Drama groups combine to pay tribute to Willie Robertson
THREE drama groups are set to collaborate on a trio of shows next month to honour the legacy of the late Willie Robertson.
Robertson was a veteran member of the Ronas Drama Group, racking up more than 50 performances on stage at the Shetland County Drama Festival prior to passing away last year.
He also served over many years as chairperson and treasurer of the Shetland County Drama committee .
His legacy will now be honoured in November when three local drama groups collaborate to perform three plays Robertson wrote.
Ronas Drama Group, Brenna Players and the Westside Drama Group will perform Da Ould Relic, Excise Woman and Phobias Anonymous.
The evening of entertainment will kick off at the Walls Hall on Thursday 12 November before heading to the Bigton Hall the next night. The final show will take place at the Sullom Hall on Saturday 14 November.
Money raised from the events will go towards leukaemia research, the Cabin Museum in Vidlin and the Delting History Group, with the three causes selected by Robertson’s family.
Speaking to those involved, it is clear that Robertson, who first appeared in the drama festival in 1971, is a big miss – particularly in his comedic work, which he was well known for.
“We had this idea after Willie passed away about doing something as a tribute to the work and effort that he’s put into drama for a lifetime, really,” joint producer of Excise Woman Carol Titcomb said.
“He contributed quite a lot to the Shetland county drama and drama in Shetland as a whole, so we discovered that other groups were quite keen to participate.”
Ronas’ Gordon Stove said Robertson kept “meticulous” records of the drama group’s productions and performers, which helped to shine a light on the vast number of times he and other members treaded the boards over the decades.
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“But it’s no just all about numbers,” he added. “The fact is that he kept the whole thing going. He was the dynamism that kept going when it was maybe floundering with commitment and other things happening.
“He never tried to push you, or over direct you, he just let you figure it out for yourself a lot of the time, and he was very understated. And he was full of sage advice as well – when he did say something, it was well worth listening to.”
Titcomb meanwhile said Robertson, who worked as a postman, had “first class” comedy timing – something he had a natural flair for.
Local drama stalwarts Di and Mick Newbold once recalled how they viewed Robertson as a “very shy, quiet gentleman”, and were “shook to their core” to see their postie galloping around on the Garrison stage – thinking it must have been someone else that looked like him.
Speaking about the upcoming shows, Titcomb said it is “testament to Willie” that other groups from Shetland wanted to take part.
One of those is Brenna Players, a drama group from the South Mainland of Shetland.
Leslie Watt said Brenna Players was often competing against Robertson’s Ronas Drama Group but “Shetland being a small place, we all kind of worked together”.
“It’s kind of hard to imagine a drama festival without Willie there. He was the quiet driving force behind the Shetland County Drama Festival, and of course was very much active with the Ronas Drama Group.
“In his own very quiet way without any hysteria or dramatics, he managed to get things done.”
Although in different groups, Watt fondly remembered himself and Robertson comparing notes from the adjudicator at the county drama festival about their performances.
“Sometimes that was a very useful reality check, because there was times when I for example would think ‘well I thought we did that really well’, and Willie said ‘well no, I have to agree with the adjudicator here’.
“If Willie said something, it was pretty much spot on.”
Watt also said Robertson also took part in “countless” charity drama events over the decades which raised thousands for good causes.
He said while Robertson was well known for comic acting and writing, he also enjoyed more serious plays – such as 1299, which he wrote about Shetland’s first legal document signed in Papa Stour.
But Robertson had a “very wry, almost gentle style of comedy which flowed very well, which Shetland audiences were very much attracted to”.
“I miss him from a personal point of view with his comments and remarks after and during the festival,” Watt added. “He was a drama pal that will certainly be missed for a very long time.”
Each night will see doors open at 6.15pm, with the performances starting from 7pm. There also stands to be extra entertainment in between the three plays.
It will be pay on the door (£10 for adults and £5 for children) and folk are advised to turn up early given it is not ticketed.
There will raffles as well as a tuck shop offering snacks.
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