Guys & Dolls was one of many musicals performed by the T.A.O.D.S at City Hall Truro throughout the 20th century. This photograph depicts the characters Sky and Sarah performing on stage.
Guys & Dolls was one of many musicals performed by the T.A.O.D.S at City Hall Truro throughout the 20th century. This photograph depicts the ‘Dolls’ performing on stage.
Call Me Madam was performed by the T.A.O.D.S at City Hall Truro in 1972. This souvenir programme features an illustration of the lead character Mrs. Sally Adams and the T.A.O.D.S distinctive logo of the three spires of Truro Cathedral. The American flag on the cover is reference to the fact that the musical is set in 1950s America and satires its political landscape and foreign policy affairs. The programme also celebrates the diamond jubilee of the T.A.O.D.S who formed in 1912.
One of the greatest musicals of all time’, Call Me Madam follows the escapades of Mrs. Sally Adams, ‘the hostess with the mostess’, when she is appointed US Ambassador to the small duchy of Lichtenburg. This photograph is from the T.A.O.D.S production of the muscial at City Hall Truro which coincided with their diamond jubilee anniversary.
Joyce : when I joined TAODS there as a waiting list to be a dancer. They only had 12 dancers and you had to be over 16. I was 15 when I joined and had just turned 16 when the show was staged in September. We loved performing in City Hall. Our shows were very popular, especially our plays and the carolaire where there was always a great atmosphere. We also used it for other events – one year we were staging Carousel and held an Autumn Fair in the Hall . We managed to get hold of a proper carousel and put it in the hall for the fair – we made a lot of money that year. Keith 2 : I joined TAODS because I wanted to chat up Joyce who was already a member there. Keith 2 : the guttering was inside the back of the building. When it rained you could hear the water running along back stage. There was also a metal bar at the top of the stage area to keep the pigeons out – they made a lot of noise and you could hear them when the performances were taking place. Chris : there was always dancing at City Hall – there was a different band every Saturday night and famous people like Victor Sylvester came to Truro. Joyce : there were also professional pantomimes at City Hall – one year Alan Gale staged a panto. Keith 2 : when I was stage manager I had a crew of about 9 or 10 people . They were a wonderful team. We sometimes had up to 22 back cloths for a show which had to be changed. We built a gantry and had women up there who would lower down the cloths. It was a hectic time but a great time. Keith 1 : there was a corridor at the back of the stage which had a cast iron stair case. When I was the call boy I used to go down the stairs whistling and singing to let people know I was coming as it was a very popular place for a quick snog.
Keith 1 : the annexe was used a lot for different things, including rehearsals for the main shows. One Saturday evening we had a singing rehearsal in the annexe. There had been a caged bird show in building next door and the birds tried to join n the singing.
Chris : it used to be used for teas for the cast between the matinees and the main evening show. On the last night everyone on the stage would be presented with a gift and during that day families would be coming in with presents which were stored in the annexe until after the final performance had ended.
Keith 1 : we also entertained it to entertain other societies from across Cornwall. We also went to other places.
Keith 2 : when you had a show which was very popular you would open up the annexe as well – there was restricted views but it let more people in.
Joyce : there was a proper bar in the annexe
Joyce : My father Cecil Gill , known as “Cec’, did the sound for all TAODS productions for more than 50 years. He owned an electrical shop in Pydar Street and as well as doing the sound for TAODS, also provided the sound for key events in Truro, such as the Mayor Making and the Fatstock shows via his van with speakers on the top.
Keith 1 : Back then health and safety was not thought off and I remember having to climb up a ladder to the beam at the top of the stage and then having to shuffle on my bottom along the beam dragging electrical cables behind me while Cec was shouting instructions from below. Cec also used to go to the City Hall the night before ticket went on sale to supervise the people who were camping out.
Joyce : Ann and Jill always used to camp out in front of the hall overnight before a show so they would first in the queue to buy them. Keith 1 : eventually more people started queuing overnight and one day there was a big queue with dozens of people camping out to get the best tickets. It was a really rough night with wind and rain and they were all getting wet, cold and miserable when the caretaker opened up one of the dressing rooms so they could sleep inside.
Keith 1 : I remember Joyce and Chris taking part in a performance of Kismet. Along with another girl they were the “three princesses” and came out of baskets and did a dance on the stage. Joyce – as we were all dressed in the same way the only way people could tell us apart was because “ I was the only one who had boobs”. Chris : we did Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – that was a real wow – one of the best shows we ever did. Joyce : we had professional artists such as make up artist Jules Martin and musicians come to help with the shows. We had our own stewards and front of house people, people who did the wardrobes and worked back stage and a social committee who used to sell the programmes – the women always wore long dresses and the men wore dress suits. The shows were opened by the Mayor Keith 1 : It was always recognised that Truro had high standards – when we did Fiddler on the Roof one of the audience said “ I saw the original in London and this knocks it into a cocked hat” Keith 2 : a man called Les painted the flat for us – he was amazing. One time he did a back cloth of Truro Cathedral which became fluorescent when it was flooded with UV lighting – that got a round of applause in the middle of the show. Ros : I loved the carolaires – they were such happy times. Bill White played while the audience was coming in. Chris : we had some wonderful MD’s – Harry Jordon, known as the ‘lady chaser’, and Hubert who used to banter with a Truro lawyer. They had great rapport with the audience.
Keith 2 : We never did anything to damage the show but we did have some fun on the last night At the end of our production of the Sound of Music Johnny Moon went up the mountain with the children. It was an amazing sight. On the last night we put stage weights into his bag to make it heavier. On another night we were doing a plan in which people had to bring a trunk onto the stage. It was usually empty but on the last night we filled it with concrete blocks and other items from below the stage. Keith 1 : during the performance of the Vagabond King the rogue has to run away and jump into a vat of red wine. On the last night the inside of the barrel was lined with holly – he was wearing tights and a short tunic and the language was interesting. Chris : on one last night Anne was due to be presented with a plate of food during the play – on the last night someone got two pigs eye from the butchers and put them with the food on the plate. When she lifted the lid off the plate she had to try not to laugh. Joyce : we were a family – back stage / front of house – we were all a family.