The Director of this production was Paul Green
This is Paul’s first outdoor show directing for Maskers, although it is the fourth outdoor show he has directed. Previous outdoor shows include Blue Remembered Hills at Romsey Abbey and The 39 Steps at The Minack Theatre, Cornwall. The most recent shows he directed for Maskers were An Italian Straw Hat (with Hazel Burrows and Chris Baker) at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, and Di and Viv and Rose at the Maskers Studio Theatre. Paul’s background is in physical theatre and he has tried to introduce this into the show together with a sense of silliness and fun.
Phileas Fogg played by Jonathan Barney Marmont
This is Jonathan’s sixth appearance with Maskers having been a member of other societies for a few years. Last summer, he played Professor Higgins in Pygmalion. Other recent roles include Boby in An Italian Straw Hat and Gregor Samsa in Metamorphosis for which he received the Best Actor Curtain Call Award for 2016. Jonathan enjoys playing such a wide variety of characters and performing in the open air. He is looking forward to riding in a hot air balloon.
Passepartout played by Ruben Sanchez-Garcia
Ruben joined Maskers in 2010 and has appeared at Hamptworth as a pirate in Treasure Island and as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other acting credits include Soldier in Chair and Peter in Zoo Story. He has also directed Butterfly Kiss at the Maskers Studio. Ruben is delighted to be trying out a French accent for this production in place of his native Spanish.
Mrs Aouda played by Suzanne Avery
After getting up to date with her inoculations and ensuring that there was still 6 months left on her passport, Suze has enjoyed getting stuck into Around The World In 80 Days. It certainly makes a refreshing change from her last role for Maskers in which she could be seen wearing extravagant frilly neon-pink knickers and weeing into a tea urn. Enjoy the refreshments.
Inspector Fix played by James Norton
James joined Maskers in 2007 for the outdoor production of Pride and Prejudice, and went on to take a leading role in Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors in 2008. Since joining he has also played a WWI soldier in Accrington Pals, a fumbling Mississippi lawyer in Crimes of the Heart, a swash buckling pirate in Treasure Island and the legendary Spitfire designer R.J. Mitchell among other roles. This is the fourth time James has performed on the Hamptworth stage, with the last being in Anne Boleyn (2013) playing George Villiers, the gay lover of King James I.
Mr Stuart / Colonel Stamp Proctor / Calcutta Policeman played by Adam Taussik
Since joining Maskers 14 years ago, Adam (a committed pacifist) has played a few soldiers and policemen (usually of the lower ranks), ending up as Colonel Pickering in last year’s Pygmalion - staying at this elevated rank seems logical enough. For this show, Adam will also be renewing the Victorian elegance of The Importance of Being Earnest and channelling the spirit of Baloo, the Indian bear, into the local police force. When not in the 19th Century, he has another life in Student Services at the University of Southampton.
Mr Flanagan / Street-Sweep / Enraged Man / Peninsular Conductor / Guard / Passenger / Mr Mudge played by David Jobson
David returns to Hamptworth after playing Buldeo in The Jungle Book. Following on appearances in the Chesil’s Three Musketeers and Robin Hood, he eagerly anticipates a summer of action-packed fun. He played Emile in An Italian Straw Hat in January. Having played two Frenchmen, an Indian and an peasant, finally he feels at home as a posh English bloke.
Enraged Person / Guard / Opium Smoker / Passenger / Train Porter played by Joanna Iacovou
Joanna has played many roles since joining Maskers over thirteen years ago; last year she was the Sarcastic Bystander in Pygmalion. Favourite roles have included Ruby Birtle in When We Are Married and Rita in Educating Rita. Jo branched out into directing with Our Town at Maskers Studio Theatre for which she won Best Director of a Drama in the Curtain Call Awards 2014.
James / Mr Naidu / Opium Smoker / Bandit / Liverpool Policeman played by Paul Baker
Paul made his debut for Maskers in 1996 in The Three Musketeers. He has been in every outdoor production since. This year he plays a number of parts. His main character is Mr Naidu an Indian businessman who was educated and lived in Wales for many years.
Flower Seller / Passenger / Captain von Darius / Captain Speedy played by Marie McDade
This will be Marie’s 4th outing on the Hamptworth stage – from Shakespearian fairy to Cockney Bystander via Kipling’s jungle panther, Bagheera, – and she is looking forward to tackling several more eccentric roles this year, including a bit of cross-dressing!
Mr Ralph / Suez Consul / Bombay Consul / Hong Kong Consul / Batulcar / Bandit played by Jez Minns
Jez has worked as an amateur and professional actor on stage, TV and film for the last 30 years. When he was young and good looking he played Jesus in The Master and Margarita and Sordido in Howard Barker's version of Women Beware Women. His last stage appearance was as a French policeman in An Italian Straw Hat, sporting another magnificent moustache!
Beggar Woman / Judge Obadiah / Passenger played by Sue Dashper
Sue has been a regular in the Hamptworth cast playing various maids, monkeys, fairies and now a new selection of characters. Sue was finally allowed to be a member of the gentry in An Italian Straw Hat this year. She was nominated for a Curtain Call Award 2016 for best supporting actress for her role as Mrs Samsa in Metamorphosis.
Enraged Person / Clerk / Opium Smoker / Carnatic Purser / Passenger / Bandit / Sailor played by Hazel Slawson
This is Hazel’s debut with Maskers and she has certainly been thrown in the deep end! Her range of parts means she is unlikely to stand still for ten days.
Miss Singh / Passenger / Engineer played by Molly McDade
When Molly left for university after playing Tabaqui, Shere Khan’s mangy, rabid jackal sidekick in The Jungle Book, we thought we had lost her – at least for a few years. However, she managed to return for a cameo appearance in Pygmalion and is back again this year with her pet elephant.
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