QUESTORIES
STUDENT GROUP PRODUCTIONS 
Part Five: 1970-1974 (Groups 23-26)

   Student Group 23 (1968/1969)
   Student Group 24 (1969/1970)
   Student Group 25 (1970/1971)
   Student Group 26 (1971/1972)

STUDENT GROUP 23 (1968/1969)

Alumni from Group 23 include Heather Tobias and John Wilson (who had both appeared in the previous year’s productions as first year students) and Judy Lane (repeating the course after Group 22).

February 1970 saw the marriage of two ex-students and cornerstones of Questors, David and Sonia Pearson.

Programme for THREE ONE ACT PLAYS
Press Cuttings

(Left) BLACK COMEDY - taken from a press cutting as we don't have the original photos in archives (Right) Judy Lane and Kevin Fells in AN OFFICE FOR PROFIT.

This was Wyllie Longmore's first production as Acting Tutor for the second year students. After completing the course himself in 1963 he'd won a place at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama where he did so exceptionally well that, on completing their course, he was offered a post on the teaching staff.

Meanwhile he was somehow managing to appear regularly on the Questors stage, his first major role being oppositeFfrancon Whelan in James Saunders' NEIGHBOURS (1964) later appearing in the same production in Berlin. Another role was in Rodney Ackland's OTHER PLACE (1964) where (according to QUESTOPICS) "he had but one word to deliver—`knowledge'. More difficult than you may think, but it was done with aplomb and enthusiasm."

Simultaneously with acting he ran the 14-15 Young Questors Group and got elected onto the Committee of Management. He continued to teach and direct the second year students until 1977, when he and his wife Estelle moved to Manchester where he took up a post at the University Drama Department.

The February 1970 issue of QUESTOPICS includes a brief note of each of the plays in this Triple Bill and also photos of some of the students, including these:

Photos of THE DISORDERLY WOMEN
Programme
QUESTOPICS July 1970
Press cutting

John Bowen’s updated version of Euripides’ THE BACCHAE, had received its first performance the previous year at the Stables Theatre, Manchester - so ours must have been amongst the first amateur productions. The Stage described the play as a “gory tale” with “a liberal sprinkling of hippy philosophy.” The main protagonists in the Manchester production were John Fraser and, taking a break from Coronation Street, William Roache (aka Ken Barlow). I am pretty sure that John Wilson was a match for him in the part of Pentheus.

Our production included a filmed sequence by Paul Smith, though how it was incorporated into the performance is not clear. QUESTOPICS included the following description of the shoot:

One day in Spring, one of those days of tempestuous showers and glimpses of dazzling sunshine, 1970 Student Group switched on at dawn and zoomed off in tuned-up minis and beat-up Chevrolets to some wild open space for a groovy film session.

Mr. Director said: "I want daffodils". So they just had to find some place where daffodils grew or else they had to do a transplant — at least they were in season. "There are lots in Kew Gardens" somebody brightly suggested. "Yes but you can't trample on them there. They are so particular — they're not switched on".

The hippies were more interested in finding mushrooms but eventually some hill was found in the far away district of Hampstead, with hosts of golden daffodils or at least one or two and flower power was enjoyed. The filming began: the hippies, joined by the Queen Mother, tripped around, and became bespattered with mud and blood as they tore King Pentheus to pieces.

Libations were made and after the Royal blood had been sprinkled and the last drop of milk had been drunk (no film location is complete without it) 1970 Student Group left.

Questopics also included this brief and humorous profile of the cast:

STUDENT GROUP 24 (1969/1970)

8 first year students from Group 24 appeared in the 1970 student productions. Of these 4 went on to complete the second year – Peter Garrett, Steven Hallmark, Caroline Hayfield and Tom Jennings. Tom was an American from Kentucky who continued to perform at Questors until 1983.

Cast:
Garry Brooking, Penny Darch, Michael Fender, Peter Garrett, Richard Halberstadt, Steven Hallmark, Carolyn Hayfield, Tom Jennings, Paul Lewis, Susan Reeve, Sammy Small, Jeanne Smith, Carol Wiseman

Programme
QUESTOPICS January 1971
Press Cuttings 
[NB: The caption in the press photo above is wrong. The actors shown are Steve Hallmark, Paul Lewis and Susan Reeve.]

Up until now the February student triple bill had run for just four nights, but the 1970 set had been so well supported that people were being turned away on the last two nights, so for 1971 the run was extended to five nights.

