Programme for Taunton Thespians' production of As You Like It

YouAsLike

By William Shakespeare

15th – 26th June 2010

It

Tenth Annual Summer Tour

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AcknowledgementsAlongside the people named as members of cast and crew,

Taunton Thespians would like to thank the following for their generous support in the making of this production:

For displaying Billboards: Mrs Tooze, Chelston, The Civil Service Sports & Social Club, Taunton, Yule Brown, Taunton

Cast Members and other Taunton Thespians for loan of various props and costumes.

Everyone who helped publicise this production.Our advertisers, without whom this programme would truly be an

ill-favoured thing. Please support them with your custom.

Taunton Thespians is a Registered Charity, Number 800217

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Director’s ThoughtsLike most of my generation, my introduction to Shakespeare was reading it at school with little explanation or help from our teacher. It is no wonder that so many are turned off Shakespeare at an early age. In my teens, I went to the Old Vic Theatre in London to see a production of Julius Caesar. I went because it was a day off school, and as a penance I had to watch the play.I was riveted by the performance.Suddenly, the dull written words came to life and I understood what was going on. As Paul Roseby, who is the Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre, said in a newspaper article recently, “Shakespeare isn’t meant to be read. It’s meant to be performed”. However, today it is much easier to read Shakespeare, as the published plays include a great deal of information. In my copy of As You Like It, more than two thirds of the book is about the meaning of the play, historical background and, most important, the meaning of the words. If only I could have had this information when I was at school.

Having watched one production in the pouring rain at Hestercombe last year and another on the hard seats of the Globe Theatre in London, I understand that sitting through a long play can be quite uncomfortable. I have therefore slightly abridged this script so that we can make the best use of daylight and get home at a reasonable time. (By the way, in my opinion everyone should try and see a performance at the Globe. It is a truly unique experience.)So today we are performing As You Like It. Why did I choose this play? Quite simply because it is one of my favourites. Add to that the fact that we have already performed the other four major Shakespearean comedies and the decision was easy. However, I have not made myself popular with the female side of the Taunton Thespians as there are very few roles for women; this is because women were not allowed to act on stage when the plays were written and female parts had to be played by young men.

Shakespeare’s plays were often performed in the courtyards of inns, and they are therefore ideal for a touring production, where the carrying around of a stage set is not practical. As You Like It is mostly set in the Forest of Arden (the French forest, not the one in Warwickshire). You will find a lot of French references as the play proceeds. The style of music and dress is based on the Hippie Culture of the late 1960s, because it seemed to fit the play and the costumes were easily available.I have been involved in most of the previous productions that the Thespians have taken on tour. I have been stage manager, actor, lighting technician and Front of House. Hopefully, this has enabled me to understand the needs of the production from the point of view of a Director. Shakespearean language is not easy and the rehearsals have been both stimulating and challenging. It is very rewarding to see the cast progress as they take up the challenge and develop their characters. They have proved that they are capable of ‘Playing Shakespeare’ and I hope to direct them again sometime.

Ray Court


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Muchelney AbbeyMuchelney has a wonderful legend attached. This tells of a man who fell in love with the daughter of a knight. He opposed their union and therefore forbade them from marrying. The man was heartbroken and became a monk, eventually moving to Muchelney where, according to some versions of the tale, he became Prior. To his surprise, he found that his former sweetheart had become a nun there. They still loved each other, so renewed their relationship and planned to elope together. Sadly, they were betrayed. The prior was sent away to a distant abbey, to repent his sins. Being a less egalitarian period of our history, the nun was walled up and left to die in a secret passage somewhere within the abbey. This is, of course, romantic nonsense, probably dreamt up by a Victorian, whose imagination had been inflamed by seeing some table legs without any covering. Muchelney, once a verdant island in the Levels and a quiet haven for monks and recluses, is an excellent venue, with a wall to help actors project and the old foundations providing a stepped auditorium.

Frank Bond Community CentreThe Frank Bond Centre was named after its benefactor, a local builder by the name of Frank Bond. He was a private man, with two unusual hobbies: he collected theatre organs and around his garden he had numerous aviaries housing exotic birds. He opened his garden once a year to the general public and all money raised went to charity. On his death he left his house and garden (now the Centre) and land to the community. The land was used for development - some was used for housing and some was provided for the St Margaret's Somerset Hospice to be built. The Centre was established in 1983, and is open to people who have retired and are seeking activity in a local setting.

The Cleve Hotel & Country ClubThis was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in the contemporary style of 1866 for Joseph Hoyland Fox and his wife Mariana. Originally just called “The Cleve”, it was the second of the three houses of the Fox family in Wellington, after the original Tonedale House. (The Foxes, being Quakers, didn’t just think of their own comforts, but of those less fortunate than themselves. It’s worth knowing that sugar wasn’t served to guests at Tonedale, as it was a product of the slave trade.) When built, there were no bathrooms at The Cleve, although a hip bath was provided for every bedroom. This is not a situation guests now have to worry about; not only are all rooms en suite, but there’s a heated indoor swimming pool and fitness suite they can use too! We’re performing in the gardens, which were designed by Joseph Fox, and where he spent much of his time. (Information from “More than Two Hundred Years, Wellington and the Foxes” by John Hagen & Michael P. Fox, pub. Wellington Museum & Local History Society).

