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Conceived in 1969 on the 8.08 to Moorgate, sired by Ian Sutherland & Tony Jaffe, Radlett Players Old Time Music Hall was brought to life on Thursday 20^th January 1970 with Tony Jaffe and Fred Brush acting as midwives in the guise of Producer and Chairman.

Despite worries and fears by some of the more senior members of the society – son et lumiere Duncan Rutt and Eric Windett being principal amongst them – the proposals hatched out by co-conspirators Ian and Tony were discussed by, and finally approved by, members of the society and it was agreed that a show should be produced by Tony Jaffe – new to Radlett but experienced in the provinces (Rickmansworth) in Music Hall production – in order to raise additional funds for the society.

Material was not a problem and there were sufficient members of the society to ensure that a Two Act show, with 10 numbers in each half, could be mounted (if you will excuse the expression). Excitement in anticipation grew. Previous doubters were brought on board.

Duncan Rutt, our Sound Effects Technician, finding there was no role for a sound man in Music Hall, promoted the idea that there should be a Front of House Manager, suited and booted in white tie and tails, who would not only welcome patrons but who would provide a link between audience and cast by engaging in repartee with the Chairman. Thus was born the role which has been a feature of all our Music Halls and which bears little or no resemblance to anything a visitor to a genuine 1890s Music Hall might have seen.

Not to be outdone, Eric Windett, who had lit all the shows for Radlett Players and before, worked hard on providing some special effects for the new production – a Solo Spotlight for special numbers plus the occasional blackout!

Some memorable performances were given over the next 30 years, Kevin Roach’s Wigger Wagger, Trevor Lenson’s Yo Yo, and, most notably of all perhaps, Alan Wells’ never-to-be-forgotten Bananas which seemed to have a life of their own.

In its Hey Day, 10 performances were given over three weekends to nearly 2,000 people; the stage groaned in the late 1980s when there were some 40 people in the cast; tickets were so difficult to obtain that a queue formed outside Beaver Travel at 6.30 am on the first Saturday in January.

Those days, it seems, are gone. There is no longer the enthusiasm either to take part or to watch. Cast numbers have fallen and selling sufficient tickets to cover costs has become a serious consideration – how different from 1984 when the profit on the 18th Music Hall was in excess of £5,000.

Perhaps the genre has had its day; perhaps our success – apart from presenting brilliant shows – was helped more than we realised by the BBC production The Good Old Days; perhaps we must now move on. What ever the future holds, we can be proud of 34 years of Music Hall.