PART 5

Drama and New Theatre

In 1955, Dounreay came along, as the UK's nuclear fast reactor research and development site; and of course their professional people were keen to get involved, producing modern plays with modern authors which proved quite challenging for a while, but we were glad to have some new faces and fresh talent. In the early 1960's, we acquired the let of premises on the corner of Breadalbane Crescent, located at the top of Harbour Terrace. The building itself required a lot of work, but it was a convenient place to hold our scenery flats and pieces of furniture, enough space for the width of a stage, measuring about four inches off the floor to give us a proper area to rehearse on. Of course, for a time it was adequate, and the club granted Mowat Thomson who started dance classes for a short time, to hold them in the premises. We were based in this premises for just a few years until fortune smiled on us; one day the postmaster came to visit Kathlyn Harper (nee More) and handed over a key for premises a short walk down the street in Harbour Terrace. The Post Office used used this hall and rooms over the festive season for sorting out the Christmas parcels, but they found they had never paid rent as the owner couldn’t be traced and so they couldn’t continue to use it. Fortunately, we had a solicitor, John Graham, whose wife was Nan Graham. John was able to organise the legal process for us obtaining the premises and finally, we were in. Everyone brought a roll of wallpaper, we cleaned and wall-papered and had an excellent store and rehearsal room for many years. We were at last able to get the full width of a stage and were able to leave 'a set' in place from one practice to the next.

Our former rehearsal space which was on the ground floor, in Breadalbane Crescent.

Our former premises at 8 Harbour Terrace, Wick in 2024.

We participated in the float procession for Wick Gala for the first time after obtaining these premises. We built a train and painted it on Harbour Terrace, it was called “Save Our Highland Line”, a gimmick for our train company to retain the railway line in the Highlands. Pat Weir dressed as the engine driver alongside Eric Farquhar, Raymond Durrand, George Anderson and various  others. We won ‘Best Float’ that year.  For our premises in Harbour Terrace, it appeared that after research which was carried out by our lawyer; that the actual owner of the building was a casualty in the London bombing during the second world war and there was no living relatives left. So, having occupied the premises for a necessary time we were able to claim ownership, This premises served us well until we gained ownership of our current clubhouse. ​Between three act plays and more once acts, the actors and stage crews changed but when television arrived in the 1960’s it had a drastic effect on Wick Players. Many of our mature actors decided to call it a day with only a few stalwarts staying on, and it greatly affected our audiences too. It became more and more difficult to find producers but the effects with young plays were now beginning to bring rewards, the club still had a future. 

In 1963, Jack Calcott produced “Cradle Song”, the first in our new surroundings of the newly refurbished Academy School which is now our great Assembly Rooms. A variety of rooms, a great stage (with no side curtains), dressing rooms (although they were too small), and of all the capital no, no’s… a toilet at the side of the stage! However, it had seating and was an adequate performance venue. The play itself was a challenge but with a suitable and well-equiped cast of sixteen, most of whom dressed as nuns by Pat Weir, and stagehands; Jackie Banks and Jimmie Kay with Donald Sinclair on lighting, they had a struggle dressing backstage as they hadn’t realised that what is now the General Purpose room could act as a dressing room. Now that Wick Assembly Rooms was being used as premises for hosting various concerts and shows, it was the perfect venue for hosting the Caithness District Festival as part of SCDA's annual competition. Over the years, the facilties improved after much suggesting, cajoling and discussion with our local authority.

"Cradle Song".

Willie Wilson as the dame in "Queen of Hearts".

With increasing confidence, three-act plays were again produced alternating as promised with pantomime and in 1969 “Queen of Hearts” was produced with Willie Wilson as a marvellous dame alongside George Bain and Jack Calcott, to name a few. ​ In 1970, Ken Ritchie produced a one-act play called “Villa for Sale” with Ann Clyde, June Sutherland and Ann Ritchie. In that same year, Donald Farmer produced the comedy “Johnnie Jouk the Gibbet”, a great piece of period comedy with a magnificently costumed cast by Pat Weir. Played in a beautiful set and super cast consisting of Willie Wilson, Margaret Sinclair, Ian Matheson, Kathlyn Harper, Lesley Banks and Ernie Dunster. Henry Rosie’s performance of the town clerk will long be remembered. In 1972 Donald Farmer produced “The Big Bad Mouse” with several new faces- Lesley Mowat, Andrew Mackay, Norman Miller, Katie Burns and Jennifer Hamilton. This was followed by another three-act play “Rock-a-Bye Sailor” which was great fun for cast and audience alike. ​

