which were scattered over less
than a quarter of the two hundred seats in the theatre.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he began, spreading his arms wide, his
greasy smile plastered over his face, "I am so very happy that you
came to my show, and I would like to invite you back to the show
next year, a show I might add will be even better than the tremendous
show you have just seen! Of course if it hadnt been for all the work
that I personally put in over the last few months, it would not have
been nearly as wonderful and tremendous as it has. Every one of the
cast has enjoyed it greatly, and its all thanks to my hard work...."
Cuthbertson shook his head in utter dismay. In spite of everything, and
in the face of all evidence, Prendergast still thought this was the greatest
show on earth! And the little swine had the audacity to sack him! Ye gods,
it was Prendergasts fault entirely!
Prendergast opened his mouth to continue his speech, no doubt praising his
own prowess even more, when he fell silent and looked around in confusion
as there was a sudden footstep behind him.
One of the cast members had stepped out from the lines of scouts behind
Prendergast.
He turned and looked.
It was Craig Laurence.
The young mans handsome eyes were narrowed and blazing in anger, and
his jaw was squared so much that his bottom teeth were showing.
He stood there with his hands on his hips, glaring at Prendergast.
The air was electric.
Laurence glanced around at the scouts lined up behind him, and shook his
head in dismay. They had worked hard, trying desperately to get the show
right. But thanks to Prendergast they had been confused and despairing right
through rehearsals and into the show proper. Ye gods, there had not even
been any confirmed program until two nights before the show was due to open!
And then there was the horrible way that Prendergast had sacked Miss Gregory
and Mrs Raymond!
What a mess!
Then Laurence looked down at the stunned face of Cuthbertson. The little
orchestra their conductor had put together was a good one. He knew that,
because he had heard them rehearse, and once or twice had heard them jamming.
They sounded very good indeed. But because of Prendergasts indecision,
Cuthbertson had almost torn his hair out as he and Laurence desperately
rewrote piece after piece; some, four times over! The orchestra was desperately
rehearsing right up until the opening night.
Laurence took a deep breath. Dammit, the swine had accused him of molesting
a girl of the cast! He had never done such a thing! And now, hearing Prendergasts
greasy, meaningless, self-congratulatory speech was the final straw as far
as he was concerned. He knew this could very likely be the end of his career
in theatre (such as it was) but then pure rage washed out any other emotion;
Someone Had To Do Something!
He decided to go all out and to hell with any consequences!
"Er Craig," began Prendergast, puzzled, "What do you...?"
"Thats it Prendergast, this whole show stinks! Goodbye!"
snarled Laurence loud enough to be heard at the back of the auditorium,
trying to make it sound as final as possible, and turned on his heel to
walk out.
It could have ended there, and Prendergast could have filled the gap left
by Laurence, and the outcome of the story could very well have been totally
different.
But for one thing.
Prendergasts huge opinion of himself.
The little man snarled, "Laurence! How dare you walk out on me!"
his voice became outraged, "I am your director, and I have not finished
speaking to you!"
A figure which had been making its way down the aisle toward the stage
in the shadows, had raised a foot to step onto the stage. But as Laurence
words cut the air, the figure paused, and then unnoticed, took a seat in
the second to front row, and watched
Laurence stopped, and turned to an eerie silence that could be almost felt.
He had wanted it to be very quick and very sudden, but it looked as if Prendergast
wanted to draw it out.
All right, dammit, if that was what the weasel wanted, that was what the
weasel got!
Everyone was still. They knew that something very big was about to happen.
Then before Prendergast could speak, Laurence beat him to it. "Ladies
and Gentlemen," he began softly, but somehow his voice carried all
over the theatre, "You have just witnessed a Gang Show the likes of
which that if Ralph Reader had witnessed it, would make him turn in his
grave!"
"Now - just - a - minute!" began Prendergast hotly.
"No, you wait a minute," interrupted Laurence, his jaw protruding
and his teeth bared ferociously, and he turned and poked the little man
hard in the chest, "Stand Still, Shaddap and Listen!"
"I most certainly will not!" retorted Prendergast, his hands on
his hips, "Mr. Laurence, you are totally out of order! How dare you
criticise my show! In public yet! Return to your place in the cast at once!
We will be having words about this later!" and the little mans
voice turned evilly menacing, "Dont forget the reason you were
removed from the show in the first place!"
But the young man stood his ground, his anger giving him an inner strength
he never knew he had. "Am I? Am I really out of order Mr. Prendergast?
Just stand there and listen! You need to hear this!"
Several of the audience had begun to laugh, but then they froze it off,
realizing that this was not part of the show. It was for real.
The cast behind the pair was statue-like, and on quite a number of the older
mens faces was a look of savage glee. At last someone had the guts
to stand up to Prendergast!
In the second-to-front row of the cast, little Rachel Parsons stood watching,
tears in her eyes as she saw the man she had been responsible for being
chucked out, turn on the director. She was mature beyond her years, and
her own conscience had been pricking her ever since Laurence had been kicked
out. Oh damn, she thought, I wish I had the courage to do that! She remembered
what Prendergast had said to her, and ground her teeth in rage. If ever
she had the opportunity, ye gods, she would do to him, and more, what he
had done to her! She stood there, tears starting to fall, and watched the
confrontation develop
In the back row of the cast, the large figures of the Rover twins Claude
and David Simms had looked at each other, nodded, and then detached themselves
unobtrusively from the line of scouts and disappeared into the wings...
