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2000 - 2005

Enter Stage Left

Jean Boht, who played the mother in the sitcom Bread, came up with the idea of a theatre company at Kitson Hall for young people in Barnes. She contacted the TV director Darrol Blake who was working on Emmerdale and Coeks Gordon, former production manager at the Old Vic for Laurence Olivier’s start-up on the National Theatre. Her idea was enthusiastically taken up by both of them.

Darrol’s wife, Anne Cunningham (who played Elsie Tanner’s daughter in Coronation Street) did the wardrobe. The Waldecks, Jo and Colin, were also a part of the team; Jo, Paul Daniels’ PA was in charge of publicity and Colin, a senior cameraman at the BBC, did all the lighting and tech. Coeks’ wife, Carolyn Pertwee, helped with the makeup.

Jean’s dream of a professional theatre company, the Barnes Youth Theatre, was fulfilled. Jean and Darrol took it in turns to direct. However, after many successful shows, both Darryl and Jean had to step down – Darryl to direct for TV and Jean to take up the part of the mother in Bread. Her friend, the actress Anne Carroll, who had been helping, took over and dedicated her life to the company which ran successfully for 20 years, earning her an MBE and the devotion of many young people.  

At this time, the Old Sorting Office was put out for tender by the council and Anne and Coeks decided to bid for it. Anne and her son, Rusty Livingstone, wanted to develop the site into a drama school but this was considered too exclusive for the Barnes community. Instead it became the start of what the OSO is today.  

2000

  • Things that happened in this year....

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  • Thing three

  • A fourth thing

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2001

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  • Things that happened in this year....

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  • Thing three

  • A fourth thing

2002

  • Things that happened in this year....

  • More things

  • Thing three

  • A fourth thing

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2003

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  • Things that happened in this year....

  • More things

  • Thing three

  • A fourth thing

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