Anything Goes

The Synopsis

Welcome to the 1984 revival of the 1962 revival of the 1934 production of “Anything Goes”. It’s a zany, fast moving, pacy comedy, which brings a smile to everyone’s lips in a mix-up of shipboard, romances, bumbling gangsters, bored passengers, assumed identities and great music. Its unlikely plot borders on absurdity, making it true escapism for all the family. The whimsical introduction of the songs and dances, many of them popular in their own right, provides just the right blend of enjoyment for a truly memorable production. Certainly, this production has provided endless enjoyment for the cast mad production crew throughout rehearsals, because of its great humour and Cole Porter’s glorious songs. We welcome you aboard the “S.S. America”, now sailing from New York to London, and trust that you enjoy this cruise into Cole Porter’s wonderful world of musical comedy…”.

The Production Team

Director – Peter Burgess

Choreographer – Anne Kay

Assistant Director – David Ivins

Musical Director – Reni Rugers

Rehearsal Pianist – Richard Moore

The Cast

Ian Nicholas (Elisa J. Whitney), Arthur del Corral (Billy Crocker), Trudi Dalton (Reno Lagrange), Nola Verrills (Reporter), Alan Bryce (Cameraman), Peter Marshall (Sir Evelyn Oakleigh), Julianne Ryan (Hope Harcourt), Judy Kennedy (Mrs. Wadsworth T. Harcourt), Paul right (Bishop Dobson), Julie Aubert (Ching), Anne Wilson (Ling), Greg Hansford (Purser), Janelle Ingles (Stewardess), Russell McNair (1^st Detective), Ross Clarke (2^nd Detective), Betty Tougher (Mrs. Wentworth), Carole Barry (Mrs. Frick), Bill Barry (Reverend Dr. Moon), Beverley Ivins (Bonnie Le Tour), Denis Bryce (Drunk), Don Donaldson (Captain), Gregory Lloyd (Junior), Mandy Osborne, Caryn Hansford, Mary-Anne Schmidtmann, Debbie Vincent, Lorraine Baines, Lynne Chester, Jacky Foley, Jennifer Gann, Leanne Taylor, Irene Deignan, Danielle Norton, Katrina Staines, Marie Williams, Janet Kay, Helen Nicholas, Elizabeth Ward, Craig Saxon, Justin Moss, Robert Lashmore, Michael Heaton, Vicki Boorman, Kathy Ritchie.

Iolanthe

The Synopsis

A flight of fairies, lamenting the loss of their beloved Iolanthe, beg their queen to bring her back from banishment…Iolanthe had broken a fairy law by marrying a mortal & had chosen to serve her sentence at the bottom of a nearby pond, so as to be near her son, Strephon, an Arcadian shepherd. Because he is half fairy-half mortal, Strephon has problems…He is also in love with Phyllis, a ward of the Lord Chancellor, who will not give consent to their marriage…This situation is also a problematical for Phyllis, as all the peers of the House of Lords are in love with her as well. In fact, the Lord Chancellor himself is affected by her charms, despite their differences in rank and age. Broken hearted, Strephon is comforted by his mother, who despite her advanced age, looks but a lass of seventeen. This meeting is observed by the peers and Phyllis, who immediately suspect Strephon of faithlessness. . . Of corse, they laugh him to scorn when he claims Iothanthe is his mother and Phyllis decides to marry one of the Lords . . . She doesn’t care which . . . Flying to Strephon’s aid, the fairy queen and the fairies threaten the peers, who, thinking they are a pack of schoolgirls rudely tell them to go about their own affairs . . . Furious, the fairy queen puts a spoke in their wheel, by sending Strephon into parliament, thus upsetting parliamentary privilege and giving Strephon the courage to reject Phyllis. In a song setting forth his political philosophy, Private Willis stands sentry outside the Houses of Parliament. . Suddenly, in troop the fairies, very pleased with events . . Then come the peers, not very pleased with events at all . . . Despite themselves, the fairies fall in love with the peers . . . but to marry a mortal is death! Further amorous complications set in . . . These involve Mountararat, Tolloller and the Lord Chancellor, all in love with Phyllis. But, Strephon, unable to manage without Phyllis reclaims her love and enlists Iolanthe’s aid to sort things out with the Lord Chancellor. . This she does and prepares herself or death . . . In the meantime, however, all the fairies have married mortals, so the Lord Chancellor rules that the law be changed to read “All who don’t marry mortals shall die”. This prompts the fairy queen to immediately marry Private Willis, and we are left to presume that they all lived happily ever after.