Meanwhile the little man grabbed Laurence by the shoulders and spun him
around, obviously in order to push him off the stage, "Yes, well, ha-ha-ha,
thats quite enough of that! Now the show will be on again next week,
Ladies and Gentlemen." Then his voice turned menacing, "Laurence!
How DARE you criticise and embarrass me in front of a whole evenings
audience! Ill see you pay for this! Ive got evidence
against
you
"
Two large figures in Rover uniform suddenly appeared on each side of the
stage. The little skinny mans voice faded as he hissed out his threat,
becoming aware of the large figures in the shadows.
It was the Simms brothers.
They had never liked him, nor he them. It crossed his mind that they could
be scapegoats for him if he needed anyone else.
He stood still and glared from side to side. Right, that was it. Ill
not put up with this any more, he thought furiously. Then he shouted, "Ring
down the curtain!"
But the curtain operator who had been listening hard, stuck his head around
the edge of the stage and with a mirthless grin and a one-finger salute
shook his head.
Laurence shook himself, then gritting his teeth and forcing himself not
to hit the little man, he threw all caution to the winds. He had burnt his
boats, and anything that happened now would not change it. Tears stung his
eyes as he went on very loudly, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mister Prendergast
has had the audacity to think that he could direct a Gang Show. Ha! The
show you have just seen, I am sure you will all agree, shows that he cannot!
I am not a director either, never have been, and never will be, but at least
I am the first to admit it! The only part of this whole show worth anything
was the Robin Hood Sketch? Yes?"
He looked at the audience expectantly.
They found themselves nodding. The Robin Hood Sketch had indeed been the
only part of the show worth mentioning.
Laurence nodded mirthlessly, "Correct. It is obviously a very good
sketch. And you know why? Because the Musical Director did it! Because Mr
Cuthbertson in his wisdom managed to persuade Prendergast to put it into
the show goodness only knows how, but he did and directed
it personally. The rest of the show was a dead loss! Guess who...put the
rest of the show together?"
Prendergasts jaw had dropped. Then he made to speak.
Laurence turned around, "Shut - it - Prendergast," he shouted,
his voice cutting, "You dont have a leg to stand on, and everyone
knows it, you pathetic - little - whimp!"
The skinny mans eyes opened wild! He again made to speak, but Laurence
shouted him down as he turned and looked at the pitiful audience, "Ladies
and Gentlemen," he said loudly but sincerely, "I would like to
apologise on behalf of the whole cast and crew." Behind him the cast
found themselves nodding. Laurence breathed hard, adrenalin running fast,
"It is not up to me, but if it was I would be the first to return your
money to you, with sincerest apologies. Ye gods, I thought I had seen the
worst of the shows. But this breaks all boundaries. Most of it was positively
embarrassing to me and the cast, and I bet you all feel the same way!"
There was a massed nodding throughout the audience. It had been.
Laurence went on, his voice seething and tears in his eyes, "To hell
with the rest of the shows; I wouldnt want to be in them anyway!"
The audience and cast were amazed. Nobody had ever addressed anyone the
way Laurence was taking their director apart! Several of the older cast
members had the most evil smiles on their faces as the young man went all
out, telling Prendergast exactly what he, and the rest of the cast, thought
of him!
Laurence' took a deep breath, "Prendergast, you are the worst thing
that ever happened to this show, curse you! Remember the director before
you? Remember Graham Thompson? He knew what he was doing. In fact he was
so good that they named Camp Thompson after him when he died! THAT was how
highly they thought of him! But if he and Ralph Reader could see what you
have put on under the title of Gang Show, they would both be
sick! You wouldnt make a back-stage sweeper! Ye gods Prendergast,
you have no idea how to run a show! You think you know it all! But you dont!
Youre a downright disgrace to Gang Show, to Ralph Reader, to Scouting
and to Lord Baden-Powell of Gillwell himself!!"
Laurence paused for breath, and Prendergast jumped in, a horribly wide smile
on his face and waved his arms like a windmill, "Well, Ladies and Gentlemen,
ha-ha, now that we have had our little bit of fun, ha-ha, and disposed of
this pathetic individual, who will never be in Gang Show again, I assure
you, ha-ha, this great show will be on again next year, and you are all
invited..."
"Ha!" came David Simms voice from stage left, echoing with a bitter
laugh as he stepped onto the stage and folding his arms, leaned up against
the proscenium arch, "I wouldnt want to!" His twin brother
nodded in agreement.
"Listen Prendergast," Snarled Laurence, grabbing the mans
shoulder and spinning him around to face him, almost overbalancing him in
the process, "I only decided to join back up with the show (after
you had kicked me out through that trumped-up charge of molestation!)
"
(the audience gave a collective gasp!) "
because I thought you
might - just might - have picked up your ideas! But no, its got worse
than anything I have ever seen or been in before!"
