Production Officials
Director	Derek Taylor
Musical Director	J. Arnold Thornton
Choreographer	Lois Booth
Cast
Rikard Nordraak	W.A. Livesey
Sigrid	Christine Bradburn
Einard	David Roscoe
Eric	Philip Brockbank
Gunnar	Martin Cummings
Grima	Jane A Thornton
Helga	Dorothy Bramwell
Nina Hagerup	Ann Barton
Edvard Grieg	Michael Greenhalgh
Father Nordraak	Harry Lee
Father Grieg	Alan Lee
Mother Grieg	Sylvia Fishwick
Freddy	Chris McDermott
Count Peppi Le Poup	Ernest Pollitt
Louisa Giovanni	Valerie Walmsley
Elvera	Joyce Foster
Magharetta	Rene Barlow
Hedwig	Alex Schofield
Greta	Glenys Poole
Prof Helma	Jeff Taylor
Miss Anders	Joyce Richardson
Frau Prof Norden	Brenda Dixon
Henrik Ibsen	Don Howcroft
Prof Borkman	Roy Haslam
Tito	J. Ian Longworth
Maestro Pisoni	Arnold Knowles
Adelina	Kathleen Seddon
The “Concerto Ballet”
Janet Ennion, J. Ian Longworth, Glyn Neary, Chris McDermott
Dancers
Susan Aspinall, Valerie Blundell, Janet Ennion, Dorothy Holt, Linda Marsh, Kathleen Seddon, Jill P. Smith, Linda B. Wilde
Chorus
Julie Aldred, Rene Barlow, Brenda Dixon, Norma Dootson, Joyce Foster, Diane Gee, Jean Grimshaw, Millie Hackett, Nora Holder, Dorothy Holt, Edith Horrocks, Joyce Knowles, Bronwen Lee, Brenda Orrell, Glenys Poole, Audrey Raistrick, Joyce Richardson, Christine Roberts, Lyn Rotheray, Alex Schofield, Irene Taylor, Elizabeth Williams, Anne Wrennall, Denis Hamer, Roy Haslam, John Jowett, Arnold Knowles, Ian Longworth, Chris McDermott, Glyn Neary, Sturgess Mills, David Sutcliffe, Geoff Sutcliffe, Jeff Taylor, Chris Waites, Joseph P. Waites, Maurice Windsor

Bolton Evening News

With its customary excellence of décor, both in costumes and settings, Walmsley Church AODS is this week presenting “Song of Norway”. This follows to some extent the pattern of musical biography set years ago by “Lilac Time” which helped itself freely to Schubert’s music, but turned from fact to fiction when it came to telling a story about Schubert himself. Not that “Song of Norway” quite flies in the face of the facts of Grieg’s life. It authentically marries him to his cousin, Nina Hagerup, the singer. But his parents, no doubt for the sake of local colour, are represented as a pair of simple peasants instead of the cultured and musically sophisticated people they were, the father stemming from British diplomatic stock. Edvard Grieg himself simply had to be romanticized before he could be made the hero of a musical. What would a tiny, black-haired Norwegian be doing to expectations! Walmsley is fortunate to have the Viking stature and true Scandinavian blonde of Michael Greenhalgh to give the role some glamour. That Nina was indeed a singer of charm and delicacy is easy to believe as one listens to and watches Ann Barton. Valerie Walmsley sings and acts vivaciously as a would-be Delilah. The dancing is competent and Lois Booth’s choreography expert in itself but not always in mood with the music. The climactic end comes with a condensed version of the A minor Piano Concerto no sooner conceived than played, of course. Michael Greenhalgh mimes most convincingly as soloist while, unseen, Jessie Whittaker is the actual and brilliant player. Musical direction is by J. Arnold Thornton, the production by Derek Taylor. J.W.