The Production Team

Director – Marjorie Simpson

Choreographer – Caryn Hansford

Musical Director – Kate Palethorpe

Rehearsal Pianist – Nan Thomson

The Cast

Peter Burgess (The Lord Chancellor), Keith Garratt (The Earl of Mountararat), David Ivins (Earl Tolloller), Robert Neill (Private Willis), Alan Bryce (Strephon), Lorraine Grant (The Queen of the Fairies), Susan Deering (Iolanthe), Beverley Ivins (Phyllis), Moira Hooker (Ceilia), Lynne Chester (Leila), Janelle Ingles (Fleta), Greg Jones (Pageboy), Fiona Jones (Baby Fairy), Walter Neil, Peter Marshall, Robert Lashmore, Don Donaldson, Paul Wright, Fred Jones, Russell McNair, Bill Barry, Andrew Cantrell, Greg Wallace, Jim Van Dore, Ian Nicholas, Jon Gowlland, Denis Bryce, Lorraine Baines, Julie Aubert, Carole Barry, Robyn Willis, Judy Kennedy, Janet Kay, Adele Laird, Marion Palazzi, Elizabeth Ward, Gail Denham, Ingrid Postema, Margaret McMurtry, Anne Kitto.

Once Upon a Mattress

The Synopsis

Once Upon A Mattress is based on the famous fairy-tale, The Princess and the pea. Due to an unhappy curse, King Sextimus is unable to speak. Meanwhile, his terror of a wife, Queen Aggravian has taken over control of the kingdom. Most importantly, in an attempt to keep Prince Dauntless single, she has decreed that only the princess that can pass her test may marry her son. Further, no one else in the kingdom may marry until Prince Dauntless does. Lady Larkin and Sir Harry are extremely disturbed by this fact since Lady Larkin is now pregnant with Sir Harry’s baby. Luckily, Sir Harry is able to find an amazing princess Winnifred the Woebegone. She instantly catches the attention of Prince Dauntless, and in the end, is able to pass the Queen’s supposedly impassable sensitivity test. When the Queen still tries to prevent the Prince Dauntless from marrying, he tells her to “shut up” which ends up breaking the curse on the King. Now able to speak, King Sextimus regains his rightful position as leader of the kingdom, and all is well.

The Production Team

Director – Bob Neill

Choreographer – Caryn Hansford

Musical Director – Reni Rugers

Assistant Director – Caryn Hansford

Rehearsal Pianist – Richard Moore

The Cast

Doug Merrick (Minstrel), Allan Ingles (Wizard), Fred Jones (Jester), Elizabeth Tolhurst (Lady Larkin), Don Donaldson (Sir Harry), King Sextimus (Bill Barry), Susan Garside (Queen Aggravain), Greg Hansford (Prince Dauntless), Madeleine Witzlsperger (Princess Winifred), Irene Deignan (Princess No 12), Ian Nicholas (Sir Studley), Robert Lashmore) Sir Luce), Betty Tougher (Lady Rowena), Marie Williams (Lady Merrill), Carole Barry (Lady Lucile), Bernadette Williams (Lady Mabelle), Louise Reed (Nightingale), Julie Aubert, Suzi Cantrell, Irene Deignan, Jacky Foley, Moira Hooker, Janelle Ingles, Judy Kennedy, Jeanette Kerr, Helen Nicholas, Danielle Norton, Louise Reed, Leanne Taylor, Kim Toby, Bernadette Williams, Anne Wilson, Traci Martin, Fiona Kennedy, Lynne Chester, Russell McNair, Craig Saxon, Basil Williams, Ian Smith, Robert Lashmore, Ian Nicolas.