Prendergast was stunned into silence by the vehemenance of the young mans
attack, and stood there silent and amazed, his mouth open and his eyes staring
in horror. Nobody had ever spoken to him like this! In front of a whole
evenings audience yet! Nobody would ever dare! He was the director
of the show!
And then he realised that Rachel was still one of the cast! He looked over
at her. She was standing there, her mouth open in wonder. And suddenly he
was sure he could mount a full attack on Laurence. He only needed a word
or two from the girl and Laurence would be not only chucked out of Gang
Show and Scouting, but probably would be up before the judge the following
day for molestation of a minor!
"Now hold on, you pervert," shouted Prendergast jumping at the
chance, "Ive got evidence against you! You are
guilty of child molestation! The girl you molested is right here!"
he stepped over and dragged her from the line-up.
Rachel staggered in his grip, and looked up at him in horror.
"Now," snarled Prendergast, secure in the thought that she was
still cowed under his will, "Answer me! Did he or did he not, do
nasty things to you?"
Laurence jaw dropped and he paled as he waited for the axe to fall.
But in a second Rachel made up her mind. Prendergasts threat of expulsion
from the Show still hung over her head, and up until now she had been too
scared to retract. But now she had heard all that had gone on before, and
realised that not only was Prendergast on the back foot, but here was a
way for her to put things right. With only the slightest hesitation the
girl threw caution to the winds. "No!" she shouted, to everyones
surprise, "I only said what you told me to say!"
"What?" shouted Prendergast, stunned, "Youll do as
you are told! Say what I
er
that is
" He suddenly realised
what he was saying and his voice stammered to a halt, his eyes darting from
side to side.
But it was far too late.
There was a loaded pause as Prendergast put his foot squarely in his mouth,
and suddenly everyone realised just how much Laurence had been framed!
In the thick silence that followed, the young man nodded, and suddenly he
stood taller, a smile of satisfaction on his face. He had been exonerated,
and in his mind, the sun started to shine for the first time for three years.
He nodded to the little girl, "Thank you Rachel for telling the truth.
You have saved me from a horrible fate!"
She desperately escaped the grasping hands of Prendergast, and flung herself
into Laurence arms, "Im sorry," she whimpered into
his shoulder, tears flowing freely, "Honestly, I didnt mean it!
He threatened me with expulsion from the show if I didnt! Please forgive
me!"
Laurence hugged her hard, then looked down at her face earnestly, "Its
all right," he said emphatically, "No lasting harm has been
done. I forgive you!"
Her huge tearful smile was worth a fortune.
"Oh yeah!" shouted Prendergast desperately, "Thats
what you think! You havent got anything against me!"
But Laurence decided that now was as good a time as any to play the trump
card. As Rachel smiled at him, then her heart singing, skipped happily back
to the line, the young man went on, "As a matter of fact, Prendergast
I have! You have no credit now, so belt up!" He addressed the crowd,
"Folks, we have as you all know, a very good orchestra, and a top-notch
Musical Director who has been with us for a long, long time. But I was passing
the directors door just before this performance started tonight and
I heard something that I feel you ALL ought to know about."
Prendergast suddenly saw what was coming; "Now just a minute Laurence,
you creep, you didnt hear a thing
!"
But he could not interrupt Laurence who shouted on, "Your esteemed
director had the audacity to sack our Musical Director just before the show
started tonight. He seems to think that Mr. Cuthbertson, a man who has worked
soul to the bone for this show, was to blame for the shows poor showing.
His words were quite clear, and the meaning was quite unmistakable! Cuthbertson,
he said, you will not be required for any more shows after this one
finishes. Your lack of musical talent and disgraceful musical direction
has ruined this show."
Prendergasts jaw dropped. "How - dare - you!" he
shouted righteously, "I never said anything of the sort! How dare
you accuse me
"
"YES YOU DID!" shouted a voice from the pit, and
everyone looked down at the furious face of Francis Cuthbertson. "You
certainly did, Prendergast, you skunk!" he finished.
Laurence nodded and gave an evil chuckle as the man confirmed his words,
"Thank you Francis!" Then he put his hands on his hips and turned
on his director with narrowed furious eyes, "Oh no, no, Prendergast,
youre not going to talk your way out of this as easily as you talked
your way out of so many other tight spots, and many times ruining other
peoples lives! Look at world-class choreographer Michelle Howard,
whom you fired four years ago! Jennifer Talbert, the choreographer, last
year! And only three weeks ago, top choreographer Penny Gregory and singing
instructor Jennifer Raymond! Hey, Jennifer was overweight - we could all
see that! But there was no reason at all for you to call her a fat,
ugly pig to her face; and in front of everyone!! And then the evil
way you sacked them in front of everyone, and they crept out of the theatre
weeping with embarrassment! And many others right through the five years
since you took over! Fine singing instructors, choreographers, musicians,
anyone who looked like they were going to be better than you! You fired
them and through your evil words made them look worse than useless! And
Francis
." Laurence looked down at his friend, and Cuthbertson
gave a wry grin, "
Francis is the last, in a long, long line!
