FDS - Brush Up Your Shakespeare poster

Brush Up Your Shakespeare

An evening of Shakespearean music and drama.

A selection by William Shakespeare
Friday 14 June 2002 - Sunday 16 June 2002
Buscot Park Theatre, Lechlade Road, Buscot SN7 8BU
Directed by Lucy Walden & Dennis Peach

Performances start 7:30 pm. Doors open 30 minutes earlier.
Tickets: £8.
Tickets were available from White Horse Country Wear, 6 Cornmarket, Faringdon.

The theme for the evening examines the effect of letters, potions and tricks on the course of true love. In the words of Hero in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’: ‘SOME CUPID KILLS WITH ARROWS, SOME WITH TRAPS’

Twelfth Night

The Duke is blindly in love with a noblewoman, Olivia, who rejects his advances in favour of mourning for her dead brother. Viola has disguised herself as a boy and, having found employment in the Duke’s household, has fallen in love with him. She is sent to woo Olivia on his behalf and in doing so becomes the object of Olivia’s affection. Meanwhile, in a plot cunningly enacted by members of the household, Olivia’s puritan manservant, Malvolio, is tricked into thinking that Olivia loves him.

Cast (in order of appearance):

Duke – Dominic Bullock
Curio – Claire Forty
Valentine – Sarah Varnom
Olivia – Lucy Walden
Maria – Ruth Gerring
Viola – Angela Stone
Sir Andrew Aguecheek – Allyn Richardson
Sir Toby Belch – Dave Headey
Fabian – Dave Campbell
Malvolio – John Taylor

Much Ado About Nothing

brush-up-shakespeare-2002-5ls

Sally Norris, Debbie Lock, Amanda Linstead, Dave Headey, Richard Lock & Cleve Forty

Womaniser and confirmed bachelor, Benedick, and quick-witted independent feminist, Beatrice, have their apparent hatred for each other readily converted to love by the simple tricks played by their friends and family.

Cast (in order of appearance):

Benedick – Richard Lock
Beatrice – Amanda Linstead
Claudio – Cleve Forty
Hero – Sally Norris
Don Pedro – Simon Wisbey
Leonato – Dave Headey
Ursula – Debbie Lock

The Taming of the Shrew

Petruchio, a chauvinistic gold-digger will stop at nothing to gain a rich wife, even if the object of his desire is the fiery ‘shrew, Katharina. Katharina’s family, who had given up all hope of finding a man who will stand up to her exhibitions of temper, are delighted that she seems to have met her match. Petruchio finally ‘tames’ Kate but not without a fight and we discover that neither partner is quite as they outwardly appear.

Cast (in order of appearance):

Petruchio – Denis Peach
Baptista – John Taylor
Hortensio – Roger Leitch
Katharina – Rachel Coward
Servants – Claire Forty; Mary Mountford-Lister

Dennis Peach (Petruchio), Clare Forty & Mary Mountford-Lister (servants)

Rachel Coward (Katharina)

Simon Wisbey (Don Pedro)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Hermia has eloped with her lover Lysander to escape a forced marriage to Demetrius. Demetrius, rejecting Helena’s love, chases into the woods after his lost bride-to-be, hotly pursued by the love-lorn Helena. A love potion administered to Lysander by mistake confuses the plot when it causes Lysander to transfer his affection from Hermia to Helena. Meanwhile Oberon, Puck, Titania and her fairy train keep watch over and influence the events.

Cast (in order of appearance):

Fairies – Catherine Walden; Pippa Garrard
Puck – Carolyn Taylor
Oberon – Dominic Bullock
Titania – Sharon Gerry
Demetrius – Allyn Richardson
Helena – Amanda Linstead
Lysander – Simon Wisbey
Hermia – Sarah Couzens

Dominic Bullock (Oberon), Catherine Walden & Pippa Garrard (fairies)

Sarah Couzens (Hermia), Simon Wisbey (Lysander)

Amanda Linstead & Allyn Richardson (Helena & Demetrius)

Dominic Bullock (Oberon), Carolyn Taylor (Puck)

Carolyn Taylor (Puck)

Romeo & Juliet

Kathryn Whiffen (Juliet)

Juliet prepares to secretly marry her young lover Romeo, whom her parents have forbidden her to see. In order to avoid a marriage arranged by her parents she takes a potion which will make her appear dead when she is in fact only sleeping. Romeo will then come to her tomb and the two can escape together.

Cast (in order of appearance):

Juliet – Kathryn Whiffen

Merry Wives of Windsor

When Mistress Ford and Mistress Page each receive a love letter from Falstaff confessing his love, passions are ignited.

Cast (in order of appearance):

Mistress Ford – Jeni Summerfield
Mistress Page – Joan Lee

The Merchant of Venice

Lorenzo and Jessica talk to each other of love and reconciliation.

Cast (in order of appearance):

Lorenzo – Cleve Forty
Jessica – Mary Mountford-Lister

Cleve Forty (Lorenzo) & Mary Mountford-Lister (Jessica)

Alan Taylor (Lighting)

Photographs by Joan Lee (who also helped make ALL of the costumes)

Production No.139 (3 shows were performed over 3 days)