Hartwood HouseHartwood House was a new venue last year, and David and Rosemary made us very welcome indeed, as did their delightful dog, who became an extra cast member in London Assurance, ambling across the stage with perfect comic timing. The house nestles in a 6 acre woodland glade. Exceptionally quiet at night, only disturbed by owls or foxes. Red and roe deer are often seen in the fields and woodland. Birdsong fills the garden throughout the day. The Freemantles are enthusiastic amateur gardeners and have planted a wealth of trees, shrubs and perennials over the last 15 years - and in Somerset everything grows apace! The garden has much to interest the plantsman, as well as having many quiet sitting areas and space for children to play.


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The Rose and Crown is a 13th Century Inn, standing in superb grounds within the Somerset Levels. Taunton is just 6 miles away, Bridgwater 13 miles, Street and Glastonbury about 20 minutes’ drive.The pub has a wealth and depth of character and charm, with a beautiful large beer garden with views over our paddock and The Levels; we offer free camping for touring caravans, motor homes and those under canvas (as long as they choose to eat and drink with us!)The Rose and Crown has a new chef working with us. He is the well respected local chef Craig Emery. His talent has given our menu much greater depth, with greater choice and a superb range of imaginative dishes. This complements our menu of grills and traditional fare using local produce.We offer a range of Wadworth real ales brewed in Devizes.

For the real ale drinker, we can accommodate most palates, with the darker sweeter taste of 6X, Henrys IPA for a little less gravity to the tangy, hoppy flavour of the golden coloured Strong in the Arm, named after one of the draymen (ask Paul). In the last 6 months we have gained two awards for our real ales:””Brewmaster”, a Wadworths award for high quality beer and good cellar practice, and “Cask Marque”,

a certificate of excellence, in which our beer has been judged and tested for taste, temperature and aroma by an independent.Should you be looking for a venue to hold a wedding party, birthday party, Christmas or any other celebration, come and take advantage of our lovely pub and restaurant. You can have a private area or take over the whole pub and gardens as you wish.If you just want to pop in for a drink, you will always receive a warm welcome from us and our staff. We look forward to meeting you all.

Venue Feature - The Rose and Crown, East Lyng


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As You Like It by William Shakespeare

SynopsisThe cruel and arrogant Oliver de Boys has deprived his younger brother Orlando of his birthright, and plots to have him killed by the champion wrestler of the ducal court. At the court, Orlando meets Rosalind, daughter of the deposed Duke Senior, and her beloved cousin Celia, the usurping Duke Frederick’s child. Against the odds, Orlando wins his bout and Rosalind’s heart simultaneously; but their love is hopeless in the unjust atmosphere of Duke Frederick’s court. While Orlando flies to the Forest of Arden with his faithful servant Adam, Rosalind is banished by her paranoid uncle. She decides to disguise herself as a boy (Ganymede) to protect herself and Celia, who leaves with her, in the role of Ganymede’s sister, Aliena. Together with the court jester, Touchstone, they too reach the Forest of Arden, and safety.Arden is also the refuge of Duke Senior, whose court in exile includes the melancholy and wryly speculative Jaques. Orlando is welcomed by the duke and the unexpected comfort gives him time and leisure to write love poems for his seemingly lost Rosalind, and post them on trees throughout the forest. Rosalind and Celia find them, and the former princess uses her male disguise as a pretext for gently teasing and testing Orlando’s love. At the same time, however, she inadvertently causes Phebe – a shepherdess being pursued by the lovelorn shepherd Silvius – to fall in love with her persona as Ganymede!This sylvan idyll is threatened when Duke Frederick sends Oliver to track down his brother; but Oliver undergoes a miraculous change of heart, is rescued from death by Orlando, and falls in love with Celia. In a joyful scene of resolution and reconciliation, Rosalind and the marriage god Hymen oversee the matching of Celia and Oliver, Phebe and Silvius, Touchstone and his country wench Audrey, and Orlando and herself. Duke Frederick, suddenly religious and repentant, restores his banished brother to the dukedom, and – accompanied by Jaques – takes refuge from the vicissitudes of the world.As You Like It is perhaps Shakespeare’s sunniest comedy, but there are patches of shade amidst the love-drenched brightness. Political corruption, fraternal rivalry and melancholy all serve as thematic counterpoints to Shakespeare’s investigation of how release from the constraints of court, city, and even gender can permit a profound development of the self. Despite the improbability of much of the play’s narrative, in the Arcadian beauty of Arden, we finally see love and nature fuse in a deeply satisfying act of harmony.

ACT I Prologue: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Duke’s PalaceScene 1: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orchard of Oliver’s houseScene 2: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lawn before the Duke’s palaceScene 3: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The sameScene 4: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A room in the palaceScene 5: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest of ArdenScene 6: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 7: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 8: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 9: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 10: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest

ACT IIScene 1: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 2: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 3: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Another part of the forestScene 4: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 5: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Another part of the forestScene 6: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 7: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 8: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ForestScene 9: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest


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Binham Grange Binham is a unique Jacobean house of great antiquity, offering good food and luxury accommodation with a personal touch. Mentioned in the 13th century in association with Cleeve Abbey, it is surrounded by 300 acres of some of Somerset's most beautiful countryside. Marie, Stewart and family have lovingly and tastefully restored the house and gardens to their former glory, while retaining the integrity of the former house and bringing it up to 21st Century comfort. Original features remain throughout, including the Tudor alabaster arches, solid oak doors and Jacobean frieze. The bedrooms at Binham are individually decorated and contain antique furniture, a selection of books and flowers from the garden. The rooms enjoy excellent views of the garden which are tended by Marie and Stewart who are keen gardeners and have created an outdoor haven for the guests to enjoy.The formal Jacobean parterre to the front of the house is east facing with a collection of unusual plants. To the south is a pergola with scented roses which leads to an Italian style garden and a vegetable, herb and cutting garden used in the house. To the west of the garden terrace, flower borders lead to the traditional orchard and the broader landscape beyond.