And - ye gods - you even tried to frame me! And you KNOW I would never molest
a child!" He turned and looked fondly at the front line of youngsters,
"I love them too much to even hurt them, let alone molest them! They
are our future!" He turned to his soon-to-be-ex-director, and the words
tumbled out, "You are a scoundrel, Prendergast! It is totally your
fault that this show has fallen! I hope you can live with your conscience!
It must have taken a beating over the years!"
As Laurence incriminating litany continued to pour out, Prendergast
glanced down at the audience.
Someone in the front row was writing furiously.
And grinning!
It was an announcer from the local radio station. A detached part of Prendergasts
mind filled in the name, Ian Patterson.
Oh gods! Thought Prendergast in panic, Itll all be broadcast for the
world! Pattersons show, they all knew, was broadcast all over the
nation, and listened to by millions! He could hear the grin become laughter
throughout the whole State as his reputation went right down the sewer!
The shadowy figure in the second to front row found himself smiling.
He could never have done it this well!
Prendergast turned, teeth bared in desperate anger, to Laurence who had
paused for breath, "Laurence, thats it! Get out of here! Youll
never be wanted for Gang Show ever again!" The little weasels
voice rose in fear as he spoke, "And I will make doubly sure that you
are never employed in a stage show ever again!"
Laurence grinned. "So?" retorted the young man, and folding his
arms and looking down his nose he sneered, "I - dont - care!
I was going to quit anyway!" Prendergasts jaw dropped. "Believe
me, I would never want to be involved in anything that you produce or direct
ever again! Now listen Prendergast." He poked the little man in the
chest, "There is something you should realise. Gang Show, however great
it is, is only entertainment. It is not essential for human existence.
I and the other adults in the cast and crew have perfectly good jobs outside
of Gang Show, and the kids parents care for them outside of the show
too, and none of us have to come to YOU for a good name, or a crust of bread,
or a roof over our heads a fact that seems to have totally passed
you by! It would not worry me a scrap if I never saw you or your
pathetic show ever again!
"Now. I am going to walk out that door, right now, and I would be very
surprised if the whole cast and crew did not follow me!"
He turned to the stunned audience, and shouted, "Ladies and Gentlemen,
you have just seen the Graham Prendergast Show; sometimes laughingly called
the South State Gang Show! Goodbye Mister Prendergast! Here, you can keep
this! I wouldnt soil my scarf with it!" And he ripped off the
silver-plated South State Gang Show woggle from his red scarf and threw
it at the feet of his ex-director. The little metal S-S engraved
cylinder jingled and rang as it bounced across the floor to come to a halt
against Prendergasts shoe.
"B...but
Prendergasts voice trembled a little, then he decided
to bluster. "All right, go then!" he shouted, "Youll
not be missed, you stupid little twerp! I made a mistake re-enlisting you
in this show! But everyone else is behind me, and nobody else will leave!"
Prendergast almost crowed, "This Gang Show is much bigger than you
will ever be, you miserable little pervert!" Laurence gave a bitter
guffaw. "Get out! Go on, get out! The show will be quite safe and will
go on without you!"
"Oh really? Will it?" And Laurence looked up from the process
of folding his scarf. He looked around at the cast, the red triangle of
cloth still dangling from his fingers. Most had fiendish grins on their
faces as they watched the confrontation develop, "You want to put on
another week of pitiful shows?" he asked them. There was a massed shaking
of heads. He looked around at the audience, "Does anyone want to see
them?" There was another mass shaking of heads. He grinned mirthlessly,
"Uh-huh, I thought not!" Then he was struck by a thought, and
chuckled, "Dyou know Prendergast, you fit your name! It comes
from the French," he went on deliberately, " from prendre
to take, and gateâu - the cake! And man-oh-man, you
sure DO!!"
There was a roar of laughter from cast, crew and audience alike, and Prendergast
stood there, his jaw dragging in dismay.
"Prendergast," sneered Laurence as he finished folding his red
scarf and put it in his pocket, "you are welcome to do the whole of
this pathetic show by yourself!" Then he bent over and deliberately
spat on the little mans shoe, "Be My Guest!"
Then he stood back, spread his arms wide, and his voice jeered, "Ladies
and Gentlemen - presenting the Graham Prendergast One-Man Show!"
There was a burst of ironic applause.
He continued, "Goodbye Prendergast, and may I make it quite plain,
that it has NOT been a pleasure!" he finished, wiggling his fingers
at the man ironically.
Then he turned and stalked off stage, accompanied by a shout of raucous
laughter and a ripple of ironic applause, as to a man the whole cast and
crew trooped out after him, most of them ripping off their own woggles and
leaving them at the feet of the man who had single-handedly ruined the whole
South State Gang Show!
"Hey! Just a moment! Stop! I order you to stop right now
"
shouted Prendergast in desperation, and tried to stem the tide of the exodus.
"Shaddap, you heap of crap!" replied another adult as he threw
his woggle at the man, catching him in the shoulder, then walking almost
right through him, he pushed the weasel out of the way and walked out.
Then fifty-five year old Alan ODowd, the oldest man of the cast who
had been with the show for almost thirty years, paused as he came to the
skinny man, and towered over him. He took the others nerveless hand,
placed his golden ten-year woggle in it, and closed the fingers
over it delicately, "Hes right you know, Prendergast;" he
said very loudly, "Ive seen them all - and this show has never
been so bad! You - are pathetic!"