After giving a brief descriptions of the three plays, Wyllie Longmore introduced members of the Group in QUESTOPICS:

This year's Student Group consists of seven men and four women. Their acting backgrounds are variable — from one who has never appeared on the stage before, to one who has had much experience with amateur groups outside The Questors.

Tom Jennings, Steven Hallmark, Bruce Cowan, Jose Alfano, Carolyn Hayfield and Jeanne Smith appear in the Shaw; Susan Reeve, Peter Coleman, Paul Lewis, Peter Garrett and Trevor Small in the Pinter; and the whole company, with the addition of Richard Halberstadt (an ex-student) and Penny Darch (first year), appear in the Terence.

The sets and costumes are designed by Mavis Armitt. Mary Todd is Stage Manager.

Due to sickness, Jeanne Smith and Sammy Small had to withdraw from the last few performances. Susie Bruce read in for Jeanne’s part in Press Cuttings, and Susan Reeve took her part in The Eunuch, leading to a number of other substitutions in that play. Wyllie Longmore took over Sammy’s part in The Room.

Cast:
Bruce Cowan, Penny Darch, Hilary Ellwood, Kevin Fells, Michael Fender, Peter Garrett, Steven Hallmark, Peter Harborne, Carolyn Hayfield, Trevor Hopkins, Tom Jennings, Paul Lewis, Irene Macdonald, Rosemary Parry-jones, Susan Reeve, Jeanne Smith

Programme
Photos
QUESTOPICS June 1971
Press Reviews

Following the disruptions caused by sickness during the performance of the ONE ACT PLAYS, understudies were arranged for the production of THE RIVALS.

The June 1971 issue of QUESTOPICS included this brief introduction to some of the cast members:

Jeanne Smith has the enviable opportunity of portraying Mrs Malaprop, Susan Reeve is her niece, Lydia Languish and the romantic Julia and Faulkland who so moved the 18th century audiences are played by Carolyn Hayfield and Bruce Cowan. The dashing Captain Absolute is played by Steven Hallmark, whilst Paul Lewis considers himself typecast as Bob Acres.

The other member of the group in the play is Sam Small (bottom photo) [Despite his mention in the QUESTOPICS article, Sam Small's name doesn't appear on the The Rivals programme!] 

The rest of the cast is filled by members of the first year student group and three Acting Members of Questors. 

Above: Members of The Rivals cast. Susan Reeve (Lydia Languish) and Stephen Hallmark (Captain Absolute); Paul Lewis (Sir Anthony Absolute) and Sam Small

Press reports were very favourable and the decision to set it in modern dress with minimal scenery was generally considered a success.

"Students sparkle in classic satire"
"an offbeat originality which held the attention and inspired plenty of laughter."
"a charming performance...of Sheridan's delightful comedy"
"Questors bring a golden age to life!"

Steven Hallmark made quite an impression in his role as Captain Jack Absolute and gave the following interview to the Acton Gazette.

STUDENT GROUP 25 (1970/1971)

Of the 8 students in this group’s second year, there was only one man, Peter Harborne. The only other group, up until this point, that had had only one man in the second year was Group 15 (1960-1962).

While we’re on the subject - there had been 5 previous second year Groups with more men than women (including the one before this, Group 24) and only 2 where there had been an equal balance of men and women. I don’t know what this proves, if anything, but it’s interesting. The only group to have all women was Group 1 in 1946-1947.

Cast:
Maureen Connew, Caroline Finch, Cathie Fraser, Margaret Halberstadt, Peter Harborne, Tony Hill, Tom Jennings, Rosemary Parry Jones, Lyn Langridge, Irene Macdonald, Stan Mcgowan, Clare Patrick, Susan Reeve, Janice Stanley, Dana Stuczynska, Margaret Turner, Carol Wiseman

Photos: ELECTRA (left), RITES (centre), SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER (right) 

Programme
Press Cuttings

It was Maureen Connew's turn for an interview in the local press.

Acton Gazette
9 March 1972

HER ROAD TO THE STAGE WAS PAVED WITH POETRY

Maureen Connew is one of a dying breed of young actors and actresses who just want to act and act...and act.

Maureen (pictured here) who is a student at Questors Theatre, attracted praise for her recent performances in ELECTRA, the Sophocles tragedy, and in RITES, the Maureen Duffy comedy.