Glastonbury AbbeyQuite possibly the oldest of our venues, if you believe the legend – Joseph of Arimathea coming to Britain after the Crucifixion and planting the thorn tree. And legends are something Glastonbury is drenched in. In the beginning, when the legends of mythical Avalon began, Glastonbury, a small town in Somerset, cradled in a cluster of hills in the South of England, was thought to have been a site for pre-Christian worship. Three stone Abbeys, each large than the last, have stood on this site over the centuries; and before that the 'Old Church' on the site of the current Lady Chapel and St David’s Church to the east of this. There is even a small amount of evidence of Roman culture, plus evidence of Bronze and Iron Age occupation in and around Glastonbury. We are running the risk of being upstaged by the site where the bones of Arthur and Guinevere were enshrined. HIC IACET SEPULTUS INCLITUS REX ARTURIUS IN INSULA AVALONIA was inscribed on the lead cross found seven feet underground with the bones in a stone coffin, although that site and the cross are both now lost. Cynical historians look at the politics of the time, just after The Anarchy (more famous now because of Brother Cadfael than the civil war between Stephen and Matilda) with Henry II trying to re-establish the rule of law and they wonder how convenient the discovery was. Another, more modern myth tells of the existence of a zodiac in the earthworks around the area. Global warming and the rise in sea level might be about to reveal the truth or otherwise in that tale.

St James ChurchSt James is known to have existed since 1169, and this church was roughly the size of the present nave. Around 1308, the original building was pulled down and the present nave and north aisle erected. Not much changed until the 19th century, but the Victorians were very active here: in 1832 a south aisle was added, and the upper parts of the splendid tower were rebuilt in 1867 as a replacement for the original, which was in danger of collapse. Finally, the chancel was enlarged in 1888, and the south aisle extended into a chapel, and an 18th century gallery removed from the north aisle.From the outside, the tower dominates everything. Although largely Victorian, its design - executed in a fine, red sandstone - is firmly in the tradition of Somerset towers. The red sandstone is enlivened by stone dressings in the famous golden Ham limestone. Look hard, however, and the older architecture becomes clear: the north arcade of the nave, and the north wall, date from the 14th century rebuilding, and the original fan vaulting in the vault beneath the tower - now the entrance porch - dates from around 1440. At the east end of the north aisle, a mediaeval squint has survived – a feature constructed to enable those in the aisle to watch the elevation of the host during Mass.There are some interesting furnishings: pride of place goes to the lovely 15th Century font, each of its eight sides decorated with figures of saints; and the pulpit is a good example of local carving, and dates from 1633. Next to the font is the memorial to Colonel Lacy Walters Giles Yea, (d. 1845) killed in the Crimean War, complete with two statuettes of Fusiliers. The south aisle chapel boasts a fine wooden screen - exhibited in the Wembley exhibition of 1825 and made of Burmese Coco wood.


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COURTLY LOVE IN AS YOU LIKE ITWilliam Shakespeare (1564-1616) lived in interesting times. The late Middle Ages were drawing to a close, and the move away from restrictive ideologies, feudal systems and the age-old codes of chivalry and courtly love that held sway from the 5th to the 15th centuries was in full swing, fuelled by the excitement of the onset of the Renaissance sweeping Europe. This was an exhilarating and liberating age, and in the play performed tonight, written in 1599-1600, we see Shakespeare exulting in the new freedoms and pushing back the boundaries still further.

Courtly love had its birth in the 11th century, and perhaps the most widely accepted ‘bible’ of its conditions and rules is The Art of Courtly Love, written in the second half of the twelfth century by a monk, Andreas Capellanus, in mediaeval Latin. The main principles of courtly love were established very largely as a result of arranged marriages. Couples were married for convenience, for status, for dowries, for political gain; certainly not for romantic love. It was thus believed that, in most cases, love did not exist between married couples, and, since many young knights (perhaps second or third sons who would not inherit their fathers’ estates – Orlando’s situation, in fact) could only aspire to worship their lord’s lady, or some equally unattainable goddess, from afar, courtly love became the established and accepted way to express desire, which was often overtly sexual.

(The Countess of Champagne, being asked to rule on whether romantic love could exist within marriage, made this declaration in May 1174: “We declare and we hold as firmly established that love cannot exert its powers between two people who are married to each other. For lovers give each other everything freely, under no compulsion of necessity, but married people are in duty bound to give in to each other’s desires and deny themselves to each other in nothing.”)

So courtly love, with all its conventions, came into being. Here are some of the ‘rules’, according to Capellanus:

He who is not jealous cannot love.1. When made public, love rarely endures.2. The easy attainment of love makes it of little value; difficulty of attainment makes it prized.3. Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved.4. When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved his heart palpitates.5. A new love puts to flight an old one.6. If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives.7. A man in love is always apprehensive.8. Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love.9. Jealousy, and therefore love, are increased when one suspects his beloved.10. He, whom the thought of love vexes, eats and sleeps very little.11. A lover can never have enough of the solaces of his beloved.12. A slight presumption causes a lover to suspect his beloved.13. A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed by the thought of his beloved.14.

