Please enjoy some stories from some of Tassie’s more well known characters when things haven’t exactly gone to plan.

The Blues Brothers Edition

Darren Sangwell and some Hairy moments

Possibly my worst moments happened during a production of “Hair” that went for a full four week season at The Playhouse during May 2001. It was in this production that I worked alongside my future wife, so it was a memorable show for more than one reason.

One night, I had a complete mind blank during my opening song. I decided to just continue on, with the band playing and me making up my own words. God knows what came out! However, somehow I did get the ends of phrases to rhyme. But the choreography was certainly very different to what I was singing!

I also had a costume disaster. During my opening monologue I went into the audience and took off my trousers and swung them round the audience before putting them back on and singing on stage. Well, one show I took the pants off and when I went to put them back on, the bottom of the zip had detached… hence no way I could do them back up.

The show must go on!

I did the top button up, but this left my “package” exposed. With the 60’s hip thrusts throughout the song, I’m surprised patrons didn’t ask for a refund!

Hair is a very dominant show for the ensemble. At the end of many songs we would fall to the ground, sometimes staying there during the next solo or dialogue. One night, during one of the longer moments of us being “spaced out” and laying on the ground, one cast member fell asleep and didn’t come off at the end of the scene. Asleep on stage, in front of an audience….!

Stephen (Styne) Ashton And His Saggy Titties

So, it was in Allo Allo and I was General Von Schmelling. Colin Dean was the Italian Captain and Graeme Paine was one of the Germans. I had to walk out to them because I was in search of the fallen Madonna with the big boobies. So I walked out and I said “the big Madonna with the fallen boobies!”, which obviously wasn’t… *face palm*

Colin looked up at me and realised I’d done the big Madona with the fallen boobies. He stood there looking at me and Graeme Paine was just shaking his head (they were no help at all). So for what felt like an hour that it took for him to answer me and trying not to laugh, others on stage picked up on it and had to try and keep their teeth clenched.

Another one was in Are You Being Served with Colin Dean again. He had to come out of his tent in a dressing gown. I ask “Captain Peacock, are you alright in there?” He comes out. I’m looking down, he’s looking up and down and up, people started laughing… He’s forgotten his dressing gown. So he’s standing there in all his glory in his underpants. I improvised, “it’s a bit cold out here, isn’t it?” “Yes sir, Mr. Rumbold … er, I seem to have forgotten my dressing gown”, he replied He didn’t have time, so he had to come out just in his underwear.

Here are some kitties who are currently looking for a new Mum/Dad to adopt them for the Ten Lives Cat Centre.