Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
Directed by John McLaren
11 – 16 July 2011
Freely adapted from the surviving plays of Plautus, this show ran for three years on Broadway with Zero Mostel as the cowardly slave, Pseudolus. The first British production, with Frankie Howerd, ran almost as long and spawned the TV series Up Pompeii! “A Funny Thing…” was only Sondheim’s third musical and the first for which he wrote the score as well as the lyrics. On the first two, West Side Story and Gypsy, he had written lyrics only. It opened on Broadway in May 1962 and ran for 964 performances.
Cast
Senex, a citizen of Rome – Clive Madel
Domina, his wife – Eileen Warner
Hero, their son – Scott Godfrey
Pseudolus, slave to Hero – Ian Humphreys
Hysterium, head slave to the House of Senex – Gareth Hunt
Lycus, a dealer in courtesans – Ken Swan
Erronius, a citizen of Rome – Frank Andrews
Philia, a virgin – Natasha Kissane
Miles Gloriosus, a warrior – Mark Jamieson
Tintinabula, a Courtesan – Alice Heather
Panacea, a Courtesan – Nicola Milner
The Geminae, Courtesans – Charlotte Constant, Laura Bonner
Vibrata, a Courtesan – Kelly Randall
Gymnasia, a Courtesan – Tamsin Renno
The Proteans – Tom Hopkins, Tony Garrett, Pele Hearne
Crew
Musical Director – Andy Hall
Choreography – Tamsin Renno
Stage Manager – Mike Whitnall
Set Design – Ken Swan, Emma Constant
Set Build – Ken Swan, Albert Tilbury, Steve Nash, Trevor Jeffries, Fred Hall, Frank Andrews, Paul Andrews
Scenic Art – Emma Constant, Polly Owen, Charlotte Constant, Tobi Soremekun
Publicity – Emma and Charlotte Constant
Lighting – Wendi Freeman, Sam Dowsett, Mike Auvray
Properties – Emma Constant, Sarah Boyd
Wigs – Christine Angell
Continuity – Louise Dagdeviren
Costumes – Marjorie Sawyer, Carole Bramall, Marian Redding