You get the idea...

In As You Like It, Shakespeare (with the help of his goddess boy/woman Rosalind) spoofs and satirises all of the above. Firstly, in what should be the bucolic idyll of a shepherd lover and his lass (Silvius and Phoebe), Silvius mourns and intones his love, displaying every convention of courtly love, as here in one of his opening conversations with Corin, an older (and wiser) shepherd, where he bemoans the cruelty of Phoebe, and doubts that anyone could ever have loved as he does:

O, thou didst then ne’er love so heartily! If thou remember’st not the slightest folly That ever love did make thee run into, Thou hast not loved: Or if thou hast not sat as I do now, Wearying thy hearer in thy mistress’ praise,


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Thou hast not loved: Or if thou hast not broke from company Abruptly, as my passion now makes me, Thou hast not loved. (And he rushes off in a lovesick frenzy)O Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe!

And it is Rosalind who blasts this Arcadian idyll into the stratosphere:

You foolish shepherd, wherefore do you follow her, Like foggy south puffing with wind and rain? You are a thousand times a properer man Than she a woman...‘Tis not her glass, but you, that flatters her...

In similar vein, she taunts Orlando for not displaying the traditional outward signs of courtly love (thereby poking fun at those keeping up the convention):

A lean cheek, which you have not,A blue eye and sunken, which you have not,An unquestionable spirit, which you have not,A beard neglected, which you have not; ...Then your hose should be ungartered,Your bonnet unbanded, your sleeve unbuttoned,Your shoe untied and every thing about you demonstratingA careless desolation; but you are no such man;You are rather point-device in your accoutrementsAs loving yourself than seeming the lover of any other.

Later, even Phoebe lashes back at Rosalind, squashing the rather feeble courtly contention that a lady’s cruel look can kill:

O, for shame, for shame, Lie not, to say mine eyes are murderers! Now show the wound mine eye hath made in thee

And Touchstone too, the court fool who is not above a bit of unchaperoned hanky panky in the forest, chimes in with his parody of lovesick Orlando’s poems, which he hangs on trees (another courtly love rule, of course):

If a hart do lack a hind, Let him seek out Rosalind. If the cat will after kind, So be sure will Rosalind.

In short, the conventions and rules of courtly love are thrown out in favour of romantic and realistic love, albeit the tying of four lovers’ knots at the play’s end is achieved by one of the oldest conventions known to playwrights, the arrival of a god, (Hymen, god of marriage ceremonies) in a handy device known as deus ex machina – literally, a god lowered by stage machinery!

However, dear reader, suspend disbelief and celebrate this pastoral comedy’s triumph of romantic and achievable love over the mirage of courtly protocol, and celebrate with our eight lovers their bright future, as Shakespeare himself must have been doing, in a world in which the archaic and stale etiquette of bygone centuries was being joyfully given the old heave-ho.

Jane Edwards


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Duke Senior Arthur CumminsRosalind Katherine StoneCelia Abi VickeryAudrey Annette BaalamTouchstone Matt WebberDuke Frederick Ron RobertsMadame Le Beau Jane EdwardsOrlando Charlie DorrAdam John BurberyOliver Alan PhilpottCharles Dan CanningJaques Mike LeachAmiens Tony LeachSilvius Michael GilbertCorin/Martext Mark DawsonPhoebe Karen KerslakeWilliam Joshua CooperRoland De Bois Chris Osbourne

Cast &


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&Director Ray CourtProducer & Tour Manager Mark DawsonAssistant Producer Ron RobertsStage Managers Mark Dawson Music written and performed by Tony LeachLyrics William ShakespeareSound & Lighting Dan JonesProps Carrie Vaughan, Sylvia FellgettCostume Kirsten WhiteAssisted by Charlotte Briggs, Jane Burt, Alison

Jenkinson, David NortheyPrompt Cynthia Jones Business Manager Tony BeavenFinance Manager Jacqueline RobertsFront Of House Martin JevonVan Driver Walter PlingeMinibus Driver Mark DawsonPublicity Team Rene Kilner, Jane Edwards,

Michael Gilbert, Ron Roberts, Carrie VaughanPublicity Design Michael Gilbert

Crew


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Charlie Dorr «—» OrlandoIf you saw our last tour production London Assurance and have an extraordinary good memory, you may remember me as some guy who walked in with a violin and played a rather pointless role while monitoring the set changes. The wordless Jenks was the first character I played for Taunton Thespians and it was a really great opportunity for someone with little acting experience to get involved. Since then I have gradually taken on bigger parts with some lines, and then more lines, including Mr Scoblowski in Daisy Pulls it Off last Autumn, and Reuben Starkadder in Cold Comfort Farm this spring. Orlando is my biggest part yet and for that reason probably the most intimidating, but it’s a great opportunity and something I wouldn’t have got into if I hadn’t walked down to Taunton Thespians on one dull evening last May.

Katherine Stone «—» RosalindMy first production with Taunton Thespians began last Autumn as “just one of the Girls!” in Daisy Pulls It Off, where I encountered the character of Alice Fitzpatrick, Deputy Head Girl. This journey toured to The Gambia - a truly magical experience. My journey now continues with the Shakespearean phenomenon As You Like It. I play the character of Rosalind, “being but a moonish youth, ... effeminate” and overthrowing “more than her enemies” as she develops her passion for Orlando as she “cannot be out of the sight” of him! My experience has given me an in-take of a epic journey and in this discovering a new language and a taste of a very literature-driven Shakespearean society. Trials and tribulations have not defeated my initial incentive of eagerness for success that provides me with a feeling of overwhelming achievement once the productions have finished.

