With “High School Musical” being presented later this week, memories have been stirred of a past musical production involving two of our predecessor schools.
Former Scots Headmaster Michael Aikman was a Gilbert and Sullivan enthusiast, and in 1969, he put on a production of “Trial By Jury”. With Scots then an all-boys school, the matter of finding female players was a consideration, which was readily solved by working with the all-girls Marsden School. Recently, a photo turned up in the records of The Marsden School, which has now, by integration and succession, become part of The Scots All Saints heritage. This led to some research by the Archives staff from both campuses into the production.
As well as the Marsden photo, there were also two photos of “Trial By Jury” in an album that was given to the Scots Archives by Michael Aikman’s family. The Archives staff got in touch with their past student networks. A Marsden Old Girl supplied the names of many of the girls involved, and a group of Old Boys who were at Scots in 1969 provided the boys’ names and shared some memories of the occasion.
As well as “Trial By Jury”, the nights of 6 and 7 June 1969, saw the Marsden girls stage a comedy called “Catherine Parr”. The Scots boys then put on Moliere’s “The Reluctant Doctor” that featured the acting of Peter Warnock and Hugh Oddy.
The cast of “Trial By Jury” was:
The Learned Judge: Christopher Snedden
The Plaintiff: Anne Crossing
The Defendant: Keith Scott
Counsel for the Plaintiff: Patrick Power
Usher: Lindsay Scott
Foreman of the Jury: Robert Oates (?)
Clerk of the Court: Robert Hewett
First Bridesmaid: (not known)
Gentlemen of the Jury: Chris Barbary, Ian Ousby, David Smouha, Philip Smouha, Greg Cummins, Miles Felstead, Joe Ousby, David Freebairn, Ian Bassingthwaighte, John Chessell.
Chorus of Bridesmaids (including Elizabeth McDonald, Elizabeth Miller, Shelley McDonald and possibly Sue Dawson), Barristers, Attorneys and Public.
Although trained as a mathematician and chemist, Michael Aikman’s talents included conducting, and he was musical director of the performance. The pianist appears to be Laurie Orchard, who was at the time a Senior Lecturer at the Bathurst Teachers’ College and was later to form the Mitchell Conservatorium. The performances took place in the Assembly Hall at Bathurst High School.
Mr Andrew Maher
Archives
