The Beggar's Opera

by

 John Gay and Dr Pepusch

and directed by

 Philip de Grouchy

The Maskers Theatre Company presented The Beggar's Opera in the Masker's Studio Theatre from Monday 20th to Saturday 25th October 2008.

Director's Notes

This piece, first staged in 1728, made history as the longest run -- 63 nights! -- on the English stage up to then. John Gay's play-with-songs was the experimental theatre of its day, and was the forerunner of  many more such 'ballad operas' during the 18th century, in which the dialogue was interspersed with with appropriate short songs set to traditional or currently popular tunes. The society of its time is satirised in the play, where self-interest and greed are the only motivations of most of the characters, and where the behaviour of the ruling class is parodied by that of the criminal class. Our version of this 'Negate Pastoral' does not claim to be fully authentic; we have taken some liberties with the script, but have endeavoured to the vigour and rumbustiousness of the original. Our singing in places may be enthusiastic rather than operatic, but this is an entertainment to performed by singing actors, rather than acting singers, so we hope you will accept it in that spirit.

Philip de Grouchy

The Cast

For The Maskers

Photographs by courtesy of Clive Weeks (www.cwphotos.co.uk)

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