The Director of this production is Brian Stansbridge
Brian has been a member of Maskers for fifty years and during that time has performed in many, many productions. His most recent performances have included Time and Tide... - an anthology of poems, songs and readings celebrating Southampton’s maritime history – and Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Brian is also a regular Director for the Maskers. In recent times, he has directed Much Ado About Nothing, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Servant of Two Masters, The Comedy of Errors and The Man in The Iron Mask, as well as several of the ever-popular Christmas productions at the Makers Studio in Shirley.
During Covid lockdown, when theatre performances weren’t allowed, Brian wrote a short play, Parklife, which a small team of Maskers presented in parks in and around Southampton, to general acclaim. The play saw a friendship develop between a couple of slightly lost souls enjoying the sunshine in their local park, whilst bemoaning the way lockdown impacted on their daily lives. That probably sounds a bit grim, but there were many comic moments! It might be worth reviving in a few years’ time, just to amuse us and remind us of those unprecedented precautions we were all obliged to take.
When not busy with Maskers and grandparent duties, Brian sings and plays guitar and keyboard in a covers band, which he absolutely loves. We guess that performing is just part of his DNA.
Romeo is played by Neil Forster
This is Neil's fourth show with Maskers since 2022, after appearing in Almost, Maine, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Four Weddings and an Elvis. A native Geordie(ish), Neil grew up in South Shields and studied at York University, where he performed in various productions including Cider with Rosie, Arcadia, and Journey’s End. He later moved to London, where he appeared in many other shows including A Clockwork Orange, Oh What a Lovely War! and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Juliet is played by Katherine Evans
Katherine is extremely thankful for whatever stars aligned to give her the opportunity of playing the iconic, star-crossed heroine Juliet! She also likes to think it a favourable omen that her mum got a dog last year called Montague (aka Monty), who has proved a trusty practice companion. Previous roles with Maskers include Anne Page (The Merry Wives of Windsor), Hero (Much Ado About Nothing), Eliza Doolittle (Pygmalion), Emily (Our Town) and Cecily (The Importance of Being Earnest). Katherine studied Classics and English at university and is a big Shakespeare fan. Other passions include singing, music, birdwatching and crochet.
Lord Capulet is played by Jeremy Minns
Lord Capulet played by Jez Minns - Jez has been a member of the Maskers for nearly thirty years now. He started off playing small supporting roles, and then, more recently, has been taking on bigger challenges. His last performance was as Mr Jenkins, the fuddy duddy benefits inspector in Cash on Delivery. Other recent performances include the corrupt Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray and the drunkard Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing. When he isn’t doing theatre, Jez enjoys painting and sketching and writing poetry.
Lady Capulet is played by Kate Grundy-Garcia
Kate has been a Masker for many years and most recently played Ruth in Blithe Spirit. She is loving playing the rather selfish and demanding Lady Capulet but, as a mother of four, cannot quite comprehend how any mother can be so dismissive and cruel to her one and only daughter!
Nurse is played by Abi Linnartz
Abi is delighted to be returning to Townhill Park House, where she last appeared as Aramis in The Three Musketeers. Abi has performed with a variety of drama companies throughout the area such as Southampton University Players, Forum Theatre, Dolce Vita Theatre Company, The Wayfarers, RAODS and with Titchfield Festival Theatre, where she also directed The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Great Barn. Abi has also performed at the Brighton Fringe in The Field Street Monologues for Rusty Bucket Productions. Having always been at the wrong end of the age scale for Romeo and Juliet, she’s delighted to finally have been deemed old enough for the Nurse!
Montague is played by Philip De Grouchy
Lord Montague played by Philip de Grouchy — Over the last fifty years, Philip has played a large number of varied characters with Maskers, including Scrooge in Christmas with the Cratchits, East/Man in Almost, Maine and Mr Forbright the Undertaker in Cash on Delivery. Philip also directs; his most recent production was Blithe Spirit last year.
Lady Montague is played by Jenni Watson
Jenni is delighted to be cast as Lady Montague and to be directed again by Brian Stansbridge. Over the last 55 years she has performed for Maskers, as well as many local groups, in a variety of settings. Her favourite roles include, Lady Booby (Joseph Andrews), Nancy (Sitting Pretty), Mrs Pearce (Pygmalion), Bottom (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) the Contessa (An Italian Straw Hat), Margaret (Much Ado about Nothing), and Mrs Reed and Mrs Fairfax in last year’s summer production of Jane Eyre. More recently she appeared as Beatrice in After Life for SUP and as Yvonne in Hi-de-Hi for RAODS. It will be a pleasure to be acting with such a talented cast!
