Eldorado Musical Productions

I first experienced the smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd when my cousins, my brother Brian and I used to perform shows at home for the Mums and Dads!  Then we all moved onto loftier heights and performed in the Greenwich Scout and Guide Gang Shows for many years.  My mum, Jean Wallis, was a member of Eldorado from 1947 onwards and so Brian and I were brought up to see the shows from a very early age and, therefore, Eldorado has always been a part of our lives.  In my late teens/early twenties, I belonged to a very active Ranger Guide and Venture Scout Unit and later became an Assistant Leader.  I helped Mum run a Girl Guide Company, belonged to a swimming club, was involved with many other activities working towards my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and also enjoyed foreign travel, so it wasn’t until some of these activities came to an end that I agreed to act as Eldorado’s Prompt and did this for six shows.  I finally joined the company in 1984 and in my first show was put straight into the dancing troupe.  I admit I knew my left foot from my right, but that was about it, and so being told I was one of the dancers was a terrifying prospect!  I can remember in my first dance, putting my foot straight through the pantaloon trousers of one of my fellow dancers!  I must have fooled someone that I knew what I was doing, however, as I’ve been in the dance troupe ever since!