Donald Farmer took over as Secretary and for the next ten years and the practice of a pantomime and play alternately met with the general approval with festival entries too. “Toon Affairs”, a three-act period costume play reached the Highland Divisional Final in 1977 when Andrew Craigie made his first appearance as a sailor. Costumes, scenery, and lighting of pantomimes were becoming more and more spectacular. Adam Swanson, Gordon Ingles, Ian Mackenzie, and the backstage boys excelled themselves with “Jack and The Beanstalk” and “Sing a Song of Sixpence”, two very popular pantomimes. At this time, Donald Sinclair fulfilled the role of Lighting Director whose assistance could achieve wonders and his inability to say “no”, meant that he was in demand for every concert and show in the Assembly Rooms. In 1979, Donald Farmer produced another great play with nine of a cast. Many new faces appeared and the magnificent period scenery and Edwardian costumes of “Angels in Love”, framed the Victorian comedy perfectly.  Marina MacDonald appeared with Margaret Manson, Tony Cowell, and Eric Farquhar to mention a few who later went on to do great things with Wick Players.

"Jack and The Beanstalk" with Andrew Craigie, Eric Farquhar and James More.

​

Programme Cover of the Local Performance of "By the Cran", which went down a hit as part of the Royal Burgh's Quatercentenary celebrations.

In 1980, Wick Players faced a real challenge with “By The Cran”. This was a musical play written by local historian, Ian Sutherland, and it was dramatised by Ian Matheson. It was a documentary tale of Wick’s industry; it told the story of the planning and development of Pulteneytown, the construction of Wick Harbour, the development of the herring fishing, its decline and the disaster of the fateful day when so many men were lost and the tragedy it was to the Wick community. All of this was told through song and dialogue by the main characters- Johnny and Jenny Horne and a cast of fifteen females, the men, four girls and three boys. All eligible players were roped in, and Addie Harper Jnr, our local well-known musician, gave accompaniments for the dancing and singing which was led by Alana Harper. Pat Weir had everyone suitably dressed as fisher foke. The set too had to accommodate the large cast while setting the scene at the harbour. Isobel Gates oversaw props and Ian Mackenzie, Adam Swanson and Duncan Robertson were responsible for staging. “By The Cran” was staged for two evenings in October 1980 to full houses in Wick Assembly Rooms before travelling to Ayr for SCDA’s Festival of New Drama which took place in November. The organisation required to take all the cast (x32 including helpers) to Ayr and to find accommodation as well as arrange for props and scenery to be transported. The performance was so well received that the audience, many of whom were other groups who had performed, burst into applause when Wick appeared at the reception which followed. The trip was quite an experience and was enjoyed by everyone involved. The club travelled by bus, courtesy of Dunnett’s, driven by James Mowat. Kathlyn Harper recalls a memory of the team walking behind Addie playing the accordion with x7 junior members drawing attention to passers-by as they marched up to the theatre.

Clearly, nothing daunted them and in the December of 1980, Eric Farquhar went ahead and produced a three-act comedy called “Cambusdonald Royal” with most of the cast having appeared in “By The Cran” with a cast consisting of Ian Matheson, Andrew Craigie, Raymond Durrand, John Green, Margaret Manson, Jean Steele, Marina MacDonald, Susan Levans, Jenny Stewart, Robert Manson, Maureen Miller, Bill Bruce, and Frankie Farmer. Monks and nuns, cardinals, all perfectly dressed once again by Pat Weir. At this production, the programme cost £0.10 with a raffle ticket costing £0.02. 1980 onwards seen the introducion of musical theatre to the club as well as some many great full-length plays such as "Arsenic and Old Lace", "It Runs In The Family", "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940", "Widows Paradise", "Seperate Beds", to name a few; and of course "The Steamie" which by far was one of our most successful productions. The talented cast performed to sell-out audiences and was the highlight of 1996.

"The Steamie".