FROM MASS FAN TO MASS MAN




ADRIAN GALLEY


Mr Galley's first brush with Massness was as a fan of the group, following them around Johannesburg as they performed at the Black Sun Theatre (first in Berea, then Orange Grove, then Rocky Street in Yeoville). Actually he was at Drama school with Alan Glass, one of the original members. He was also at drama school with Terence Reis...oh yes, the Weirs were in the same class. So Mr Galley's first brush with Massness was really in those heady pre-Mass days of Wits Drama School.

In 1996 he and his family moved down to Cape Town and worked with Graham Weir in a production of "The Winter's Tale" at the Maynardville Open Air Theatre, playing "First Lord" while Graham played "Autolycus".

Two years later (1998 for those who've not been listening) he again joined Graham on stage, this time playing "Amiens" in "As You Like It". This was again at the Maynardville Open Air Theatre and was to be his big break as Graham had composed some music for the play and he was called upon to sing some of it. Whether he sang well, or whether it was merely the fact that he was prepared to sing some of Graham's compositions will remain one of a capella's unsung secrets, for whatever the reason, Graham asked him if he would be interested in joining the Mass which he duly did.

Since then he has played a vital role in the group, in particular he was responsible for putting the "Umbogintwini" into the "Umbogintwini Twins". He has also been working with Graham Weir on 2 plays for this year's (2001 in case you're still suffering from Y2K syndrome) Grahamstown Festival, "Letters from Patient Essop" and "Crane Man".

When not Massing around, Adrian has been working along with his wife, Vicki Bawcombe, on scripts for television sit-coms, the latest being "Suburban Bliss" set in a new racially mixed neighbourhood; "Going Up" set in a downtown law firm where Jabu the "tea boy" is the official translator, and unofficially helps to solve people's problems, legal and otherwise, sometimes biting off more than he can chew; and "SOS" set in a students digs populated by all sorts of people representing the various colours of the rainbow nation.




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