Amateur versus professional… What’s the difference? It’s just the range of talent, really. At an amateur show you can watch an actor as good as you’ll see anywhere, but he or she will be on stage with a fellow-thesp who comes across like a wonky wind-up doll.
The Altrincham Garrick was blessed with two players, in my time, as good as the best of professional actors: William (Bill) Toothill and Constance (Connie) Sykes. They enjoyed the extreme pleasure of playing spectacular leading parts with the comfort of knowing they had well-paid daytime jobs.
Was it a sacrifice? Perhaps – yes. They gave up their evenings to rehearse. And no chance of national or international fame; of displaying their craft at the National Theatre, or on Broadway. Though both Bill and Connie were hired by BBC Radio Manchester from time to time. (as were a couple of other performers).
They settled for being local stars, rather than national.
This is Constance Sykes as Lady Cicely Waynfleet in Captain Brassbound’s Conversion.
Written in 1900 it’s a now rarely performed play by Bernard Shaw. (There is a TV movie, though, dated 1960.)
The play has a large cast – a plus for an amateur society with a huge acting membership, longing to be called.
