The Boys From
Louise starred
as Adriana in The New Shakespeare Company's production at The Regent's Park
Open Air Theatre from 24 July (previews 22 July) to 5 September 1991. That
Autumn the production went on tour, including playing The Forum Theatre
Billingham Cleveland around 17 September 1991, and Theatre Royal Brighton from
14 to 19 October 1991. The tour may have
also included the
This Musical
version of A Comedy of Errors was directed by Judi Dench, herself familiar with
the role of Adriana, fortunately:
"I would never give actors inflections; it inhibits
their creativity, particularly in a part I'd played myself." Judi
Dench to
To which it is
added:
"It's a trap she's aware of again with Louise
Gold's Adriana, although I would give a lot to hear Dame Judi's version of
Falling In Love With Love"
Cast
Sergeant - Robert Lister
Duke - Nick Kemp
Aegeon - Jim McManus
Anthipholus of
Dromio of
Tailor - David Gooderson
Anthipholus of
Dromio of
Merchant of
Apprentice - Samatha Spiro
Angelo - Martin Chamberlain
Corporal - Daniel Ryan
Luce - Jenny Galloway
Adriana - Louise Gold
Luciana - Gillian Bevan
Maids - Sarah Parks and Emily Raymond
Sorcerer - Jim McManus
Courtesan - Anna Nicholas
Fatima - Emily Raymond
Courtesans/Amazons - Jo Montgomery and Samantha Spiro
Merchant of
Emilia - Sarah Parks
Production Team
Music - Richard Rodgers
Lyrics - Lorenz Hart
Book - George Abbott
Based on "The
Comedy Of Errors" by William Shakespeare
Original
Production – 23 November 1938, The
Director - Judi Dench
Designer - James Merifield
Musical Director - Catherine Jayes
Choreographer - Kenn Oldfield
Lighting Designer - Jason Taylor
Sound Designer - Simon Whitehorn
Many of the
cast also appeared in the New Shakespeare Company's production of A
Midsummer Night's Dream that
year. Louise Gold returned to The New Shakespeare Company and The
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre six years later, in 1997, to star in Kiss Me Kate.
As The
Boys From Syracuse was presented in repertory (with A Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth), the actual dates of
the performances were: Previews from 22 and 23 July. Performance from: 24 to 30
July, 10 to 14 August, 21 to 23 August, 29 and 30 August, and, 4 and 5
September.
The show was
nominated for four Olivier Awards, namely: James Merifield
nominated for Costume Designer Of The Year, Jenny Galloway
nominated for Outstanding Performance Of The Year In A Supporting Role In A
Musical Or Entertainment, Judi Dench nominated for Director Of
The Year Of A Musical Or Entertainment, The Show nominated for Outstanding
Revival Of The Year Of A Musical (on the latter it seems to have lost out
to Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). Out of these
four nominations, the show actually won two Olivier Awards. Judi Dench won for Best Musical
Revival and Jenny Galloway won for Best Supporting Actress In A
Musical.
Funnily enough
about eight years later, as Rosie in Mamma Mia, Jenny Galloway
was again the winner of Best Supporting Actress In A Musical.
The trio: Gillian
Bevan, Jenny Galloway and Louise Gold went on to reprise
their performance of Sing For Your Supper in: Regents Park 70th Anniversary Gala
This occasion also featured
Gillian
Bevan and Louise Gold may
also have danced Kenn Oldfield’s choreography in Comedy Tonight
Judi Dench may also have gone on to appear in Comedy Tonight
Kenn
Oldfield had previously done some
of the choreography for Will-Aid.
Seventeen
years earlier, as a young actress just starting out, Louise Gold had
played Theatre Royal Brighton as a member of The Tribe in a tour Hair.
Five years
earlier Gillian Bevan was briefly an
understudy/replacement for Louise Gold
in a production of Blood Brothers.
Louise Gold and Jenny Galloway had previously appeared
together in Godspell.
Choreographer Kenn
Oldfield had appeared on stage with Louise Gold, fifteen years
earlier, in Joseph
and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Touring Production) .
Judi Dench went on to sing on a recording of Cabaret.
Louise Gold and Anna Nicholas went on to appear in Follies.
Judi Dench went on to appear in Side By Side By
Sondheim 30th Anniversary Gala.
Anna Nicholas went on to appear in A Love Letter
To Dan.
