Archive Search Page

“Lilac Time" presented at Colne Municipal Hall by St John’s Operatic Society is a much-romanticised account of the career of Franz Schubert, who died tragically young at 32.
First to those whose singing brings the success. Barry Jackson as the composer; Shirley Kenyon, as Mitzi, the girl he might have married but did not; Peter Wilson, David Gott, Stephen Royle and Eric Fothergill, as the composers friends, von Schober, Vogel, von Schwind and Kuppel.
Alongside them, there was capability in the major supporting roles as well. Rita Lloyd and Carole Bardsley as Litzi and Fritzi, Victor Wood and Nicholas Whalley as Binder and Brun, their suitors. Maureen Hopkins as the jealous, scheming Taliani. Comedy was more than competently handled, by Geoffrey Holgate and Doris Tillotson (Otto Zell and Mrs Zell) and David Evans and Denis Royle (Novotny and Scharntorf). In the lesser parts were Connie Mason (Mrs Krauss), Joyce Whitaker (Mrs Weber), Sheila Edmondson (Rosel). Jean Walsh (Tilli), Grahaam Fothergill (Piccolo) anal Denis Mason (waiter).
Producer Audrey Pearce has contrived a thoroughly excellent show. In the chorus are Renee Dennett, Linda Hargreaves, Janet Hargreaves Helen Hartley, Margaret Lord, Denise Lancaster, Joyce Holgate, Marion Langley, Peggy Cork, Dorothy Crowley, Jean Riley, Jean Thompson, Yvonne Woods, June Nutter-Knight, Barbara Preston, Sheila Edmondson, Sharon Bush, Jean Walsh, Doreen White, Beverley Westall, Vernon Tomlinson, Eddie Gott, Wilf Kay, Denis Mason, David White, Robert Langley, Tom Eastwood, Denis Hoyle and Walter Taylor.