Kindly Leave The Stage
Written by John Chapman
Directed by Richard Banks
28th May – 2nd June 2007
The marriage of Rupert and Sarah is on the rocks and their friends, Charles and Madge, both of whom are lawyers, agree to handle the divorce. After the curtain has been up a few minutes, Rupert forgets his lines, has a brain storm and threatens to kill Charles in full view of the audience because he’s been having an affair, off stage, with Rupert’s real wife, Madge. Quite true as it happens. The rest of the cast try to ignore the incident and forge ahead with the original play but Rupert picks up a knife and advances on Charles, who is forced to take cover in a large cabin trunk which is on the set at the time. A real life marital comedy now evolves. The situation is further complicated when the actor playing the old father, Edward, makes his entrance. He is an ageing Shakespearean star, once famous for his King Lear but now an alcoholic on the skids. He happens to have asked his new agent to the performance that night. Edward is blissfully unaware that the play has switched from art to life. Out of loyalty to a fellow actor, the rest of the cast do their best to accommodate the poor chap, but he gradually begins to crack up, especially as some of his cues are coming from a cabin trunk. The play is a light-hearted tilt at the complete theatricality of stage folk.
Cast
Charles – Paul Grimshaw
Madge – Eileen Warner
Sarah – Helen Bezer
Rupert – Steve Padgham
Mrs. C – Viv Stapleton
Angela – Rachel De Silva
Nurse Brown – Debbie Fryer
Clive – Clive Madel
Edward – Horry Stapleton
Crew
Stage Manager – Liz Gillett
Continuity – Clive Madel
Lighting – Wendi Freeman
Sound – Marian Andrews
Properties – Emma Stewart, Jenny McKiernan
Wardrobe – Marjorie Sawyer, Carole Bramall and Cast
Set Design and Manager – Keith Jarman
Set Preparation, Construction and Painting – Trevor Jeffries, Albert Tilbury