23 Jan 2025
St Albans Gang Show might be in its 45th year but it remains as relevant and inspirational as ever.
The mainstream media is keen to tell us how young people are becoming more and more lost, seeking ways to feel a sense of belonging and sometimes even wondering who they can trust but that is far from what is going on in this powerful community of youngsters.
The success of the biggest – and award-winning – St Albans show is testament to the huge team of dedicated adults who all volunteer their time, energy and skills to invest in the development and enjoyment of local young people aged 11 to 25 all year round.
Though they rehearse between September and show week – which this year is from February 12-15 – the project runs throughout the year.
We spoke to director Hermione Drew about why it matters so much to those involved.
She said: “It’s not something that is using screens and phones but is real life physical stuff such as learning new things and a chance to make friends and they really love it. That building of friendships and being together as part of a team as they build the show and then the experience of the show itself provides a real sense of achievement for them at the end.”
She said she thinks it is really important for young people to have an end goal, to recognise they have done it and really made themselves and their families and friends proud.
Are all the children confident about getting on a stage in front of all those people for several nights in a row?
“For many, when they do the performance in show week, that is their first time of ever having stepped on a stage to do something in front of an audience. That can be frightening but because we have such a big cast there is an element of safety in numbers.”
She explained that if they don’t want to be right at the front they don’t have to be and a performer doesn’t feel alone because they are with a lot of other people.
She added: “That is quite a supportive way to have a go at standing up in front of an audience and so I think that does really build their confidence.”
She said that it also helps with communication such as when the leaders ask the older ones to teach the younger ones if they’ve missed a session or could do with the extra help. Also the cast is encouraged to ask questions and make suggestions and give feedback to the leaders during rehearsals.
There are numerous contemporary songs and dances in the show each year, so how does Hermione keep up with the latest music trends?
“We make sure the cast contribute their ideas for the following year when we go away on our gang show camp. We always have a session where we ask them which songs they would you like to see in the show, what are the kind of bands and artists that they are into right now and get them to share their ideas. There might be a big list of people that the rest of our team have never heard – then we go away and research it. We find it interesting when they don’t always want the new songs and so suggest Oasis.”
It is clear to anybody who has ever seen a show that there is a lot of hard work which goes into producing such polished and professional-looking performances. Yet equally evident is the joy on the faces of those on stage.
Thomas Brown, 12, is in his first year of being in the show:
“Gang Show is a great place to just hang out with friends and perform in front of people. It gets your confidence up. I have got a solo that I’m quite looking forward to. It is a song from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Fifteen-year-old Tilly Burridge will be in her third Gang Show. She describes the atmosphere of rehearsals as being “like a family” and said it is “such a nice place to be because it’s such a community”. She added: “It means a lot – it’s helped with my mental health.
“I’m excited for the front of curtains (sketch). I think there are some really funny ones that will make the audience laugh.”
Tilly met her friend Georgia through being in Guides but said they “properly bonded here”: “We have helped each other so much, and it’s been great. And then meeting all of her friends who go to different schools.
“I think it brings the whole of St Albans together with such a mix of people.”
Valentina Kirk Shoomin, 13, is also in her third year and says it’s the friendships which have been special for her: “It’s a sense of community being around everyone and quite a good confidence builder for things in the future.”
She said she is most looking forward to show week.
Getting that many people all moving at once can’t be an easy task but that is the role of choreographer Claire Keates who is responsible for all the dancing. And it’s more than just moving together to music; the show is always full of diverse and interesting dances and is matched to all levels of ability.
Claire describes the job as very much a team effort: “There are lots of people with lots of different types of dancing experience, and most of them are people who’ve grown up in the show but have an interest in dance.
“We all pool our creative thoughts. We listen to the music, work out what sorts of dances we want, have a bit of a play around with it, and then we start to hand out who is going to look after which item.
“Coming up with the moves is very much a team approach…what we’ve danced before, things that we’ve just made up in our bedrooms or scanning the internet for inspiration.”
At the moment she is inspired by Wicked which she watched with her daughter and now says she “wants to do all of it.”
“Probably the most challenging part of Gang Show, is when you get the whole cast on stage for the opening, and they’re all dancing and they all look especially brilliant.
“It’s basically very clever trickery to make sure that the very best dancer and the least experienced dancer are both totally in sync.”
I ask Claire how the children learn their moves and how she helps embed it into their muscle memory: “Sometimes it’s about repetition and rehearsal, without making it boring.
We’ve got to get that balance right.
“And sometimes it’s about making really clever moves work en masse.”
Does she have a favourite type of dance?
“I love all the contemporary stuff. I like it when we’re really throwing ourselves around on stage.
“We can’t do that very much because they’ve got to sing at the same time, so when we have an item where they haven’t got to sing and I’m let loose, that’s probably when I’m most creative because I’m allowed to just do anything, go anywhere.
“I do like things that are a bit different. So we do have a bum wiggle in one of our items where there’s some cats and they’ve got to shake their bottoms at the audience. And I love it when the cast trusts you and they go with you.”
Are boys enjoying dance?
“I think we live in a world now where the boundaries of what is a boy thing and what’s a girl thing are breaking down.
“There has been a lot more press where boys and men have been dancing and really visible. And I hope that that keeps going because I just think it’s for everyone.
“It’s the most incredible feeling to be able to let loose with the way you move. And we’ve got some kids in the show this year, some boys who’ve never danced before who are absolutely phenomenal.
“And when you’re doing it with a bunch of friends and you’re all in it at the same time, you can’t not enjoy it.”
