Written By
Richard Gordon
Where and When
24th – 26th April 1975 @ The Allendale Community Centre
The Plot
In this hilarious romantic comedy, Richard Gordon awakes one morning with a headache. It takes him a while to realise he is ill – after all he is a doctor! Dr Pennyworth diagnoses jaundice and prescribes a spell in hospital. But amongst the bedpans and injections on Honesty ward, Richard falls in love – with his very own Florence Nightingale. However he soon learns that he has a rival for her affections, and unwilling to lose his love to Dr Hinyman, Richard sets out to impress!
Cast
- Mrs Tadwich – Betty Anthony
- Simon Sparrow – Mark Syrett
- Wildewinde – Tim Eling
- Sir Lancelot Spratt – John Anthony
- Grimsdyke – Mike Waring
- Delivery Man – Edmund Henbest
- Mr Claribold – Bill Platt
- Kitten – Elizabeth Knight
- Nikki – Linda Pawley
- Florence Nightingale – Iris Platt
Creative Team
- Producer – Thelma Dryden
- Co-Producer – Janine Brockes
- Stage Manager – Arthur Brooks and Muriel Brooks
- Properties – Jackie Anthony
- Prompt – Jean Lewis
- Publicity – Rod Knight
Gallery
Reviews
Modern comedy funniest seen for years
Wimborne Drama Club performed one of the liveliest and funniest plays seen in the town for years when they made their debut at the new Allendale Community Centre last week. They chose Richard Gordon’s modern comedy Doctor in Love and the change of mood from the usual Agatha Christie-type productions was particularly pleasant.
Mar Syrett, previously a policeman with a smallish part, was promoted to the leading role for this production and he proved both his staying power and his acting abilityas Dr Simon Sparrow. Sparrow, head of the practice, engages a new partner whom he thinks is called Dr Nicholas Barrington. But Nicholas turns out to be Nicola and soon Sparrow falls beak over wings in love.
Sparrow is rather clumsy in his courtship and this adds to the humour of the situation. But things eventually sort themselves out and he marries Nikki. Linda Pawley showed flair as Dr Nikki and Mike Waring was suitaby smooth as the other partner in the practice.Dr Grimsdyke, who tries to introduce a few gimmicksto the surgery, such as a computer and ultra modern chairs, a challenge met admirably by back-stage people.
The most polished performance came from Tim Eling whose portrayal of Wildewinde, the surgery assistant, was practically faultless. The funniest character was Bill Platt, whose expressionless Dalek-talk was ideal for the part of Mr Claribold, and John and Betty Anthony came joint second for humour. There was even a little titilation for the audience when Elizabeth Knight, the glamour girl of the cast, was running around the stage in her sexy night-gear.
Drama club scored in this frolic
Wimborne Drama Club’s decision to present Doctor in Love by Richard Gordon, at the town’s Allendale Community Centre last week proved amply justified. Judging from the enthusiasm of the audience the Players would have scored a good 80 on the clappometer at their last performance on Saturday.
The play is one of the Doctor series so popular with TV audiences and with such an amazing script the club could not miss. The players had obviuosly put in much hard work and the prompter, Jean Lewis, had little to do during the evening. In previous years the clubs plays have been staged at Church House. The excellent facilities at Allendale were obviously a great help to the production staff and an additional attraction to the near capacity audience.
As the title suggests the story centres on a young doctor, inexperienced in affairs of the heart. Mark Syrett gave an admirable performance in the lead role as Dr Sparrow. Dr Sparrow is a general practitioner in Hampden Cross, a market town in Hampshire. He is plagued with shortage of staff and difficult, if not weird, patients, such as Mrs Tadwich (Betty Anthony).
Mike Waring took the part of Dr Grimsdyke, an old Don Juan friend of Dr Sparrow’s from medical school, and other parts were played by Kitten (Elizabeth Knight), Wildewinde (Tim Eling), Nikki (Linda Pawley), (John Anthony) Sir Lancelot Spratt and Florence Nightingale (Iris Platt). Other players were Edmund Henbest as a delivery man and Bill Platt as Mr Claribold, a builder with a too-large bowler who marries Mrs Tadwich.
Staff behind the scenes were: producer Thelma Dryden; co-producer Janine Brockes; stage managers Arthur and Muriel Brooks; properties Jackie Anthony; publicity Rod Knight.
Programme
