Theatrix Theatrix is the St Albans based performance arts school. Established in 1980, it provides young people from the age of five with opportunities to learn a wide range of theatre, speech, drama and communication skills. Teamwork, enjoyment and the development of strong friendships characterise the Theatrix ethos. Theatrix currently has over 300 students aged from five.

Classes We offer weekly classes in drama, acting, speech and musical theatre for groups and individuals, after school and on Saturday morning.

Examinations Our students take Trinity Guildhall examinations in Group Performance, Pairs and Individual Acting Skills, Speech and Drama and Performing Text. All of these examinations are recognised within the National Qualifications Framework. Consistently, our students achieve pass rates in excess of 97%. Most students achieve a Merit grade or above.

Productions Our recent productions include: The Canterbury Tales, As You Like It, Treasure Island - The Panto, Twelfth Night, Cold Comfort Farm, The One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Tempest, The Witches, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Pan, A Christmas Carol and The Beaux Stratagem.

Workshops Each Easter summer we run a week-long workshop open to all-comers. It culminates in a public performance. We also offer Workshops on set texts for SATS, GCSE or ‘A’ Level .

Theatre Trips We organise regular coach trips to West End productions. Our recent trips have included: The Producers, Billy Elliot, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Richard II and High Society, Dirty Dancing, A Moon For The Misbegotten and Porgy and Bess. Our theatre trips are open to anyone with an interest in live performance.

TELEPHONE 01727 860217 - EMAIL admin@theatrix.co.uk - VISIT www.theatrix.co.uk

www.st-albans.herts.sch.uk

St Albans School is one of Europe’s most ancient educational foundations . Here, for over a thousand years, young people have been achieving academic distinction, learning civilised and humane values and developing the character to allow them to play a leading role in the wider world.

St Albans is an independent academic day school offering a first rate education in an environment rich in opportunities. Boys enter the School at 11, 13 and 16, girls at 16. There are approximately 770 pupils, taught by over 70 staff. This ratio allows each child to be known and valued as an individual and the School works in partnership with parents for the fulfilment of their children's potential.

M E S S I N A Leonato Alex Bell Hero Kate Wyler Beatrice Abi Wilson Antonio Matthew Kerr / Arron Shaw Margaret Erica Thompson Ursula Kimberley Crisp / Emily Foulger Friar Francis Matthew Stuart Balthasar Stanley Walton The Boy Flora Cheverton

A R A G O N Don Pedro Edward Pearson Benedick Sam Norwood Claudio Joe Medforth Don John Toby Smith Borachio Sam Went Conrad Charley Centa / Dan Rawle The Messenger Anna Murgatroyd

T H E W A T C H Dogberry Ishani Canisius Verges Sebastian Kainth Members of the Watch Lowri Evans Rebecca Kellner Charli Wallis The Sexton Sonya Punter

T H E S I N G E R S Alex Bell, Matthew Kerr and Erica Thompson

O T H E R P A R T S P L A Y E D B Y Edd Mitton Hannah Reed Annie Rowlands Greg Springett Dug Williams Members of The Cast

I N T E R V A L There will be a 20 minute interval. Drinks may be ordered in advance at the bar.

P H O T O G R A P H Y Flash photography is prohibited during the performance.

M O B I L E P H O N E S Please switch off mobile phones before the performance starts.

Theatrix wishes to thank

• our actors and production team, their parents and friends, without whom this production would not have been possible

• Peter Yates and the staff and students of St Albans School for their hospitality

• The Abbey Theatre, St Albans for their advice and material support

• Ben Wilkinson and 220 (St Albans) Squadron Air Training Corps for drilling The Watch

• Janet Monahan for the loan of her magnificent machine

• Ted Petts and Melanie Llewellyn for their generous donation of materials for the set

• Nicky Webb for coaching our singers

• Sandy King for being Sandy

• Maria Lannon for her tireless work creating the fountain in Messina’s piazza

• David King for his splendid pyrotechnics

ALL THE MATERIALS USED IN THE BUILDING OF MESSINA WERE RECYCLED OR RECOVERED.

