The Director of this production is Jez Minns
Jez has been a Masker for nearly thirty years now. Mostly he is known as an actor, but he has also done a fair bit of directing, once for the Maskers, when he directed the light-hearted one-act comedy, Sharks in the Custard, and in his twenties for various companies in the Midlands. He directed The Sons of Light, by David Rudkin, an amazing large-cast tragedy and a huge undertaking. He also directed the farce, Can’t Pay! Won’t Pay! by Dario Fo, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, the latter winning Pick of the Week in the Scotsman newspaper when he took it to the Edinburgh Fringe. When Jez is not doing theatre, he spends his time painting and sketching and writing poetry.
Ephraim Cabot, a farmer is played by Duncan Randall
Duncan is involved in various community theatre groups in Southampton. Duncan joined the Maskers 2022, playing Athos in The Three Musketeers. Since then, he has appeared in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Gormenghast, Time and Tide, Blithe Spirit, Murder in the Studio, Romeo and Juliet, Blue Remembered Hills and most recently, Absurd Person Singular. It has been a challenge to play Ephraim for, although Duncan is also old and grumpy, that is where the similarities end. As Duncan says, “When you are playing a nasty piece of work like Ephraim you have to find some redeeming aspect, even if it is buried somewhere, out in the fields, with all those stones”.
Simeon Cabot, his eldest son / Sheriff is played by Iain Shaw
This play marks Iain’s 2nd performance for Maskers, having played another Peter in last year’s, Blue Remembered Hills. Prior to his work with Maskers, Iain was part of the Blag It theatre Company and starred in an internet audio sitcom and a series of audio plays he produced for charity. When Iain isn’t treading the boards, he can be found hosting stage events and interviews, walking his dog, Willow, and hosting podcasts. Iain is also a carer for his mother in his hometown of Romsey.
Peter Cabot, his second son / Deputy is played by Jez Minns
Jez has appeared in many Maskers’ shows over the years. He was last seen in Blue Remembered Hills, when he played the tragic and ill-fated Donald and as the irascible Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet. Other recent performances include Mr Jenkins, the fuddy duddy benefits inspector in Cash on Delivery, 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.
Eben Cabot, his youngest son is played by Neil Forster
Neil joined Maskers in 2021 and has since made appearances in Romeo & Juliet, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Almost, Maine, and Four Weddings and an Elvis. Most recently he could be seen as a collection of quirky characters in this year's production of Notes from a Small Island. A native Geordie (ish), Neil grew up in South Shields and has been moving further and further south since he left school. Next stop: Isle of Wight!
Abbie Cabot, Ephraim's new wife is played by Emma Kirkpatrick
Emma has had a keen interest in performing since she was very young. She was part of an amateur dramatic theatre group when she lived in Devon during her teenage years and then went on to gain a degree in Drama and Theatre Studies at Aberystwyth University. After Emma moved to Southampton, she joined Maskers in 2021 and made her debut performance in Out of Focus. Since then, she has appeared in The Three Musketeers and Cash on Delivery.
The Fiddler is played by Alan Fitch
Alan Fitch learned the violin at school but then stopped playing for 25 years until taking it up again by joining the Northwood String Orchestra in Southampton in 2007. Alan is now the Chair of the Northwood String Orchestra and plays in the first violins. Alan also plays folk music (on both violin and hammered dulcimer) with the Southampton Folk Orchestra. Alan is a volunteer at Southampton Hospital Radio, and it is via a friend there that he was asked to play the fiddle (a.k.a. violin!) for Desire Under the Elms.
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