Abi Vickery «—» CeliaMy first summer tour with the Thespians was A Comedy of Errors and I am delighted that we are returning to Shakespeare once again. This will be my sixth summer tour and I am really enjoying playing Celia.Celia is a friend and foil for Rosalind and is a very interesting character to play because she is spirited, stubborn and strong willed; putting her friendship with Rosalind before her relationship with her father, the Duke. She also does not suffer fools – apart from the odd court jester – gladly!It has been great fun rehearsing As You Like It, I hope you like it too!

Alan Philpott «—» OliverI’m pleased to be joining Taunton Thespians for my first ever open-air Shakespeare production! With other groups I played characters such as Bob Cratchet, Mole in Toad of Toad Hall and Justin in Alan Ayckbourn’s RolePlay. My wife has been very patient while I’ve spent most of my spare time since April rehearsing for this, acting in a student film in Bristol, and auditioning and rehearsing for a performance of The Boyfriend in Yeovil. Luckily we’ve had enough time to attend ballroom dancing lessons together! I’m looking forward to playing Oliver, and rain-free performances for lovely warm and dry audiences.


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Arthur Cummins «—» Duke SeniorAs You Like It was my first experience acting in Shakespeare, 45 years ago at Perth Repertory playing young Silvius. It is as enjoyable now, to play the old Duke. With Thespians, I have played Martin & James in London Assurance; Rochester in Jane Eyre; Roland in Taking Steps; Bartholomew Green in New Place and Time, and other odd characters in one-act Festival entries; I was Boggis in Accrington Pals and I began with Henry in Ray Cooney’s farce, Funny Money. I hope tonight’s escapade is as much to your liking as performing it is to mine.

Ron Roberts «—» Duke FrederickI had a slight doubt when the director told me that I ‘was a natural choice for the play’s Mr Nasty’ but was delighted when he quickly added that it was to my credit not to be typecast! As a soldier I had the privilege of appearances with major amateur companies world-wide. The chance to play the ‘baddie’ comes along infrequently and getting to ‘know’ Duke Fred has been a pleasure. Previous acting high points have been mainly ‘goodies’, favourite directing oeuvre was A Man For All Seasons. Amateur theatre provides a rich contribution to our social structure and it has been a passion of mine from schooldays onwards. Since retirement, I have enjoyed fifteen years of commitment to the Thespians. For the Somerset Fellowship of Drama, I currently run the County Drama Festival and am the moderator of the county-wide pantomime competition.

Mike Leach «—» JaquesI first ‘did’ As You Like It as a whining schoolboy and immediately decided Jaques was the part for me. It’s slightly hard to believe that after all these years I’ve got the chance to play it for real - a bit like suddenly being asked to captain England in the Ashes.Since joining the Thespians early last year, I have much enjoyed playing a string of flamboyant characters with accents to match: a sinister Italian, a bluff country squire, a brash American film producer. The introverted and depressive Jaques could reasonably be described as a contrast. One man in his time plays many parts...

Jane Edwards «—» Madame Le BeauMon Dieu, when je pense of mon extraordinaire route to ze 2010 Tour, it seems bizarre even to moi: soldat with moustache (Wyrd Sisters, 2005), desperate ‘ousewife (Free Fall), gouvernesse/ keeper of madwoman (Jane Eyre) and murderesse (Murdered to Death) in 2006; scrubbère in 2007 (Tom Jones), frustrated ‘ousewife (You’re In Room Eight), murder victime (Suddenly At Home), ze barking Madame Malaprop (The Rivals) et pissed vicar’s femme (Talking Heads) in 2008, pas forgetting cheap detective (Two Gentlemen of Soho) and mad ‘orsewoman (London Assurance) in 2009. Je am complètement astonished zat I ‘ave remained relativement sane et capable of playing ze minuscule mais hysteriquement drole rôle of ze cunningly transgendered ‘ippy French courtier Madame Le Beau zis year. Eh bien. C’est la guerre. Vive la différence...


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Annette Balaam «—» AudreyWho could resist the opportunity to take part in that Great British Tradition ... what? ... ah! ... oh! ... no! ... no! ... not Shakespeare! The Real tradition of England ... The Weather!The chance of romping around our beautiful countryside creating theatre in the black holes of places called Upper and Lower Bugg***, in the height of a British Summer, is a Poker Game with ‘Downpour’, ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’ I couldn’t miss. Let’s see who blinks first.Throw in Shakespeare and a country bumpkin called Audrey and the thrilling adventure becomes a ‘Catastrophe Curve’; it’s amazing, the amount of things that fail to go wrong! Weather? What weather?! Enjoy the ride!

Matt Webber «—» TouchstoneAccording to sources, ‘Touchstone marked the beginning of a series of court fool characters; these characters differed greatly from earlier Shakespearean fools because their humour is mainly derived from the fool’s wit and intellect’.In As You Like It Touchstone is often threatened with a whip, the usual punishment for this sort of clown. However I am pleased to say that, in our edited version, this reference has been removed - lest the invigorating night air, warm applause and one or two dressing room ‘preparations’ lead one’s company to an altogether too liberal use of props. Enjoy the show.

