Written By
Alan Bennett
Where and When
20th – 23rd November 1996 @ The Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne
The Plot
The play is set in Albion House, a fictional public school which is preparing to perform an end-of-term play. The end-of-term play deals farcically with the aftermath of the First World War. The school’s headmaster is leaving after forty years of service and agrees to take part in the student’s show without reading the script.
Cast
- Headmaster – Jeremy Austin
- Franklin – Geoff Whipp
- Tempest – Richard Neal
- Miss Sharpe – Rebecca Gunnell
- Matron – Val Mantle
- Miss Nisbitt – Margaret Pope
- Brewster-Smith – Ian Shearman
- Bottomley – Tom Benson
- Cartwright – Oliver Hall
- Charteris – Alex Dunnachie
- Crabtree – Paul Hidden
- Dishforth – Michael Knott
- Foster – Olly Rouse
- Gillings – Paul Wilshaw
- Jarvis – Lee Lasnon
- Kinley – Matthew Burdon
- Leadbetter – Jonathan Keeley
- Lord – Alex Graham
- Macilwaine – Adrian Brady
- Moss – Tim Brooks
- Rumbold – Will Mann
- Salter – Iain Trickett
- Skinner – Robert Franklin
- Spooner – Waye Dewey
- Tupper – Nicholas Burch
- Tredgold – Oliver Hopper
- Wigglesworth – Christos Lawton
- Wimpenny – Philip Burgess
Creative Team
- Director – Barry Baynton
- Stage Manager – Joe Brooks
- Set Designer – Eddie Colton
- Lighting and Sound – Nick Watkins
- Musical Director – Rebecca Gunnell
- Properties – Jan Stevenson
- Costumes – Ann Pond, Eileen Dunnachie and Carolyn Hewitt
- On The Book – Chrissie Wathen
- Set Construction – Saliann Colton, Brian Curry and The Company
- Make-up – Pam Feltham and Enid Davies
- Pyrotechnics – John Rouse
- Transportation – Ken Lambert
- Programme and Poster Design – Richard Neal
- Publicity – Barry Baynton
- Photography – Eddie Colton
- Caller – Matthew Gill
- Chaperone – Angela Ewing
Gallery
Review
Food for thought three decades on
We must be very grateful that the Lord Chamberlain’s powers of censorship expired in 1968, otherwise this gem of a play from Alan Bennett – which was on his desk at the time – might never have been performed.
Nearly 30 years later it is hard to see what anyone migt have found offensive in the text. There’s the occasional risque statement, some sexual inneundo (particularly about headmasters teaching pubescent boys aabout the facts of life – very amusing) and a couple of ribald rugby songs but certainly nothing to compare with some of theblatantly offensive stuff appearing on our stages today in the guise of “art”.
The basis of it is the last day of term at Albion House School with the Headmaster about to retire and the school presenting its end-of-year production.
Director Barry Bayntonis to be congartulated in being able to get the very best out of a cast of 22 young boys, gathered from six local schools. There is certainly plenty of budding talent for the future. Let’s hope they continue with their enthusiasm in years to come.
Jeremy Austin is delightful vague as the Headmaster, Geoff Whipp suitably frusrated as Franklin, the man due to take over the school, and Richard Neal a typical junior housemaster. A lovely cameo, too, from Margaret Pope as the Bursars’s secretary.
As they play went on I became increasingly aware of how prophetic Alan Bennett was when he wrote it. Very thought-provoking stuff.
Programme