And he shook his head, and walking out the stage door, slammed it loudly
with a hollow, and somehow final bang behind him.
Prendergast stood there alone, stage centre, humiliated in front of the
whole country, and watched his Gang Show; his OWN Gang Show, curl up and
die.
A cymbal clang came from below and a movement caught his eye. The orchestra
were filing out of the pit, the drummer wrapping up his drums in double-quick
time.
"Francis!" cried Prendergast in desperation, sweat pouring down
his face, "Oh hell, please... dont go!"
Cuthbertson stopped, looked up at his director with his hands on his hips,
and sneered, "Oh yes, now everything has come to a head, its
Francis now, isnt it! Why shouldnt I go?
Why not, eh? Youve sacked me; remember? Laurence was right! You couldnt
direct your own bum!" (Crash! went the big cymbal, falling
on the ground.) "With no directional talent whatsoever, you tried to
do a big-stage show, in a small-stage theatre, on a puppet-show budget!
And youve failed, Prendergast! And its your own
fault! And dammit, you had the barefaced effrontery to frame him and blame
me! You criminal! Hah!" he jeered, "Youll never have this
orchestra again, and you CERTAINLY wont have me! And no other musical
director in the world will want to work with you once the word gets out
- ever! So GoodBYE! And good flaming riddance!"
And he walked out, giving Prendergast a two-fingered salute with both hands
as he disappeared.
The drummer, who had been on the end of his own share of insults from Prendergast,
could not resist it, and gave a shave-and-a-haircut-two-bits
on his snare before tucking it under his arm, blowing a raspberry at Prendergast
and walking out with a huge grin on his face.
Prendergast was left standing on an empty stage, with his show in ruins.
The audience had watched all this in stunned silence. Then from the back
of the theatre came a chuckle.
And in a moment the whole audience was laughing. Not the happy laughter
of a crowd entertained, but the mocking laughter of people who saw justice
- albeit rough justice - done! The now-ex-directors eyes were wide
open and his jaw had fallen in shock.
He was still trying desperately to come to grips with the fact that his
Show had very suddenly died a horrible death, when the shadowy figure who
had been sitting in the second row all this time, stood up and finally stepped
out onto the stage and into the light.
He was a tall man with a light brown Gillwell Scarf and Woggle, four Wood-badge
beads, and a wealth of badges on his chest and arms.
It was Gregory Shaw, the Scouting Commissioner for the district!
"Mr. Prendergast," he said loudly but in a neutral voice, "I
would like a word with you!"
Ah! Thought Prendergast, Greg Shaw! Thank god! Now well get somewhere!
"Hi Greg," he began, "Nice to see you. Perhaps if we could
go into my changing room." His voice began its climb to utter outrage,
"I want to make a complaint about Laurence and his
"
But Shaws face creased into fury and he stepped up and confronted
the man.
"Listen, Prendergast - it is Mr. Shaw to you," he
thundered, "and Ill speak with you right here and now!"
There was a pause as Prendergast realised with horror that far from being
an ally, Shaw was there in a totally different role! The crowd went silent.
Shaw gave a very thin, tight little smile, "I have been receiving many
complaints about this show from past audiences, and tonight I decided to
attend!" He paused, then went on loudly, "I watched this show
from the back." He drew in a deep breath, "I have never seen
such a pathetic display! It was embarrassing to the extreme, (especially
that awful rap!) and then the facts that came out after that
!"
Shaw shook his head, "I think you should know that I will be making
representation to the Board of Directors on the state of this Gang Show,
and after I get though with it, I very much doubt that you will ever find
a position in Gang Show, or indeed Scouting, ever again." The Commissioners
voice rose in indignation, and he snarled, "What sort of monster are
you - sacking people for no reason at all, and even framing them with
molestation of all things! How dare you!" he paused, then, his
face contorted in fury, dropped the final bombshell, "Prendergast,
your warrant as Scoutmaster is hereby permanently revoked, and the
South State Gang Show is dissolved until further notice!"
And as Prendergasts mouth dropped even further in horrified silence,
Shaw deliberately pulled off the little weasels Gillwell woggle and
GS-emblazoned scarf, and then ferociously ripped off the Gang Show and Scoutmaster
badges from the skinny mans white uniform top, tearing the material
in the process. He bundled them into his pocket, snarling, "Good-bye!",
then turned on his heel and left, to the sound of ragged applause as the
tiny crowd filed out the door leaving an empty theatre.
"Mr. Prendergast!" It was Patterson, and he was holding a miniature
recorder. He almost stuffed the microphone into Prendergasts mouth,
"Tell me - sir - , now that the Show is totally washed up and you have
been uncovered as a monster, how does it feel to be a downright and
complete loser?"
Patterson was not normally this vehemenant, but the day before he had been
taken to the cleaners by the Minister of Finance who was one of the most
evil men he had ever had the misfortune to interview, and he desperately
wanted to take out his fury on someone else. And Prendergast just happened
to be in the firing line!