Karen Kerslake «—» PhoebeSince joining Taunton Thespians in January 2009, I have performed in six productions. My roles have included: a waiter (Two Gentlemen of Soho) which went through to the National Finals in Woking; an eccentric Russian anarchist (The Crimson Cocoanut) in the Ten Parishes Festival; a middle aged bitter spinster English Teacher (Daisy Pulls it Off) at the Tacchi Morris and, as was my great fortune, in Gambia; a cow, one of the raving loony Brethren, a guest at both a 21st birthday party and a wedding, plus another Phoebe, one of the extended Starkadder family (Cold Comfort Farm). In my second Summer Tour I am a rather fickle shepherdess – I hope I’m not being type cast!

Michael Gilbert «—» SilviusThe last young lover I played was Lelio in Goldoni’s The Liar at school over 30 years ago, although my first named part for Thespians, Albert Prosser in Hobson’s Choice in the early 90’s might qualify too. Back then, my foil, Freddy Beenstock, was played by a young bloke called Mark Dawson... ah well, some of us age better than others...More seriously, though, I’ve come to love Silvius a lot (although I’m glad he’s got less to say than Shakespeare gave him. Pressures of work mean I can’t devote the time a big role needs). He isn’t stupid, although he might seem that way from time to time, and he has some of the most beautiful lines in the play. Nothing deep, just lyrical. And enormous fun, too.

Joshua Cooper «—» WilliamThis is my first encounter with Taunton Thespians, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. The cast has been immensely accommodating and has assisted me in my approach to learning lines and having confidence. I play the character William – a forester, eager to win the heart of Audrey: a simple minded “slut”, destined to marry an arrogant Touchstone. I also appear as a Hippy and a guard, which is great, as I appear very frequently in the production. I pursue Drama at school, but this experience requires more dynamism with a confident approach; full of energy, which is essential, as I am in an environment riddled with some very accomplished actors and actresses.


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Tony Leach «—»AmiensAs well as acting, I have composed songs and music for shows since I left school, but this is the first time I’ve sung and played in a play! It’s been a real pleasure to interpret the Elizabethan language (As You Like It has the most scripted songs of any Shakespeare play) but with it has come a real sense of responsibility to do the material justice! It’s been a challenge and a lot of hard work but out of it has arrived, through various means, at varying times of the day, at varying degrees of convenience, ten original pieces of music. Hopefully these will be available to purchase on a CD which, as I write, I am hard at work trying to record in time!

John Burbery «—» AdamOver the years with the Taunton Thespians I have played many different characters, but none quite like Adam As soon as I read Cold Comfort Farm I knew that as a septuagenarian this was the only part I could conceivably play... Hang on, that was the last show... It’s very rare indeed to get the opportunity to play the old Adam in two consecutive productions, but the notes I wrote for the last programme apply just as well to this. Orlando’s servant is not a lot like the ancient farmhand in Stella Gibbon’s classic work - or is he!The Summer Tour is not usually something I’m able to take part in, as my love of messing about in boats takes me off to foreign parts at this time of year. This year, however, I thought I’d give it a go, just to see if all the stories were true.I am also the membership Secretary of the Taunton Thespians – so if you fancy joining in the fun give me a call (details elsewhere)

Mark Dawson «—» CorinHello, everyone. I’ve been a Taunton Thespian, on and off, for nearly twenty years now. At the moment most certainly ‘on’. This is the third successive year I’ve been involved with our annual summer Tour. We’ve had more than our share of rain over the years, so it would be only fair if you are now basking in the evening sunshine. Touring is one of my very favourite types of show. I’m not sure if it is the beautiful venues and Somerset countryside that do it for me, or the thrill of seeing a ‘stage’ for the first time half an hour before acting on it. Perhaps it’s both.

Chris Osborne «—» Jaques de BoysSince I was the age of about six, I’ve always been interested in taking part in school plays and school choirs. As I grew older I got more involved, especially when I moved up to secondary school, where I studied drama as a GCSE subject. When I left school, I became part of the youth theatre in Ilminster where we staged a performance every term. I am also part of a group called MAdD (music arts dance drama). Acting plays a big part in my life, as I wish to take up a career in the acting and music industry.

Dan Canning «—» CharlesThis is the third production I’ve done in my acting career. My first was a play called Curtains where I played the media reporter Daryl Grady. My second performance was in a variety show, where I helped out in any parts that needed me. And now this one, Shakespeare, never thought I’d be doing this. Taunton Thespians were running short of a few people so through a mutual friend I got a phone call and was asked if I wanted to play a wrestler. Why not, I thought, why not. I’ve done it for real, so I should be perfect for the role.


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Autumn2010

Damsels in Distress: Two plays by Alan Ayckbourn, performed in collaboration with Street Theatre, directed by Mike Linham, one week at the Tacchi-Morris and one week at Strode Theatre. Thespians will be presenting GamePlan, Street RolePlay, night about over the two weeks.

Spring 2011The Good Doctor, adapted from the short stories of Anton Chekhov by Neil Simon, directed by Polly Bray. We took a one-act play abstracted from this to the Western Regional Finals of the AETF competition in 2010. It’s very funny indeed, Simon’s skill as a playwright enhancing the wonderful observational humour of the Russian master.

