THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS

by Carlo Goldini

 

performed at the Nuffield Theatre on 28th April to 2nd May, 1987
 

The Cast

Doctor Lombardi

David Bartlett

Brighella

Graham Buchanan

Silvio

Iain Coleman

Pantalone

Ken Spencer

Smeraldia

Hazel Burrows

Clarice

Catherine Nolan

Truffaldino

Brian Stansbridge

Beatrice Rasponi

Ros Liddiard

Florindo Aretusi

Chris Williams

Porter

Gardner Chalmers

Fat Waiter

Albert Minns

Young Waiter

Tony Lawther

Musicians

Zoe Humphreys, Chris Nelson

Crowd

Hilary Bowen, Janet Cairney, John Carrington, Jan Ward, Meri Lawther, Jean Durman, Graham Hill, Debbie Moorhouse

 

For the Maskers

 

Director

Peter White

Lighting

Sue Cunningham, Clive Weeks, Alexis Clarkson

Set Design

John Hamon

Set Construction and Decoration

David allen, John Riggs, Louise White, Janet Cairney, Gardner Chalmers, Graham Hill, Peter Liddiard, Roger Lockett

Props

Ella Lockett, Jan Ward

Special Effects

Tony Lawther

Wardrobe

Janet Cairney

 

 

Carlo Goldini

 

Carlo Goldini was born in venice in 1707. He studied Law at Padua but was more interested in the theatre. He wrote for the stage from 1734 and gave up the Law entirely in 1747. He wrote numerous comedies and many comic operas which enjoyed considerable success.

 

He wrote The Servant of Two Masters in 1743. The play owes a lot to the traditional Commedia‍ dell’Arte characters of Pantalone,  Brighella and Harlequin (Truffaldino) and to Goldini’s bourgeois Venetian background. Goldini took the traditional Comedia dell’arte plots and used them for his own ends, creating the first written scripts for this type of comedy. He also did away with the traditional modest heroines and replaced them with more spirited and assertive ladies.