Name: Stride On - Thurrock Gang Show
Start: 2026-03-24T19:30:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-27T19:30:00+00:00
Location: Thameside Theatre

We are a Scout and Guide Gang Show based in Thurrock in Essex, with members from Thurrock Scout District, Thurrock East Guide Division and Thurrock West Guide Division forming our cast and crew.
Our yearly show, Stride On, is performed at the Thameside Theatre in Grays in late March after 5 months of weekly Sunday rehearsals which start in October.
We are a member of Arts Thurrock.
History of Gang Shows
Very few Scout activities have caught the public’s imagination like the Gang Show, the brainchild of one man, the late Ralph Reader CBE.
The very first Gang Show in 1932 was created to be a fundraiser for a new swimming pool at Downe Scout Camp in Kent and saw 150 Scouts performing three nights at the Scala Theatre in London. The show’s immediate success led to them being the first amateur company to perform at a Royal Command Performance and were visited on multiple occasions by members of the Royal Family.
The London Gang Show continued to be performed up until its final show in 1974. While this saw the end of an era of Scouting entertainment, by this point, other Gang Shows had appeared across the UK and overseas in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other countries. Ralph had a proud boast that there is a Gang Show being performed each and every evening of the year somewhere in the world.
History of Thurrock Gang Show
Thurrock Gang Show first performed in 1968 and was created by Nick Wilkinson, Roy Bannister and David Friar. David had previously been involved with Bermondsey Gang Show and his experience was a great benefit to getting the show off the ground. Roy wrote our signature tune ‘Stride On’ which has been performed at every show.
The early shows were performed at Ockendon Courts School but the show moved to the Thameside Theatre in Grays when it opened in 1972. This was also the year the show received its National Recognition which allowed the show to wear the red ‘Gang Show’ scarf which it has kept ever since.