Gillian Bevan may previously have taken part in Thing
A Thon, her recording credits include Centre Stage Showtime!, Magic Of The Musicals, 100 Hits Musicals, and, The Great Musicals - From Broadway to
Hollywood.
Critics Comments
" - Louise Gold's ardent Adriana bills and coos
with the wrong Antipholus, poking her lovely head through little leaded windows
to shoo off the real husband." Claire Armitstead, FIANCIAL TIMES,
26 July 1991
"After the second rude interruption, Louise Gold,
as Adriana declared it was a lovely day. Huddled under our macs and brollies,
we believed her. And when the gleefully statuesque, not-so-pure Gold ripped
into the splendid trio of "Sing for your Supper", we would have
believed anything"
"Louise Gold, one of our best soubrettes, makes a
valiant prima donna." Robert Cushman, INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY, 4
August 1991
"Louise Gold and Gillian Beavan have many good
moments as the ladies of Ephseus"
Peter
Woodward as Antipholous is particularly good, as are Louise Gold and Gillian
Beavan as the sisters" Christopher Edwards, SPECTATOR, 3 August
1991
"Louise Gold not only produces a sweeter tone than
the others as Adriana, but also coos winningly as she lures the wrong man back
to bed" Harry Eyres, THE TIMES, 26 July 1991
"Louise Gold mixes comedy and romance with perfect
aplomb." John Gross, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, 28 July 1991
"There was more cleaver contrast in the portrayals
of the sisters Adriana - and Luciana -, by Louise Gold and Gillian Beavan.
Joined by Jenny Galloway - they made much of the show's third well-known song
Sing For Your Supper." Peter Hepple, THE STAGE, 1 August 1991
"The women aren’t bad either. Louise Gold, Gillian
Beavan and Jenny Calloway are collective showstoppers as they trill, in close
harmony, Sing For Your supper." Clive Hirschhorn, SUNDAY EXPRESS,
28 July 1991
"The expression that Louise Gold (Adriana) puts
into her coos and glances - I particularly like the look she gives the dancing
chicken -speak comic volumes." Rhoda Koenig, PUNCH, 13 August 1991
“Gillian Bevan and
Louise Gold find in the lyrics of Lorenz Hart that bittersweet mix of lost love
and rediscovered dispare.”
"The "Sing for you supper" trio (Louise
Gold, Gillian Beavan, Jenny Calloway) is elegant, impertinent and deliciously
dirty" John Peter SUNDAY TIMES, 4 August 1991
"Louise Gold, as a wife, does sweet service to her
songs" Milton Shulman (source unknown), 25 July 1991
"Singing and Acting honours go to Louise Gold as
Adriana, who could coo any man, even the wrong one, into bed" David
Sonin, JEWISH CHRONICLE, 2 August 1991
"The adaptation softens the character of Adriana -
Louise Gold plays her delightfully, as a woman whose sexual potential is being
far from fully tapped. There's an aura of surplus desire about her that is both
comic and wistful. It's characteristic that at the end - Gold doesn't freak out
but coos like a rampant dove"
"Falling In Love With Love, sung with exquisite
sweetness by Louise Gold, a monument to precariously-controlled wifely
patience." …."But it is Sing For Your Supper, trilled in harmony by
Miss Gold, Gillian Bevan and Jenny Galloway, which stops the show. Do go."
Jack Tinker, THE DAILY MAIL, 25 July 1991.
Links about The Boys From
Page about the show on a site about Lorenz Hart: http://utenti.lycos.it/larryhart/syracuse_1991.htm
The Dame Judi Dench Chronolgy, page about her directing work: http://djdchronology.com/djddirected.htm (includes a colour photograph of the production,
with Louise Gold as Adriana)
The International Herald Tribune’s review of the show: http://www.iht.com/articles/1991/07/31/syra.php
Regents
Park Theatre History (details of a fairly comprehensive book by David Corville): http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1840027347?ie=UTF8&tag=thestageonlin-21&link_code=em1&camp=2502&creative=11130&creativeASIN=1840027347&adid=915cf43c-6d60-4437-9888-3880a64a05ba
Mark Shenton’s Blog Entry (refers to this production of the show): http://blogs.thestage.co.uk/shenton/2008/08/a-very-british-preoccupation/#more
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