"I
er
Mr. Patterson, I
. uh
" Then the little
man tried desperately to pull himself together, "Now look here, Patterson,
how dare you
"
"Yes, I do dare," snarled Patterson, glaring into Prendergasts
eyes, "and Ill dare a lot more than this before my time is up!
Now answer the damned question, you third-rate excuse for a pile of excrement!"
"I
I
Uh
" Prendergast finally realised he could
not win, and stammered to silence, totally at a loss.
Patterson grinned evilly, "Yes, I thought so. You heard it first here
folks; Graham Prendergasts pathetic South State Gang Show, a total
disgrace since he took over from Mr. Thompson, has been officially dissolved
at long last, and he has been dismissed from Scouting! It couldnt
have happened to a nicer guy, folks! Wow, what a turn up
" Patterson
turned away from the stricken ex-director, still raving triumphantly into
his recorder, and walked out.
Then the lights in the theatre went out.
There was silence.
Then in the darkness came a heart-broken sob.
It was accompanied by faltering footsteps as the skinny man staggered outside
into the late afternoon sun, tears streaming down his face, his life completely
shattered!
***************
One of the junior members of the cast saw a car approaching as the boy walked
home. It was Prendergasts ancient Hillman Imp, heading southward toward
the coast. The car came to a stop at the lights, and the lad noted that
Prendergast had tears pouring down his face, and appeared to be shouting
to himself and hammering the wheel with both hands. But there was too much
noise from the surrounding traffic and the boy could not hear what the weasel
was saying. Then the lights changed, and with a teeth-jarring clash of gears
the car roared off down the road towards the sea
.
***************
Haymans Beach lies on the coast about fifty miles to the south
of Griffith City, and is very rarely frequented, since there is a very rough
thirty-mile gravel track leading to the nearest main road, and the beach
itself is small, and has little sand. It is almost entirely stones and gravel.
The closest settlement is the tiny village of Haymans Corner, almost
seven miles inland.
Later that evening, in Haymans Corner, - someone - broke
into the tiny drugstore and stole a bottle of strychnine a very potent
poison.
The thief was never found
As the sun touched the horizon, any observer would have seen a small Hillman
Imp car as it drove a little erratically out of the track, and bounced and
jounced out along the stony beach front. Then it turned away from the sea,
its lights picking out a tunnel as it drove into the dunes. Finally about
a mile or so into the dune field, and out of sight of the beach, it bogged
down in a patch of soft, shifting sand.
The motor roared for a moment, the wheels throwing up clouds of sand and
pebbles, then it stalled and stopped with a clunk.
The figure inside moved for a moment, then was still.
The sun set.
After a few hours the lights of the car began to fade.
By morning they had expired completely.
By the end of the week the tracks in the sand had completely disappeared
Within six months, rust was making great inroads on the metal of the car.
It never moved again
****************
Seven years later, almost to the day, Greg Shaw sat down at his study
desk and opened his mail.
And one letter made him sit up and take notice. It was short and to the
point
Dear Greg,
I have been thinking hard about the South State Gang Show, and how Prendergast
left it in ruins.
I feel I can run it. I would like the opportunity to try.
Please send permission, by return mail if possible, so that I can start
work.
Yours faithfully,
Alan ODowd.
With a grin, Shaw picked up a pen
*************************
Three days later on the other side of town, Laurence phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Craig Laurence?"
"Yes?"
"This is Alan ODowd from the South State Gang Show."
"Oh, hello Alan; how are you?!" Craig grinned. He had always liked
ODowd.
The two exchanged pleasantries and caught up with each other.
Eventually Laurence said, "OK Alan, you didnt ring me up to say
howdy. Whats cooking?"
ODowds voice grinned, "Craig, I feel that I could put together
a show at least as well as a ahem certain other person
could!" Both men chuckled. "I have been given permission by Greg
Shaw, and would consider it an honour if you would join me as I attempt
to resurrect the South State Gang Show, this time sans Prendergast."
Laurence laughed eagerly, "Yes, certainly! I would love to!" Then
the young man had a thought, "Have you managed to get a Musical Director?"
ODowds voice smiled, "I certainly have! Cuthbertson has
agreed to return for just one show but I got the feeling that if
we made it a good one he would return for good!"
"Great!"
"By the way - you remember Rachel Parsons?"
"Uh-huh?"
"She had a lovely soprano. Id like to get her back too. Do you
know where she is?"
Laurence voice grinned hugely, "I should! I married her!"
There was joyous laughter on both ends of the line.
*********************
And so five months later the show tentatively reopened, still in the Unicorn.
ODowd employed three choreographers and two singing instructors, (including,
after assuring her that Prendergast was nowhere to be seen, and would have
nothing to do with the show, Michelle Howard) and gave them full reign,
with the only stipulation that they work in close conjunction with each
other, himself and Cuthbertson, which they were all very happy to do! And
unlike Prendergast, ODowd knew his limitations, and believed in teamwork.
Right from the start, they were working from a full show script which had
been nailed down and carved in marble before a single note was played.
Alan, Craig and Francis had held a meeting to decide on it, and Craig shyly
brought out a folder.
"I
I had a go at this. See what you think!"
Alan glanced at the title, then did a double take and his jaw dropped.
Crisis on Ganymede!