Those who emerged from this showing as the bright prospects of the students group were headed by Maureen Connew who showed considerable promise both in her comic role in RITES and in the title role of ELECTRA.

In the light of this praise, it’s remarkable to discover her number of leading roles can be counted on the fingers of one hand. However, partly due to the wanderlust of earlier years, she became involved with the stage relatively late, and did not go to an acting school or take any other of the conventional routes to a stage career. Her main love was poetry and she enjoyed reading poets like Shelley in coffee bars up and down the country. 
Her acting was confined to one or two farces like ROOKERY NOOK and a couple of revues. Her main serious role was in Chekhov’s THREE SISTER.

After she completes her two year part-time course at Questors, her ambition is to enter a rep company.

Maureen spends 10 hours at Questors on average a week learning acting theory and various exercises. Her next appearance with the Questors students is in their main production in the summer. Its title has not yet been decided.

Maureen’s face is one that screams out Greek Tragedy as soon as you catch sight of those exotic deep set eyes and that sad mouth. She admires writers such as Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, who in their works deal with the darker sides of life.

When she leaves Questors, Maureen’s aim is [to] get “on the ground floor” of some new activity. One ambition is to start a small theatre in St Ives – where she used to Iive – and get the local community more involved with this side of the arts.

It wasn’t at all difficult for her to talk about the roles she most wanted to play. Lady Macbeth is her prime ambition. Hedda Gabler her second choice.

Cast:
Maureen Connew, Caroline Finch, Mary Gilbert, Margaret Halberstadt, Peter Harborne, Rosemary Parry Jones, Irene Macdonald, Barbara Marker, Clare Patrick, Janice Stanley

Programme
Questopics July 1972
Press Cuttings

The press reviews were very mixed: “excellent performances”, "versatile", “disappointing”, “boring”!

No photos I'm afraid.

This production marked the 25th anniversary of the Student Group and was followed on the last night by a student reunion (see QUESTOPICS ) - 500 guests were expected! I don't know how many turned up!

An article in QUESTOPICS discussed the difficulties of choosing a play for a company of 7 women and 1 man. The outcome was described in one newspaper review as "a curious mixture of pathos and mirth."
First year student Margaret Halberstadt and ex-student Barbara Marker (Group 21) were brought in to swell the ranks for Lorca's all-female drama, and a shortened version of N F Simpson's surreal comedy gave Peter Harborne his opportunity to shine

Alfred Emmet marked the twenty-fifth anniversary with a brief historical review of the Student Course in Questopics.

STUDENT GROUP 26 (1971/1972)

Balance is more or less restored, with 6 men and 5 women!

And it is another vintage year, introducing Julia Cooke, John Davey, Margaret Halberstadt and Tony Hill, though Margaret and Tony had both already appeared in the previous student production as first-year students and Margaret had joined husband Richard in Alan Chamber's Christmas production of the Feydeau farce DING! DONG!

Meanwhile first year student Tony Hunt was making himself useful by taking over as Questors programme editor.

Cast:
Julia Cooke, Janice Culling, John Davey, Paul Ekins, Tony Gariff, Margaret Halberstadt, Tony Hill, Cathie Jones, Peter Macnamara, Judy Radcliffe, John Slavin

[Photo: NO WHY]

Programme for ONE ACT PLAYS
Photos for MARRIAGE
Photos for NO WHY
Photos for MISS IN HER TEENS
Questopics, February 1973
Press Cuttings

Cast:
Julia Cooke, John Davey, Paul Ekins, Tony Gariff, Margaret Halberstadt, Peter Harborne, Tony Hill, Rosemary Parry Jones, Cathie Jones, Peter Macnamara, Judy Radcliffe, John Slavin, Janice Stanley

[Photo: LONESOME LIKE]

Programme for Double Bill
Photos for HOBSON'S CHOICE
Photos for LONESOME LIKE
QUESTOPICS July 1973
Press cuttings

WHAT THE PAPERS SAID.

"Julia Cooke's excellent interpretation of Maggie Hobson ... "

"Will Mossop brilliantly played by John Davey - a constant source of amusement with his idiotic laugh and physical awkwardness ... "

"Sam Horrocks, a shy, lonely young man, movingly portrayed by Tony Gariff ... "

"A Cordon Bleu performance ... a real Lancashire hot-pot ... a fine entertainment, a revealing glimpse of Lancashire life years ago, and a credit to the Questors' cultivation of its young actors and actresses."