Programme, The "Q" Theatre Guild, The Bohemian Girl, 1960

Historical information

The “Q” Theatre Guild was formed in 1957. It inherited the productions and casts of the earlier Kew Light Opera Company. The Guild initially performed in the Kew Recreation Hall (Wellington Street) and later at the Kew Civic Hall (Cotham Road). A partial list of its performances include:
1957 The Geisha
1958 Maritana
1959 They All Do It (Cosi Fan Tutti)
1959 Blossom Time
1959 Love’s a Luxury
1960 There And Back & The Bohemian Girl
1960 Die Fledermaus
1961 Gay Rosalinda
1961 The Land of Smiles
1961 Kisses For A Kid & Hansel and Gretel
1962 Die Fledermaus
1964 Monsieur Beaucaire
1964 Macbeath [The Beggars’ Opera]
1964 The Beggars’ Opera
Undated And So To Bed

Significance

The Marion Tilley scrapbook is a significant record of performing arts in Melbourne during the 1950s and 1960s. The scrapbook includes programmes, photographs, newspaper reports and personal annotations which are a rich source of detail about repertoire, performers, and artistic sensibility in the period.

Physical description

Souvenir programme isued by the "Q" Theatre Guild incorporating Kew Light Opera Company for a performance of 'The Bohemian Girl: A Romantic Opera in 3 Acts' by Michael William Balfe. There are various personal annotations on the cast list. The most interesting highlights one of the ladies of the Chorus, Joan Carden.The annotation reads: "Feb 18-1974 in Courier Mail Brisbane. Joan Carden to make debut as Opera Singer Covent Garden London. Leading role of Gilda in Rigoletto." The programme forms part of a scrapbook that includes programmes, photographs and theatre reviews for the Kew Light Opera Company and later "Q" Theatre Guild.

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