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| The Company of Four has it's origins back in the 1950s and the Woodbridge Youth Club. The Youth Club leader Harry Reeve introduced the idea of singing and dancing on stage in front of an audience as an alternative to the more traditional Youth Club activities of ballroom dancing, dressmaking, public speaking, table tennis etc. Before long a concert party had been formed and toured the village halls entertaining old folks. Concerts and pantos were staged at Farlingaye School but after a few years, these were attracting a large following and the group turned to the only other venue in Woodbridge large enough - the 550 seater cinema. A stage and lighting rig were specially built and moved in for the show and then moved out again once the show was over. This happened a few times until it was decided that the effort was too great and the stage was left in. By 1972, it was no longer possible to perform under the name of Woodbridge Youth Club since many of the cast members were too old to qualify under such a description. Harry Reeve, John Morris, Michael Warden and Don Spall met in the tea room of the cinema and took the decision to break away from the Woodbridge Youth Club and form a new company. Since there were four of them in the room at the time, they decided on the name COMPANY OF FOUR. At the time it seemed like the right choice but there have been many times when they rued the decision since the membership of the company has, on occasion, reached 300 and the size of the cast is rarely less than 60 (In 1991's "Oliver" there were 89 people simultaneously onstage during 'Consider Yourself'). Since then, the company has staged at least three productions a year, usually at the Riverside Theatre in Woodbridge, with the shows getting bigger and more spectacular and the runs getting longer - it has gained the reputation of being among the best stagers of Song and Dance shows in the country and the company's annual pantomime during children's half-term week in Feburary is advertised with the tag-line "when you've seen the rest, come and see the best !" Several landmarks along the way include "Aladdin" in 1977, with the first instance of the company's dancers performing to a record rather than the band, dancing to "Star Wars" and an accompanying light show, the likes of which had previously not been seen in the area. In 1981, the company staged it's first musical "Oliver" with a spectacular stage set that mimicked the original West End production's revolving scenery. In 1990, the company performed it's first play, "Stepping Out" by Richard Harris. In 1992, the company presented arguably it's most successful show to date "Over Here Again", a celebration of the 50th anniversary reunion of the U.S.A.A.F. which played to over 10,000 people at venues in Woodbridge, Felixstowe, Ipswich and the American Air Force base at Bentwaters. Three years later, the company presented "The 1945 Show", a celebration of the 50th anniversary of VE and VJ Days, which was voted Musical of the Year by listeners to Radio Suffolk, and which was very nearly staged at the London Palladium (sadly it was too big a production to fit in the theatre that was already housing "Oliver"). Of all the shows presented by the company, this last one is the favourite of the show's producer and now company President Don Spall, the only one of the four founding members still involved with the company today. In 1999, came the Company's proudest moment when we were invited to take part in the NODA Centenary Celebration Show at the Royal Albert Hall - months of preparation paid off as our 8 minute slot went off without a hitch (we'd happily go back there anytime!). The company has proved a great training ground for young people with theatrical aspirations and many former members are all working in the professional theatre. Once, a couple of passers-by were looking at a Company of Four poster and one of them said "But how can they do "My Fair Lady" if there are only four of them ?" to which her companion replied "Well, I expect they're very versatile !" |
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