Summer Tour 2011Servant of Two Masters, Carlo Goldoni’s classic comedy, directed by this production’s Silvius, Michael Gilbert. Lots of mistaken identity, knockabout comedy and wonderful costumes. Hopefully, putting on a play set around the waterways of in 18th Century Venice isn’t tempting the weather gods too much...

Full details of auditions and performance dates from www.tauntonthespians.org.uk

2010

Season

2011

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Taunton Thespians on Tour Origins

The Tour was born in AD 2000! At the AGM that year, the Thespians had accepted their new chairman’s challenge to two new concepts: to establish a third, major production within their calendar year and to embrace the concept of ‘outreach’ rather than just perform in Taunton. Not long afterwards, a new member Sefton Parke joined us and, one evening over a post-rehearsal pint in the Mason’s Arms, mentioned his erstwhile project to form a troupe in the South West to tour open-air Shakespeare productions, now regretfully abandoned because of lack of support facilities. I said “TT will do it, you direct, I’ll produce.” “When?” “This coming summer!” A decade of achievement was launched.

OutreachFrom the outset, we sought to entertain not merely Taunton Deane but as much of the outer reaches of Somerset as possible. It is remarkable that each year has introduced us to at least one new venue. Whether any venue survives is a simple matter of economics. Royalties, transport, print runs and other costs add up to some £6k over a fortnight. For a ten-venue Tour, it follows that each performance must produce (on average) a tenth of that total. Whereas we try hard to follow our ‘four corners’ policy, sometimes modified by a ‘loss leader’ caveat, we cannot justify consistent losses and thus reluctantly have to abandon some well-liked venues. We started at Sefton’s garden at Sampford Brett with a good omen.

2001Twelfth Night The equipment van crested the hill some two miles east of the site and a second or two later, Martin Peters switched on his lights illuminating the trees around the ‘stage’. A beacon to guide us to the West. The first set was simply four bushes in tubs. The costumes were dress uniforms because we have plenty in our wardrobe. Eight performances reached Langford Budville (south!); Burrowbridge (north); the only two planned, indoor performances (ever) at The Warehouse, Ilminster (east-ish); Fyne Court (north-west) and onto home ground with two performances at the County Museum forecourt, Castle Green.

2002Merry Wives of Windsor Nine performances, noted for the fact of a somewhat rotund director packed into a hamper. Two new venues, the first at Deane Court at Cotford St Luke, Fred Clarke warmly welcoming us to his rough pasture. The other was Barrington Court where, on Friday, 21 June, we played in probably the only typhoon ever to hit the South West. The wind and rain constantly lashed from stage right to stage left! The evening started with 28 in the audience: twelve were still there after the interval and we, the cast, applauded them at the close.

2003Midsummer Night’s DreamTen performances noted for a magical cloak for Oberon and he, in public, kissing our Titania, clad in green with spiky hair. Our finest ‘audience hour’: a full house of 500 people at Dunster Castle and 375 the next night! Other ‘firsts’ were Green Garden, Lydeard St Lawrence in a cow-and-sheep-smelling field in front of a capacious barn (more later) and Kelways at Langport, where we decided that playing on a cobbled surface was asking too much, despite the sorbo-rubber exercise mats!

2004Comedy of ErrorsEleven peformances. Our male ‘twins’ were in yellow t-shirts and jeans and matching wigs but unmatched in height. A tour of charity shops produced unbelievably high platform shoes that fitted – and matched the twins. Twin ‘firsts’ again, the first of them being the first of two forays into a dinner-cum-play arrangement at Fishponds, Dunkeswell (well south!). The other to the historic Muchelney Abbey near Langport. We also had an unplanned ‘indoor’ at Lydeard, escaping the incoming tempest and squeezing the audience and ourselves into the said ‘changing room’ barn.


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2005Much Ado About Nothing Eleven performances. The previous year’s success at Muchelney caused English Heritage to invite us to Cleeve Abbey: superb acoustics within the cloister walls and very basic, centuries-old changing rooms! The performance at Cotford completely washed out, the four cars of ‘audience’ sent away, the van bogged down in the ‘car park’ field overnight (which put paid to the venue) but it was the producer’s birthday, so damp us recovered with a dry fizz at The Bell, Bishop’s Lydeard.

2006Jane EyreNoted for much scenery to cart about (lesson learned!) and the entire set and cast nearly blown away from a hill-top new venue at Blackmore Farm, Cannington. It was also a first in the grandiose surroundings of Glastonbury Abbey. Eleven performances for the last time: temperatures in the high 80s had drained all of us on the Saturday afternoon, a ‘last straw’ that led us to accept that ending a tour on a Sunday was too much before a working week for most of us,

2007Tom JonesTen performances and this year’s ‘first’ was the Cleve at Wellington, playing in that natural little amphitheatre behind the hotel with its raised summerhouse for tech control, comfortable changing rooms and a near-by bar for the punters!

2008The RivalsTen performances and three ‘firsts’. The first of them playing in Bishop’s Hull, the village-that’s-part-of-Taunton, and made very welcome at the Frank Bond Centre. The other two were both private, invited performances at Holcombe Rogus (very south!) and at Norton Fitzwarren for the Army Benevolent Fund.

2009London Assurance Ten performances and a lovely, new venue at Hartwood House, Crowcombe Heathfield. Not only did the family Freeman make us very welcome, the house being changing-rooms and ‘backcloth’, but the performance was helping the very worthy cause of SSAFA.