"Oh NO!" he almost shouted, "You can not possibly be serious!"
Francis was equally shocked, "Craig, you idiot! We cant do that
thing! It was an utter disaster!"
Craig smiled knowingly, "Well, have a quick look. See, the concept
was good, even if the execution was dreadful. I had a go at it. See
what you think?"
The two nodded, and ODowd began to read, Francis looking over his
shoulder. By the time they reached the bottom of the second page, both were
smiling.
The story was indeed roughly the same. But the awful speech patterns had
gone. So had the dreadful jokes. In their place were six exceptional and
very relevant jokes, at which both of them roared with laughter, and the
whole sketch hung together beautifully!
"Craig - you're a genius!" cried O'Dowd.
"Yeah, but what about that rap?" asked Cuthbertson, his heart
suddenly sinking.
"Would you like to do it again?" asked Craig, with the wickedest
twinkle in his eyes.
"WHAT!!??"
Laurence burst into laughter. "Dont worry, I wouldnt wish
that on my worst enemy! No, have a listen to this."
And taking out a piece of manuscript he walked over to the piano, and sat
down.
The tune he played was almost like a national anthem in its grandness and
beauty. While being very singable it had an ethereal quality which spoke
of the openness and breathtaking beauty of Outer Space, and ODowd
breathed happily. It fit the atmosphere of the sketch perfectly. Yes, that
was exactly what was required!
They both applauded heartily as Laurence finished. "Thats it!"
cried Cuthbertson, "Well done, Craig! Well do it!"
"Had an idea you might!" grinned the young man.
The script was finalised and put in place.
Then it was all on.
After every rehearsal, there was a meeting, and everyone put his or her
thoughts into the discussion. Week by week the show was honed like a razor,
and by the time it was ready to go to stage everyone knew exactly what was
wanted and what they had to do. The choruses had never sounded so confident,
the dancing was perfect, the solos were all that could be wished for, the
sketches were tight and the jokes perfectly timed. The cast and crew were
ecstatic! And ODowd was very happy. Nobody, he felt, except perhaps
Ralph Reader himself, could have done any better.
However for the first week the show looked like it was going to go the way
of the others, as the audiences, although receptive and very responsive,
were pitifully small.
After the Thursday show had finished, to a crowd of no more than seventy,
ODowd and Laurence, with Rachel, Cuthbertson and the rest of the staff
were in the little office, and ODowd sat at his desk, his head in
his hands.
"It looks like Prendergasts ghost has finally had his revenge
damn him!" he muttered.
The rest had to nod. It seemed like the shadow of the evil director was
hanging over the show, and would do all in its power to destroy the newly
resurrected programme.
"Hey," said Laurence intensely and sincerely, "Dont
blame yourself Alan; you - (chuckle) - did your best," he paused and
gave the scout sign, and everyone chuckled wryly, "
and you have
done more than anyone could to bring this show up."
Cuthbertson nodded, "Thats true. You can hold your head high,
pal. Even if the show is a box-office failure, it sure is a stage success.
Hey, this show is as good as the Thompson shows!"
Everyone in the room nodded.
Then just as ODowd was about to answer, the phone rang.
"ODowd, Unicorn?" said the big man mechanically.
"Is that the South State Gang Show director?" came an unknown
voice.
ODowd wondered what was coming. For a horrible split second he thought
it was Prendergast calling up to gloat, but then realised that the accent
was totally different from Prendergasts. "Y
yes?" he
replied hesitantly.
"This is South State Lions Club; secretary speaking. We have just had
a very promising report of your show from one of our members who attended
tonight. He loved it! We would like to book the whole theatre for next Sunday
evening for a private showing for our members and their guests. Two hundred
seats, isnt it?"
ODowd sat there, his mouth open.
"Hello?" came the voice.
"Y
yes! Yes, certainly!"
"Good. Ill be in tomorrow to collect the tickets and pay for
them! My name is Katterick."
ODowd managed to close his mouth, "Th
thank you Mr. Katterick!"
He put the phone down and looked around at his friends, his jaw still dragging.
Rachel was first to break the silence, "Alan, whats going on?
Who's Katterick?"
"It
it
I
"
"Come on man!" cried Cuthbertson, "Pull yourself together!"
ODowd did so. "It was the secretary of the local Lions Club,"
he gulped, "They
theyve bought out every ticket in the place
for the Sunday evening performance!" He looked around at his friends,
"Folks! I think were in business!"
The Sunday show went without a hitch, to a full house for the first time
for a long, long time! (In fact they had to bring in extra chairs as there
were several others who had already bought tickets for the show, and the
audience actually numbered 236!) The whole audience, Lions club personnel
included, were very appreciative, and at the end they all stood and gave
prolonged applause to the show. The cast and crew were left glowing with
pleasure and pride!
Then the next week the word spread South State Gang Show was nothing
like it had been before! It was good!
From then on the show became so popular that on the following Wednesday
afternoon ODowd crossed his fingers and walked into the office of
David Jansen, the caretaker of the Unicorn.
"Hello Alan!"
"Hello Mr Jansen, I have a question for you."
"Yes?"
"Is there another show coming into the Unicorn after we leave?"
