Featured Member - August 2003

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The featured member for August 2003 is Stuart Riches.

Stuart's initiation to the stage was as a cleaning lady in a school production of "Mr Twemlow is Not Himself." His Nan dressed him and gave him female appearance by tying a scarf around him with two oranges in the strategic place. The audience laughter that this produced was enough to convince young Stu that there was a giggle to be had out of the theatre.
Born, raised and educated in, but not at, Harrow, Stuart was a founding member of the theatre which arose from the Youth Club to which he belonged. It wasn't quite Questers, but the association was long and happy. He remembers that during their first production, the backstage crew marked off how many laughs they got from the audience.

Stuart served in the Royal Signals during National Service and then qualified as an accountant soon after getting out. Travelling around the country doing audits gave him a taste for the finer things in life, which he has never lost but unfortunately has never been able to afford either!

Emigrating to Australia in 1968, Stuart first settled in Sydney, and joined Castle Hill Theatre, a very fine Little Theatre in the North Western suburbs of Sydney. After moving to Perth in 1975 He joined Little Theatre, in Mosman Park. Sadly, Little Theatre no longer exists due to the loss of their premises, but during that time he was proud to know Dorothy Barber, the founder of the Independent Theatre Association of WA (ITA). Stuart is currently the President of that organisation.
During the late 70s and 80s Stuart was a driving force of The Strolling Players, a Group that performed Olde Tyme Music Hall in Perth and around the State. This Group performed for Melville Theatre on a couple of occasions for fund raising purposes.

Stuart's first association with Melville Theatre was around 20 years ago as Captain Von Trapp in our very first production, 'The Sound of Music". Since then, he has been almost continually with the club, serving as President, Secretary and, currently, Treasurer. He is a Life Member of Melville Theatre Company, and is the first to acknowledge that this recognition would never have been possible without the support of his beloved Val.
In conclusion, Stuart would like to recognise the wonderful friendships which membership of Melville Theatre Company has made possible.

And your friends and colleagues would like to recognise the immense contribution both Stuart and Val have made to our Company over the years. Well done Stuart!

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