Open Air Touring is fun! It is also hard work, of course, travelling to a new venue every day, setting up, getting the actors there on time, perhaps tired after a day’s work, then rising up to the occasion and performing. Rather historical, really, like the strolling players of old. Then we ALL help to pack up and retire to a local hostelry to unwind with ‘cakes and ale’. Every night a First Night and a Last Night! Tiring may be, but fun, because we’re always well received by audiences and always invited back by hosts.

OnwardsWhat is also remarkable is that in nine years and out of ninety performances, we have only been beaten by the weather three times. Often soaked, often frozen, sometimes baked but never downhearted. Here’s to the next decade....

Ron RobertsPhotos are a random sample from Comedy of Errors, Jane Eyre and The Rivals


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This production is entered for

The Phoebe Rees Awards

Founded by Phoebe Rees and run by the Somerset Fellowship of Drama, the competition is open to amateur drama societies and groups in Somerset. Plays are adjudicated by members of the

Fellowship’s committee who also run an annual Original Playwriting Festival and the county’s first round of the All England Theatre Festival, and organise drama training.

The Rose Bowl Awards

Founded by the families of Walter Hawkins and John Coe, this is now funded through the Quartet Community Foundation, with individual awards sponsored by the Bristol Evening Post. Amateur operatic and dramatic productions throughout former Avon, Gloucester and Somerset are assessed by GODA qualified adjudicators.

Taunton Thespians are members of NODA

The National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA), founded in 1899, is the main representative body for amateur theatre in the UK. It has a membership of some 2500 amateur/community theatre groups and 3000 individual enthusiasts throughout the UK, staging musicals, operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of performing venues, ranging from the country's leading professional theatres to village halls. Members have access to a wide range of benefits.

NODA aimsTo give a shared voice to the amateur theatre sector;To help amateur societies and individuals achieve the highest standards of best practice and performance;To provide leadership and advice to enable the amateur theatre sector to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.


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Rita AdamsPatricia AttrillAnnette BalaamMichael BarryTony & Tessa BeavenMatthew BottenPenny BradnumPolly BrayCharlotte BriggsHarriet BrineDona BullionJohn & Carol BurberyJane BurtJason CarterSasha Collard-JenkinsTina CookThomas CooneyRay & Nikki CourtJon CozensKim CrooksArthur CumminsMark & Nicola DawsonCharlie DorrAnne DowseyJane DyerJane Edwards

Sylvia FellgettTerry FinnOlivia GentileKeith GibbonsMichael GilbertDavid & Maggy GoodallCharles GraceStephanie GraftonKen & Anne HagueBryan HallettJennifer HancockLynn HendenJean HoleJack HorwoodJohn HoweRosemary HumphreysSally JagoAlison JenkinsonLinda JevonMartin JevonCynthia JonesKaren KerslakeRene KilnerMichael LeachTony LeachJane Leakey

Peter LewisJessica LindenMichael LinhamClive LinthorneRebecca LivermoreStuart LyddonJosephine MannHilary MarshallVerity MartindillJohn & Audrey MeikleBeryl MorrisDavid NortheyMary PakerImogen PapworthAmy ParkerGemma PayneMarck & Emily PearlstoneMartin PetersRhian PughElaine RawleDinah RawleJoy ReasonGraham ReeksLaura RichmondRon & Jacqueline RobertsVivienne Sharland

Robert SmithRichard StennerChloe StepneyKatherine StoneNigel Stuart-ThornSusan SwanVera SweetingStuart SymondsPauline TilleySusanna TookeyChristine VaughanCaroline VaughanAnthony VennAbigail VickeryThelma WanderMargaret WayMatt WebberAngela WidgeryPete WilmottBethanie WinterKatherine WinterHelen Witcomb

Taunton ThespiansPresident – John Meikle

Vice Presidents – Margaret Way, Thelma Wander, Ron Roberts

Coming SoonTHE SUMMER PLAY READING PROGRAMME: This year we are including some Sundays in our Play Reading Season which kicks off on SUNDAY JULY 4th. Your hosts will be Tony Beaven, Jane Burt and David Northey. The dates are Sunday 4th July, Wednesday 7th July, Wednesday 14th July, Wednesday 21st July, Sunday 25th July, Wednesday 28th July, Wednesday 4th August, Sunday 8th August, Wednesday 11th August, Wednesday 18th August, Sunday 22nd August Friday & Saturday SEPTEMBER 10th & 11th: NEW DIRECTORS’ SHOWCASE! November 2010 – Next autumn’s public production is a joint venture with Street Theatre. Two Alan Ayckbourn plays, GamePlan and RolePlay, use the same setting. Taunton Thespians will present the former, Street the latter. Each production will be done night about at the Tacchi-Morris and Strode Theatre, one week here and one week there. Watch the press for further details and audition announcements.

Joining usIf you’re looking for something to do that is huge amounts of fun, gives something back to people and doesn’t cost a fortune, come and join us! Full membership of the society is only £12 a year. For more details, check out our web site at www.tauntonthespians.org.uk or call the Membership Secretary, John Burbery on 01823 442118. As well as everything listed above, we have a Club Night on the first Wednesday of every month from September to May at our home base, The Place in Wilfred Road, Taunton. And you don’t have to want to act; we have a huge wardrobe which needs caring for, sets need building, shows need lighting, makeup needs to be put on, props need to be made... all sorts of things.


If you are thinking of buying or selling in the area, contact us first

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Entertainment & Humor

Programme for Taunton Thespians' production of As You Like It