Jansen paused, and looked up at the huge perpetual calendar over his desk,
"No major ones, not for another month."
ODowd swallowed and bit his lower lip before phrasing the question,
"Is
is it possible to hold over the Gang Show for an extra week?
We are going so well, and there have been many phone calls to order seats
which we just have not got!"
Jansen grinned widely, "Yes, I know. I have been getting a few of them
too," he replied with typical understatement. His own phone had been
running hot! He traced the weeks following with his finger, and tapped on
two days. "Weve got two concerts, but they can be done in front
of the black tabs. One in the afternoon during the week. The other is next
Wednesday night. If you can afford to lose that night, then I see no reason
why not. Normal hirage fees, payable after the show finishes!"
ODowd was ecstatic. "Thank you VERY much!"
The further week, minus the Wednesday night, was sold out within a day of
it being advertised. To compensate they played a third show on the Saturday
at 5 pm.
And it was a roaring success!
The show closed finally on the Sunday night, and many of the kids went home
in tears of joy, for nobody wanted the show to end, it had gone so well.
Two weeks later, Richard Spencer, secretary of the Albion-St John Theatre
committee was sitting in his office, looking rather gloomily at a poster.
It was the poster for the last South State Gang Show, and he had heard just
how good it was. "I wish we could get it back," he thought, "What
a huge money-spinner that would be. Such a pity that Thompson died, and
an even bigger pity
" he grinned wryly, "
that the show
was ruined by Prendergast. Dreadful man. Oh well, I suppose well just
have to grin and bear it."
Then just as he put down the poster, the phone rang.
"Albion-St John Theatre; can I help you?" He said mechanically.
"Could I speak to Mr Richard Spencer please?"
"Speaking."
"Hello, my name is Alan ODowd of the South State Gang Show
"
Spencer could hardly believe it! ODowd must have been reading his
mind! "Ah," he said, "Hello Mr. ODowd, I had hoped
you would ring!"
ODowds voice paused, then went on, "Well Mr Spencer, er
w
would
you see your way clear to making the Albion-St John available for my Gang
Show again
?" He was obviously rattling off the question quickly
before his nerve gave out!
"Yes!" Spencer said sincerely, "Yes indeed. Since Prendergast
took over and the show went down the drain we have been longing for something
to happen! Mr Thompsons show had been one of the highlights of our
year. But then, when Prendergast was
er
retired"
Alan heard a wry grin in the words, "
and the show closed down
we thought it would never come back. But this year we heard how good it
was! You only had to ask! Well clear three weeks next year for you,
the usual dates, as well as two weeks for in-theatre rehearsals!"
On the other end ODowd managed, "Th
thank you very much!"
Then he put down the phone feeling like Cinderella just fitted with the
glass slipper!
A year later the South State Gang Show moved back into the Albion-St John
Theatre with full advertising and much fanfare, to three full weeks of packed
houses.
It was almost like coming home.
And taking centre stage in many of the sketches as well as three very complex
solos was Craig Laurence - scarcely able to control his joy! One Ralph Reader
song in the show he sang from the heart:
"Id never change with a man with a million,
for Ive got a million blessings more!"
He had never been so happy!
Sketches, songs and jokes followed each other in profusion, and the audiences
were alternately rocking with laughter, or singing along with the joyous,
well-known tunes, or marvelling at the delightful dance routines.
And in the pit, with a broad smile on his face, stood Francis Cuthbertson,
conducting his orchestra (now expanded to its original size!) in peace and
harmony. Every now and then he met Laurence gaze, and they both grinned
happily. What a change to Prendergasts so-called productions!
On the closing night the whole cast were ecstatic, and some of the kids
almost in tears. The show had gone so well they felt very sorry to see it
close. And then, as the last chorus of Crest of a Wave echoed
into the huge hall, the audience, numbering almost the full 4000, stood
and burst into rapturous applause! The cheers and clapping went on for almost
five minutes, and the cast had to do two encores!
Eventually, ODowd, with his golden woggle replaced and worn with pride,
stood there in front of his cast HIS cast - with a grin so wide it
almost split his face.
Alongside him stood the back-stage crew, and among them, Michelle Howard,
her eyes sparkling in happiness, and her faith in human nature fully restored!
Behind them stood Laurence, with just as big a grin, and alongside him Rachel,
who had grown into a beautiful young lady, her joy unmistakeable. She reached
out and took his hand, and they smiled very happily at each other.
Below them, Cuthbertson breathed a deep sigh of pleasure, and nodded in
thanks to his orchestra.
All felt so proud they were almost bursting. They had done it. From a show
that was dead and cold, a total and utter loss, they had resurrected a success
story better than any of them could have dared to hope!
And this was only the beginning! They were all looking forward to many more
successful shows in the years to come.
The future for the South State Scout Gang Show was looking very
bright indeed!
Three years later
Martin Warren, owner and operator of Haymans Corner Drug Store was sitting in his parlour reading the days edition of the Griffith Evening Star, when his eyes caught sight of something at the bottom of page 36 - a tiny two inch report....
"Ah," Warren thought to himself with a wry grin, "I wondered
where that extra bottle of strychnine had got to!"
And he promptly forgot about it, and turned the page
.