Curtain Call Awards 1999 – Winner of Best Drama
Written By
Don Taylor
Where and When
19th – 22nd May 1999 @ The Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne
The Plot
A remarkable and true story of a village stricken with plague through the arrival from London of a box of clothing; of the villagers’ determination, under the persuasions of the present and former Rectors, to prevent its spread by remaining within the village and containing the disease at the certain risk of their own lives; of the human tragedies and even comedies that ensued; of the idealism and the courage required to live with that idealism.
Cast
- William Mompesson – Richard Neal
- Catherine Mompesson – Jean Dishington
- Sir George Saville – Howard Lovejoy
- The Bedlam – Amanda Brown
- Thomas Stanley – Jeremy Austin
- Rowland Torre – Martin Matthews
- Emmott Sydall – Rebecca Gunnell
- Colonel Bradshaw – Brian Scotford
- Mrs Bradshaw – Dawn Hollington
- George Viccars – David Pile
- A Carter – Mike Hutchings
- Marshall Howe – Joe Brooks
- Old Unwin – Simon Jackson
- Andrew Merril – Dave Williams
- With
- Alf Woodall
- Alisha Sherwood
- Ann Pond
- Carolyn Hewitt
- Chris Brown
- Chris Mason
- Chrissie Neal
- Christian Napier
- Christopher Barton
- Clare Downs
- Clive Short
- Colette Ross
- Daphne Young
- Dave Coleman
- Derek Westlake
- Eddie Colton
- Eileen Dunnachie
- Emily Cummings
- Emily Healy
- Enid Davies
- Frances Richards
- Fred Tyson-Brown
- Gary Williams
- Hannah Welton
- Heather Shew
- Ian Ferguson
- Ian May
- Jac Westlake
- James Love
- Jan Stevenson
- Jennifer Sherwood
- John Whelan
- John Williams
- Kate Mounce
- Lucy Gration
- Margaret Coleman
- Margaret Pope
- Nick Beard
- Paul Dodman
- Paul Hewitt
- Paul Wilshaw
- Penny Scotford
- Peter Coley
- Raymond Sargent
- Rebecca Love
- Saliann Colton
- The Bourne River Morris Men
- Tiffany Kenyon
Creative Team
- Director – Geoff Whipp*
- Stage Manager – Carolyne Howe
- Set Designer – Amanda Brown
- Lighting Director – Antony White
- Sound – Andy Day
- Music – Raymond Sargent
- Costumes – Anne Whiteside, Enid Davies, Ann Pond, Carolyn Hewitt, Daphne Young, Margaret Pope and Chris Brown
- Make-up – Sheila Smith
- Properties – Vicky Smith, Saliann Colton and Eddie Colton
*Curtain Call Awards 1999 – Winner of Best Director
Gallery
Reviews
Lnda Kirkman – Daily Echo
‘Outstanding play brings history to life
Only a madman – or Geoff Whipp – would choose to direct a play that ideally needed a cast of more than 350. Given the sheer impossibility of getting that number of people onto the Tivoli stage he had to be content with a mere 61 but the result was an outstanding production that brought a period of the 17th century to life.
It told the story of a 14 month period between September 1665 and October 1666 when the village of Eyam in Derbyshire saw 261 of its 350 inhabitants die from the plague which had been brought from London in a consignment of clothing.
Expert direction ensured that crowd scenes were never a jumble, and although the basic set was dominated by a celtic cross throughout, excellent lighting effects clearly depicted changes of scene and mood. Most of all, the performances were sincere and well played, not least by Richard Neal (the Rector), Jean Dishington as his wife, Jeremy Austin (the former Rector), Rebecca Gunnell (Emmott Sydall) and Amanda Brown (the Bedlam).
A special word of praise too for Ray Sargent’s evocative incidental music, which added a further dimension to a virtually faultless production of which all invloved should be justly proud
Programme
