The Minstrel Scandals

The Minstrel Scandals was a cabaret style production devised by Louis Burke and Joan Brickhill for African Consolidated Theatres (ACT).

Opened at the Alhambra Theatre in Cape Town before playing at the Empire Theatre in Johannesburg in 1966. Frank Lazarus did the vocal arrangements, Boris Cohen was the musical director, and performers included Joan Brickhill, Aubrey Ellis, Lynton Burns, Olive King, Michael Fisher, Stephanie Shiller, Beryl Ellis, Jeanette James, Ronnie Grainge and Charles Stodel.

In October 1970 an updated version, called the All-New, Non-Stop Minstrel Scandals was staged at the Empire Theatre, directed, devised, designed, choreographed and lit by the Brickhill-Burke team for ACT at the request of manager Charles Stodel, who then signed the Australian comedian Lucky Grills for the show, while the rest of the cast consisted of Joan Brickhill, Aubrey Ellis, Jean Dell, Barbara Thomson and Ferdie Uphof. This proved to be the closing show for the Empire.

Sources

Percy Tucker, 1979: pp. 219, 270

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