Co-Directors Rosemarie Partridge Dennis O’Connell-Baker Stage Director David Partridge Technical Director Dominic Yates Assistant Stage Managers James Ball Briony Rawle Michael Stuart Choreography Edd Mitton Lighting Engineer Todd Davidson Sound Engineer Adam Buckland Property Master Dug Williams Property Assistant Edd Mitton Set Design and Construction Dennis O’Connell-Baker David Partridge Wardrobe Mistress Suzy Duxbury Hair and Make-Up Lesley Wilson Wardrobe Assistants Hilary Davis Caroline Large Janice Norwood Julie Partridge

James Ball - Assistant Stage Manager (ASM). A Theatrix veteran and NYT player, James has been offered a place at university to study drama after a year abroad teaching Eng-lish. His backstage debut. Credits - A Midsummer Nights Dream and The Beaux Stratagem. Alex Bell - Leonato. A Theatrix student for 7 years. Credits - The Witches, A Midsummer Night's Dream and A Christmas Carol. Crewed for various productions. Currently studying for a BTEC in Performing Arts. Adam Buckland - Sound Engineer. A St Albans School student with many school shows under his belt. Ishani Canisius - Dogberry. Her Theatrix debut. Credits - The Pied Piper, Pepy’s Show and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Charlie Centa - Conrad. has achieved Distinction at TG Grade 6. His Theatrix debut. Flora Cheverton - The Boy. Has achieved Merit at TG Grade 4. Credits - A Christmas Carol Kimberley Crisp - Ursula. Credits - Bugsy Malone, The Witches, Daisy Pulls It Off, The Demon Head Master, Peter Pan, The Beaux Stratagem, The Herbal Bed, Dr Faustus. Todd Davidson - Lighting Engineer. A St Albans School student with many school shows under his belt. Suzanna Duxbury - Wardrobe Mistress. A Theatrix veteran. Credits - Treasure Island - The Panto, The 101 Dalmations and The Witches. Now working as a drama technician at Sandringham School and as a teacher with Theatrix. Lowri Evans - Watch. 3 years at Theatrix, she has achieved TG Grade 6. Credits - The Beaux Stratagem. Emily Foulger - Ursula. Credits - Peter Pan, James and the Giant Peach, Oliver, Annie, Dr Whom and The Beaux Stratagem. Sebastian Kainth - Verges. Credits - Oliver! Fame, Godspell Joseph and The Beaux Stratagem. Rebecca Kellner - Watch. Credits - Romeo and Juliet, Peter Pan and The Beaux Stratagem. Has achieved TG Grade 5. Matthew Kerr - Antonio. His Theatrix debut, he has achieved Distinction at TG Grade 6. Joe Medforth - Claudio. Credits - Peter Pan, Annie, Bugsy Malone and The Beaux Stratagem. Anna Murgatroyd - Messenger. Has achieved Merit at TG Grade 5. Credits - A Christmas Carol. Sam Norwood - Benedick. A Theatrix veteran. Credits - The 101 Dalmations, The Witches, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Pan, Macbeth, The Pied Piper, The Beaux Stratagem and A Christmas Carol. Edward Pearson - Don Pedro. Has achieved TG Grade 8. Credits - Romeo and Juliet, The Demon Headmaster, The Beaux Stratagem and A Christmas Carol. Sonya Punter - Sexton. Credits - The Beaux Stratagem and school plays at the Alban Arena. Has achieved Distinction at TG Grade 6. Edd Mitton - Choreographer. A former Theatrix pupil and current teacher, Edd studies dance at the London Studio Centre. He hopes to pursue a career on the West End stage, and in the mean time enjoys choreographing for sev-eral youth companies. Credits - Pirates of Penzance, the

