Sleepwear on show in 1963 musical play

THIS week’s Memory Lane feature takes a look back at a musical performance by an amateur operatic society in the Valley.

Our regular Memory Lane contributor, Peter Fisher, has sent us an array of pictures of Rawtenstall Amateur Operatic Society.

The group presented The Pajama Game in 1963.

The show is a musical comedy, based on the novel Seven-and-a-Half Cents by Richard Bissell.

It was staged at the Public Hall in Haslingden from Monday, March 4, to Saturday, March 9, at 7.15pm nightly, with proceeds donated to local charities.

The play tells the story of Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory, where the new superintendent is trying to keep production at its peak.

Soon he meets and falls in love with a member of the Grievance Committee, but she denies feeling the same.

The superintendent becomes more and more smitten, and dictates some advice to himself on a dictaphone before going off to a company picnic.

At the picnic, he finally gets the chance to kiss his girl and the romance progresses as they both go back to her place.

However the union then goes on strike over pay, causing a rift between the superintendent and his sweetheart.

The union gets a big rally underway, and, at the same time, the superintendent confronts the company president with the news that the raise demanded has already been figured into costs, so the firm is making an unfair profit.

The president gives in, the superintendent wins back his girl, and the whole company joins in a celebration, concluding with a parade of sleepwear styles.

This week we have an array of pictures from the show. Our first shot (above) shows members of the cast of The Pajama Game.

On the top row, from left, are: G Rostron, J Tattersall, B Wildman, T Calverley, M Toman and D Murtagh.

On the middle row are: M Taft, J Lord, P Kay, B Lamb, L Haworth, M Rothwell and D Hadden, and on the bottom row are: A Cowell, J Richmond, F Tattersall, D Roberts, J Rostron, G Burkitt and J Walmsley.

We also have a picture of the dancers (right) and a shot of cast members (below right).

Finally (bottom left), there is a copy of the front of the programme produced for the show in 1963.

If these pictures bring back memories, please get in touch with the Rossendale Free Press newsdesk. Many thanks to all our regular nostalgia contributors.