23 Feb 2025
Matt Adams is at the Arena for the return of the St Albans institution…
It’s tempting to think that there are two visions in the head of St Albans Gang Show producer Hermione Drew – one being her idea of the perfect performance and the other reality that appears on stage. Judging from Thursday’s opening night at the Alban Arena, there really is no distinction between the two.
As a Gang Show newbie (I know, how did that happen?), my preconceptions largely came from past reviews and features in the St Albans Times, so I had an idea of an all-singing, all-dancing variety show punctuated with comedy sketches, it just it didn’t go much further than that.
But from the opening dance routine – which featured the entire cast of approximately 95 Scouts and Guides moving en masse to sharp sharp choreography and powerful vocals – it soon became clear exactly why the Gang Show has become a St Albans institution.
Confident and coordinated, these youngsters strutted their stuff on stage as if they were born to do it, displaying none of the nervousness one might expect from performing in front of a packed Arena, instead presenting the results of months of dedicated rehearsals for everyone to see.
The show was largely divided into themed sequences reflected by the songs and set and costume designs, kicking off with City Life, which transitioned between a Franco-themed rendition of Doris Day’s I Love Paris in the Springtime, through city workers belting out London’s Calling by The Clash, and wrapping up with Taylor Swift’s Welcome to New York performed by youngsters wearing traditional NYC baseball gear.
Radio Days saw a day through the songs broadcast by a local radio show, including Wake Up Boo!, Working for a Living, Rush Hour and Dance the Night, while Rags to Stitches featured the cast dressed as cotton reels and tape measures to perform Madonna’s Material World, Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton, Kylie’s Spinning Around and a pastiche of Love Machine by The Miracles with words changed to “sewing machine” and reflecting the overall theme.
Other sequences were based on Monsters and books, prompting renditions of Levi Stubbs’ Mean Green Mother from Outerspace, Hey Tiger! by Robbie Williams, and an exceptional version of The Cure’s Love Cats performed by a group dressed as Dr Seuss’ Cat in the Hat.
Also worth highlighting was Wild Things by Alessia Cara for Where The Wild Things Are, which was delivered with incredible passion and emotion, as was True Monster Heart, which apparently comes from the Monster High movie (Every day’s a schoolday!) and featured one female vocalist in particular who should be aspiring to appear in the West End.
In contrast to the big dance numbers were some more intimate pieces, including an all-girl rendition of Take That staple I Want You Back, displaying excellent harmonising between a range of different voices, and the powerful modern dance routine which played out to an instrumental of White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army.
Even Taylor Swift couldn’t manage this many costume changes in one show, so it’s hard to imagine how long it took to fit and stitch each outfit, let alone creating the remarkable sets, with a giant working sewing machine and pin cushion of particular note, so kudos to the team of dedicated volunteers responsible, including also those who took care of props, hair and make-up, sound and lighting, as it really is a combined effort.
Credit is also due to Eleanor Petch and her orchestra in the pit, jumping between musical styles with aplomb, and vocal coach and arranger Sian Turner for transforming nervous teenagers into first class singers. There is such a huge army of people working behind the scenes that we cannot possibly namecheck everyone, but we should just say that their contributions are duly noted and appreciated.
With such a focus on the song and dance routines, it’s important not to overlook the sketches, which demonstrated a flair for timing and delivery the likes of which you’d expect to see at some of the district’s finest comedy nights.
Personal highlights included Now That’s What I Call Songs for the Elderly, a pastiche compilation album featuring the likes of I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Stayin’ Alive and Everything Hurts, and When I Was A Scout, an exceptional tribute to Monty Python’s legendary Four Yorkshiremen sketch.
Playdate was brilliantly observed, transposing the conversations of parents with babies, as three toddlers delivered sharp critiques of how their mums and dads behaved, while offering an insight into their own behaviour.
Apparently inspired by Aussie news satire programme Clarke and Dawe, The Interview put the CEO of a St Albans bus company in the spotlight for a grilling by a news reporter, only to demonstrate all the slipperiness of a Government minister in avoiding answering their questions and trying to wiggle out of admitting the flaws in her vehicles.
After a tribute to Akelas everywhere which might have gone over the heads of non-Scouting members of the audience, everything came to a spectacular conclusion with the finale, as the cast donned their uniforms to wrap things up with some singalong classics.
An emotional, yet inspiring four-hander kicked things off with Just One Person from Snoopy the Musical, a song adopted by St Albans to open the finale, followed by a full-cast celebration of Take That’s Shine, leading onto Scouting standard Crest of a Wave and wrapping up with the traditional Gang Show song Making Memories, at which point the audience exploded into a deafening applause.
Demonstrating what it is possible to achieve through motivation, inspiration and positive coaching, the St Albans Gang Show is a showcase for all that is good about the youth of today, and justifiably packs out the Arena for the duration of its run.
It’s incredible to think that no sooner have the costumes and sets been packed away that work is already going on behind the scenes in preparation for 2026, but that simply reflects the love that is felt for this long-running tradition, which will hopefully continue for many decades to come.
Until next year then: “Oggy oggy oggy! Oi! Oi! Oi!”