Wizard of Oz, Carmina Burana and High School Musical. Briony Rawle - ASM. A Theatrix veteran and NYT player, Briony is studying drama at degree level. Credits - The Witches, The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Peter Pan, Measure for Measure, East and The Beaux Stratagem. Daniel Rawle - Conrad. Has been with Theatrix for 4 years and aims to continue with drama. Credits - The Beaux Stratagem. Hannah Reed - Supporting Artiste. She has achieved Distinction at TG Grade 6. Credits - A Christmas Carol. Annie Rowland - Supporting Artiste. Her Theatrix debut, she has achieved Distinction at TG Grade 6. .Arron Shaw - Antonio. Credits - The Demon Headmaster, Doctor Whom and The Beaux Stratagem. He has directed The Witches. Toby Smith - Don John. An NYT player. Credits - A Christmas Carol. Greg Springett - Supporting Artiste. His Theatrix debut, Greg will be taking drama for A Level Credits - Death by Woody Allen. Matthew Stuart - Friar Francis. Credits - The Wizard of Oz, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Pan and A Christmas Carol. Mike Stuart - ASM. Credits - Peter Pan and Dr Whom. Has achieved Distinction at TG Grade 6. Erica Thompson- Margaret. Has achieved Distinction at TG Grade 6 Arts and is an NYT player. Credits- Peter Pan, The Beaux Stratagem, The Wizard Of Oz, Romeo and Juliet, Little Shop Of Horrors and Falling Leaves. Charli Wallis - Watch. Credits - The Wizard of Oz, The Demon Headmaster, Motown Bugsy Malone, Annie and A Christmas Carol. Stanley Walton - Balthasar. 6 years at Theatrix. Credits - Doctor Whom, The Beaux Stratagem, The Gamblers (extract), Threepenny Opera (extract) and Drop The Soap. Sam Went - Borachio. Sam has been a Theatrix student since the age of five. Credits - The Beaux Stratagem Michael Westwood - Cameraman. A budding actor/director/writer/filmmaker, he is studying drama at A Level. Credits - The Diary of Anne Frank, On Golden Pond, Merchant of Venice and The Beaux Stratagem. Dug Williams - Property Master. A NYT player, Dug plans to study drama at degree level. Credits - Treasure Island - The Panto, The 101 Dalmatians, The Witches, The Beaux Stratagem and The Tempest. Abi Wilson- Beatrice. A Theatrix veteran, currently studying Drama at A level. Credits- The 101 Dalmatians, The Witches, The Comedy of Errors, Midsummer Night's Dream, Peter Pan, Measure for Measure, The Beaux Stratagem, The Tempest and The Crucible. Kate Wyler - Hero. Has achieves a Distinction at TG Grade 8 in Individual Acting Skills. Credits - Peter Pan. Dominic Yates - Technical Designer. Studying Lighting Design at Central School of Speech and Drama. Credits - Grease, The Real Inspector Hound, Where Shadows of the World Appear, Reality Checker.

Theatrix performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2004 (“an absolute delight” - Herts Ad), Peter Pan in 2005 (“a sweeping and sumptuous production” – St Albans Observer) and The Beaux Stratagem in 2006 (“a wordy witty play in its own right but I don’t think I would have enjoyed a West End version nearly as much as the delightful romp played with verve, vivacity and vibrancy by the young Theatrix cast” – Herts Ad). In 2007, it promises an equally exciting experience - Shakespearean Comedy, but with a quirky modern take. The talented cast and crew include five National Youth Theatre players. Theatrix promises Shakespeare’s much loved comedy will de-light audiences of all ages.

A DO ABOUT NOTHING MUCH? Much Ado About Nothing is nothing of the sort. Hero (funny name for a girl!) may come to zero – jilted at the altar, but she gets her man in the end (but is Claudio really worth it?). Beatrice and Benedick (no coincidence that Benedick ends with a ‘k’) may fight like cats, but theirs are rearguard actions against the overwhelming forces of Cupid. The villain is Don John (dungeon, geddit; which is where he should be) who plots to destroy burgeoning love. But the incompetent and cowardly Carabinieri stumble on the truth. There is as little point in ignoring the play’s sexual subtext as there is in seeking a shady spot in Messina’s piazza at noon. The doubles are definitely entendred. Best just to lie back and enjoy it.

Shakespeare set his play in Sicily and so do Theatrix, but they have fast-forwarded the setting 350 years to the end of the war. A dispatch rider arrives on a motorcycle bringing news of peace. Then the real war, the sex war, starts. There be trials; there be tribulations; there be tantrums, but in the end Love triumphs. “The path of true love never did run smooth”. Now who said that?

g{x i|Çàtzx ZtÜtzxg{x i|Çàtzx ZtÜtzxg{x i|Çàtzx ZtÜtzxg{x i|Çàtzx ZtÜtzx Some of the costumes for this production have been designed and made by Suzanna Duxbury.

Suzanna runs her own vintage fashion business called “The Vintage Garage”. The concept of the Vintage Garage is to source, adapt and sell vintage clothes and accessories to a young female market who do not have the time or resources to get the vintage look.

The Vintage Garage also stocks Suzanna’s own retro label Belle Savage as well as offering personal consultations so customers can be assured they get a vintage inspired look tailored to their own individual style. So if you are looking for vintage clothing or accessories, want advice on vintage fashion or need an outfit for a themed event, please visit www.thevintagegarage.co.uk