Let's find out what was going on at the Whitehall Theatre in April 1970...First up was "The Lex McLean Show". Lex, you may recall, was a Scottish comedian/actor, full of Glasgow patter, who cropped up on the telly quite a lot around this period. Looks like he had a sizeable team with him for the Dundee performance.
Next was a musical called "Viennese Nights" featuring Marion Studholme.
A crime drama followed it, one entitled "Meet Mr Callaghan". This starred Neil McCallum who was in the TV series "Vendetta". Was he the brother of U.N.C.L.E. agent, David?
Final week had a local production running, "The Student Prince", an operetta presented by the NCR.
This ad appeared in the Courier on Saturday, 11th April 1970.
Two bits of trivia. Lex McLean used to stay with David James the Bookie in the Ferry when he was in Dundee and Charlie Sim who appears lower down the bill was a crooner who had been a stalwart of The One o'Clock Gang Show on S.T.V.
ReplyDeleteI saw Lex McLean at the Whitehall when I was very young (about 6), possibly on this occasion.
ReplyDeleteThe show was in the traditions of old-time Scottish music-hall. While much of the material must have gone over my head at that age, an impression was made as I can still clearly remember some of the sketches and songs.
There was the obligatory sketch set in a classroom, and another where the cast came on in striped aprons as a 'butcher's shop quartet'.
The finale was an audience singalong to a version of 'We Shall Not Be Moved', with the lyrics tailored to the local area. The idea was for the men and women to sing each verse alternately, but the Dundonian males went all coy when their turn came, much to the exasperation of Lex and Company!
Lex used to bang on about Rangers, the way Alf Garnett went on about West Ham!
ReplyDeleteI am a sassenach, and worked at the whitehall theatre, Sadly missed,I was one of two lime Operators(Spotlights), Loved every minute of my time there. worked in A. Caird's store in the day time. and miss the wee heavy's in the Nelson in Hilltown. God Bless Dundee.And all who live there.Time is moving on and live in Cyprus now.
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