Salisbury Playhouse
onSunday 23rd March 1975
Adjudicated by Michael Green
The Bournemouth Little Theatre Club
in The Merchant of Venice (Act IV)
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Hann with
Members of The Eddystone Lighthouse Theatre-in-the-Round Company
in Hamlet
The National Theatre
in A Ski Lift to Murder
Pitton Theatre Club (The Middle-Aged Vick)
in Othello (Act V)
The Salisbury Playhouse (Tenby Operatic and Dramatic Society (TOADS))
in The Seagull
The Questors Theatre
in The Vicar Did It
Unbelievably it is over ten years since Michael Green’s classic The Art of Coarse Acting was published. And when the idea of this festival was first discussed less than ten months ago, all three of us directly concerned said: “Oh Yes. I have a copy--of course.” And all three of us sheepishly admitted a day or two later that ours could not be found. The result, no doubt, of the exercise of The Art of Coarse Lending.
The book covers the whole field of theatre - indeed it is sub-titled “How to Wreck an Amateur Dramatic Society” In this Festival we have restricted ourselves to the stage itself. Teams competing in the Preliminary Round in Salisbury, in Southampton and in Weymouth were given a list of subjects from which to choose and allowed 9 to 12 minutes, and from 2 to 7 performers with which to complete their task. For the Final, the same conditions apply except that the teams may perform any piece they like. But throughout, and above all, they have been asked to enjoy themselves and to entertain you, the audience. If any team has taken itself seriously it has broken Law One of Coarse Festivals.
In tonight's Final, we have the winners from each of the three Regional heats competing against a team from the Salisbury Playhouse and invited Companies.from The Questors (Michael Green's current Coarse Acting and Coarse Drinking home), and from the National Theatre. Four amateur teams taking on two professionals, so anything can happen - and should!
1. The Bournemouth Little Theatre Club
in The Merchant of Venice (Act IV)
Cast | played by: |
Duke of Venice | Leon Joiner |
Narissa | Venessa Dean |
Antonio | John White |
Shylock | Alan Jarvis |
Bassanio | Philip Mutton |
Portia | Eileen Rawlings |
Gratiano | Derek Hyder |
Production Team | |
Directed by | Keith Rawlings |
Back Stage | Pam Field, John Tickler |
2. The Maskers
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Hann with Members of The Eddystone Lighthouse Theatre-in-the-Round Company
in Hamlet
Cast | played by: |
Hamlet | Mr.Kenneth Hann |
Francisco | Pete White |
Barnardo | Kenneth Spencer |
Horatio | John Carrington |
Marcellus | Michael Shailer |
Ghost | Rev.Graham Buchanan |
Claudius | Kenneth Spencer |
Gertrude | Mrs.Kenneth Hann |
Voltemand | John Carrington |
Cornelius | Michael Shailer |
Polonius | Pete White |
Laertes | Rev.Graham Buchanan |
Ophelia | Mrs.Kenneth Hann |
Production Team | |
Directed by | Mr.Kenneth Hann |
Costumes | Mrs.Kenneth Hann |
Lighting | Mr.Kenneth Hann |
Sound | Mr.Kenneth Hann |
Effects | Mr.Kenneth Hann |
3. The National Theatre
in A Ski Lift to Murder
by Dame Agatha Coward
with assistance from Peter Robert Scott
Stage Manager: Phil Robins
Cast | played by: |
Lady Marjorie Sloane | Jemifer Plercey |
Harry Half-Worthington | Harry Waters |
Austin Catch-Ffumbler | Philip Trewinard |
Greta Protopopov | Christine Edmonds |
Inspector Percule | Robert McBain |
Seep, the Butler | Michael Stroud |
Daphne, the Maid | Doran Godwin |
A Body | Peter Robert Scott |
4. The Pitton Theatre Club (The Middle-Aged Vick)
in Othello (Act V)
by William Shakespeare
Adaptated and Directed by Jeanne Judd
Cast | played by: |
Lodovico | John Veck |
Desdemona | June Ainsworth |
Othello | Frank Simmons |
Einilia | Jeanne Judd |
Cassio | Martin Blandford |
Bianca | Irene Tevendale |
Iago | Jim Whitby |
5. The Salisbury Playhouse (Tenby Operatic and Dramatic Society (TOADS))
in The Seagull
by Anton Chekov
Produced by Reginald Askew (David Grout)
Cast | played by: |
Medviedenko | Mr.Marcus Fipps (Jeffrey Perry) |
Masha | Miss Billa Harrod (Patience Tomlinson) |
Vershinin | Rev.Stratford Molesworth (Roger Leach) |
Olga | Mrs.Betty Askew (Tricia Thorns) |
6. The Questors Theatre
in The Vicar Did It
by Peter Out
Directed by anyone who happened to be passing at the time
Scene: The drawing room of d'Arcy Towers home of Sir Henry d'Arcy somewhere in Kent
Cast | played by: |
Inspector | David Pearson |
d'Arcy | Richard Gaunt |
Mrs. d'Arcy | Margaret Turner |
Hubert | John Wilbourn |
Major | John Turner |
Vicar | David Crewes |
Cook | Lorna Duval |
James | Michael Langridge |