Benvolio is played by Rob Iliffe
"Dad, why are YOU playing the only sensible one in the play?!" “You'll have to ask the director...”
Rob has previously performed for Maskers in Murder in the Studio, Almost, Maine, and Jane Eyre.
Mercutio is played by Sam Hussey
Sam is very excited to be back in an outdoor Shakespeare play again, having debuted with Maskers as Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, followed by playing Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, opposite his wife, Anna, as Beatrice. Most recently he decided to take to the director’s chair for the hilarious farce Cash on Delivery at the studio but couldn’t pass up a chance at another bucket list role in the open-air. It’s also an excellent chance to fight his wife with swords, which is generally frowned upon outside of the theatre.
Tybalt is played by Adam Taussik
Since joining Maskers 20 years ago, Adam has played characters of many ranks, from peasants to kings (with a smattering of vicars, chefs and bears), and now an Italian dandy – though not his first Shakespearian Italian. For this show, Adam will also be keeping up the swashbuckling tone of Gormenghast and wields a sword as well as the next man - especially as the next man is Sam, who slayed Chef Swelter last year ("Revenge!" as the ghostly Swelter demanded, and now served 'con ghiaccio')
Friar Laurence is played by Duncan Randall
Duncan started as a character actor at primary school. He has been involved in various community theatre groups. On moving to the south coast, he joined Titchfield Festival Theatre (TFT); creating roles such as: Bri in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Enobarbus (Anthony and Cleopatra), Goldberg (The Birthday Party) and the Landlord in Jim Cartwright’s Two. Duncan joined the Maskers in 2022, playing Athos in The Three Musketeers. Since then, he has appeared in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Gormenghast, Time and Tide..., Blithe Spirit and most recently Murder in the Studio, where he died each night (more accurately his cabbage head was foleyed!)
Samson is played by Anna Hussey
Anna joined Maskers in 2018 and has been involved both on and off stage. Debuting with Maskers in Wyrd Sisters as part of the ensemble, Anna has since played many roles, including her favourite: Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing opposite her husband, Sam, as Benedick. Anna is excited to fight toe to toe with him again as the brash and antagonistic Samson!
Gregory / Friar John are played by Paul Baker
Paul has been in over twenty-five shows in the open air for Maskers. During that time he has played a variety of roles including Weasel Norman in The Wind in the Willows, Thomas Cromwell in Anne Boleyn and often multiple parts in the same production, as evidenced when he played four different characters in The Three Musketeers. This is Paul’s first production outside since 2022, ending a run of four consecutive productions in Maskers Studio, where he played Sepulchrave in Gormenghast and Chris Kriegle, the Santa Burglar in Sorry, Wrong Chimney!, Uncle George in Cash on Delivery and, most recently, three different characters in Murder in the Studio. This year he appears in the opening act as a servant and near the end briefly as a hapless Friar John.
Paris is played by Robert Osborne
Robert has been with Maskers since 2011. He has served on the committee as Productions Director, acted in over 10 shows and, most recently, directed Maskers 2023 Christmas show, Sorry! Wrong Chimney! He has stage managed several of Maskers’ open-air shows at both Hamptworth Lodge and The Gregg school but this is the first time he has acted in a Maskers’ open-air production. Despite having a degree in English Literature, this is also his first time appearing in a Shakespeare play. Learning Shakespeare is certainly different to writing essays on it!
Prince is played by Michele Zadra
Romeo and Juliet is Michele’s second play for Maskers. In 2021, he played Father Francis in Much Ado About Nothing. Apart from Maskers, Michele has been involved in several productions from other amateur companies in the Southampton area, such as SUP, RAODS, and Bishopstoke Players. His experiences range from farces, sketch shows, and improv, to murder mysteries, radio plays, dramas, and Shakespeare. Michele is enjoying playing the Prince of Verona and he is looking forward to performing in front of an audience in the beautiful scenery of the Townhill Park House gardens.
Petra is played by Tash Priddle
This is Tash’s third time performing with Maskers. She has previous played Brenda Dixon in Cash on Delivery and Julia in Murder in the Studio.
Apothecary is played by Angela Stansbridge
Angie has been an active member of Masker since 1973 and has enjoyed playing a wide variety of parts including in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Out of Focus, Much Ado about Nothing, Twelfth Night, Ten Times Table, The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Quixote, and Treasure Island. She also regularly works on the set dressing for the studio plays. Angie is working alongside her husband Brian as Production Manager for this show making sure everything runs smoothly! Angie has recently been Chair of Maskers and as a member of the Marketing Team she is rarely seen without a bundle of flyers in her hand promoting our shows!!
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