Recently we announced our plans to have a Christmas Concert on Friday 15th December. This will be joint event between Swindon North & Ridgeway to celebrate the end of the year and to support the Swindon Gangshow.

Be Heard

We’ll be putting together a Gangshow choir to perform Carols & Christmas songs. There will be mix of group songs and possibility of solos & small groups to sing. This will be open to all members from our supporting districts of Swindon North & Ridgeway Scouts and Wiltshire North Guiding who are 8 years or older. If you’ve never been part of the show before this is a great opportunity to get involved!

Be Part

We’d also challenging groups in the district to make performing arts part of their programme in Autumn 2017 and contribute their own items, which we will intersperse throughout the evening. This might be, a sketch or skit, a song, a traditional Nativity, a dance or a musical performance and can involve your whole section, a small group or an individual. This is an opportunity to showcase the talent we have in our supporting districts.

If you are interested in finding out more about having your group or section contribute an item for the Christmas Concert then please register your interest here.

Please note that you are not committing to being part of the show, just that you would like more information!

Awards & Recognition

Making performing arts part of your programme and taking part in the Christmas concert can help gain lots of awards and recognition:

Musicians Staged Activity Badge:

• Christmas Concert can be used for the performance aspect
• The Gangshow team can help out with the requirements and assessment – please ask!

Cubs:

• Earn the Entertainers award
• Contributes to the artists award – Make a poster advertising the event
• Contributes to the Chief Scout’s Silver award – need 6 activity or staged badges and this can earn you 3!

Scouts:

• Earn the Entertainers Award
• Contributes to the Creative Challenge
• Contribute to Chief Scout’s Gold Award
  • need six activity or staged activity badges – Can earn 2
  • Complete the 9 challenge awards – creative challenge is one!

Explorers:

• Contribute to the Performing Arts award – Christmas Concert can be used for the performance or exhibit part
• Contribute to Chief Scout’s Platinum, Diamond and Queen’s Scout Award
  • Use Gangshow to fulfil the Service requirement
  • Become a Junior member of Production team – choreograph a song or item, teach the singing for an age group item, write an original sketch or item for the show

We will be holding a debrief meeting for the 2017 show, on Thursday 15th June from 7.30 – 9.30pm at Scout House on Milton Road. At the debrief we will be:

• Presenting a summary of the accounts for the 2017 show
• Showing the data from the audience & cast feedback form
• Retrospective on the last show & looking ahead the next show

The Swindon Gangshow Production and Executive committee will be at the meeting but we are very interested in getting input from cast members (or their parent/guardian) and leaders from the supporting districts of Swindon North & Ridgeway Scout Districts and Wiltshire North Guiding.

If you would like attend, please sign up here, so we can make sure we have adequate chairs and refreshments available.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Darcey Goddard (right), a cast member from our most recent show, has been selected to perform in the English Youth Ballets production of Sleeping Beauty at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre. Alongside Darcey, Lily Moore (left) from Commonweal School in Swindon has also been selected to be part of the production.

Darcey and Lily were selected from more than 150 hopefuls who auditioned for the role, and will be rehearsing hard to be ready to take to the stage.

More info is can be found in the article from the Swindon Advertiser. The show takes place at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre from May 19 to 20. For tickets, call 0844 576 3000 or log on to http://www.bhlivetickets.co.uk.

The 2017 show is in the books and we are looking for feedback on the 2017 show from:

• Audience Members
• Cast Members
• Leaders & Adult Volunteers from the Scout and Guiding districts we serve

Please take a few minutes to let you know what you thought using the online form.

We really hoped you enjoyed the show and we’re very grateful for all the support we received from all the friends and families, as well as the Scout and Guide groups who came to watch the show.

Special thank you to all the cast, production team, wardrobe reps and backstage crew who worked hard over the last 6 months to make the show happen.

Swindon Gangshow 2017

Swindon Scouts and Guides proudly present the Swindon Gangshow! Returning to the Wyvern for its 35th year, the cast of Cubs, Brownies, Scouts, Guides, Explorers, Rangers and leaders will provide an exciting evening of singing, dancing and sketches.

Expect a great mix of songs; from Green Day to Glee, Beyoncé to Britney and everything in between. We’ll be sure to leave you “on the crest of a wave!”

Tickets available here.

Swindon Gangshow at the Wyvern Theatre

Thursday 6th – Saturday 8th April

Swindon Scouts and Guides proudly present the Swindon Gangshow! Returning to the Wyvern for its 35th year, the cast of Cubs, Brownies, Scouts, Guides, Explorers, Rangers and leaders will provide an exciting evening of singing, dancing and sketches.

Expect a great mix of songs; from Green Day to Glee, Beyoncé to Britney and everything in between. We’ll be sure to leave you “on the crest of a wave!”

Tickets available here.

Firstly thank-you to all of you, Cast and Production Team for what looks and sounds to be a great show coming together. The tickets are now on sale, so please get as many of your friends and family to come along to see the show.

It costs around £25,000 for us to put on the show at the Wyvern Theatre. We can only do this with your help. Our biggest fundraiser is our ‘600 Club’ We sell numbers from 1 to 600 at £1 each. The draw will take place on Sunday 19th March during the rehearsal. The 1st Prize is £50, 2nd Prize is £30 and 3rd Prize is £20. Please can you take a sheet of numbers to sell to your friends and family. I will be in the school entrance on Sunday.

Another way we raise funds is by selling dedication panels in our program so that you can wish a member of cast ‘all the best’ These panels cost £5 for a single or £10 if you want a larger one. Please find the details here, and paper copies will be available at rehearsal.

If you run a business locally and would like to advertise in our program I have attached details here. The cost of this is £25 to £120, depending on size and colour.

Finally we run a raffle during our time at the theatre. If you have any items you would like to donate please bring them along over the next few weeks.

Many Thanks to you all in anticipation of your help.

This week saw the cast and crew of the 2017 show return to rehearsals, so we thought it would be a good time to update you on what we’ve been up to!

Rehearsals for the latest show started back in November 2016.

Over the first 4 weeks we learnt & recorded 16 songs featuring the whole cast….

And 20 songs for different age groups….

This week we started to learn Choreography, auditioned for the solos and very soon we’ll be working on the sketches. Still lots to do, and we’ll be busy every Sunday from now until show week!

With just over 40 days to go until the 2017 Introduction day, we’re very excited to let you know that sign ups for the show are now open!

This year we’re trying something new and you can sign up online. You can access the form here: https://goo.gl/LJAQ5G

You can view all the rehearsal and show dates here: https://goo.gl/rGEkXT

And don’t forget about rockband!!: https://goo.gl/1RV3n0

We’re looking forward to seeing at rehearsals!