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YouAs
Like
By William Shakespeare
15th
– 26th
June 2010
It
Tenth Annual Summer Tour
Souvenir Programme
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 1 10/06/2010 19:36:06
2
Acknowledgements
Alongside the people named as members of cast and crew,
Taunton Thespians would like to thank the following for their
generous support in the making of this production:
For displaying Billboards: Mrs Tooze, Chelston, The Civil Service
Sports & Social Club, Taunton, Yule Brown, Taunton
Cast Members and other Taunton Thespians for loan of various
props and costumes.
Everyone who helped publicise this production.
Our advertisers, without whom this programme would truly be an
ill-favoured thing. Please support them with your custom.
Taunton Thespians is a Registered
Charity, Number 800217
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 2 10/06/2010 19:36:40
3
Director’s Thoughts
Like most of my generation, my introduction to Shakespeare was reading it at school with little explanation
or help from our teacher. It is no wonder that so many are turned off Shakespeare at an early age. In my
teens, I went to the Old Vic Theatre in London to see a production
of Julius Caesar. I went because it was a day off school, and as a
penance I had to watch the play.
I was riveted by the performance.
Suddenly, the dull written words came to life and I understood
what was going on. As Paul Roseby, who is the Artistic Director of
the National Youth Theatre, said in a newspaper article recently,
“Shakespeare isn’t meant to be read. It’s meant to be performed”.
However, today it is much easier to read Shakespeare, as the
published plays include a great deal of information. In my copy
of As You Like It, more than two thirds of the book is about the
meaning of the play, historical background and, most important,
the meaning of the words. If only I could have had this
information when I was at school.
Having watched one production
in the pouring rain at
Hestercombe last year and
another on the hard seats of
the Globe Theatre in London,
I understand that sitting
through a long play can be
quite uncomfortable. I have therefore slightly abridged this script so that
we can make the best use of daylight and get home at a reasonable time.
(By the way, in my opinion everyone should try and see a performance at
the Globe. It is a truly unique experience.)
So today we are performing As You Like It. Why did I choose this play?
Quite simply because it is one of my favourites. Add to that the fact that
we have already performed the other four major Shakespearean comedies
and the decision was easy. However, I have not made myself popular with
the female side of the Taunton Thespians as there are very few roles for
women; this is because women were not allowed to act on stage when the
plays were written and female parts had to be played by young men.
Shakespeare’s plays were often performed in the courtyards of inns, and they are therefore ideal for a touring
production, where the carrying around of a stage set is not practical. As You Like It is mostly set in the Forest
of Arden (the French forest, not the one in Warwickshire).
You will find a lot of French references as the play proceeds.
The style of music and dress is based on the Hippie Culture
of the late 1960s, because it seemed to fit the play and the
costumes were easily available.
I have been involved in most of the previous productions that
the Thespians have taken on tour. I have been stage manager,
actor, lighting technician and Front of House. Hopefully, this
has enabled me to understand the needs of the production
from the point of view of a Director. Shakespearean language
is not easy and the rehearsals have been both stimulating
and challenging. It is very rewarding to see the cast progress
as they take up the challenge and develop their characters.
They have proved that they are capable of ‘Playing
Shakespeare’ and I hope to direct them again sometime.
Ray Court
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 3 10/06/2010 19:37:28
4
Restaurant and Gardens Open daily, 5-star accommodation
Please contact Marie and Victoria for any enquiries and bookings.
Contact Marie on 01984 640056
Binham Grange is a unique house, mentioned in
association with Cleeve Abbey.
Stewart, Marie and Family have restored the grange to its former glory in order to
carry on the tradition of hospitality offered by the monks in centuries past.
Food sourced locally, with the herbs and vegetables grown in the gardens.
Simply prepared they speak for themselves.
A visit to Binham is a Countryside and Culinary experience, set in
beautiful landscape and gardens providing guests with a memorable experience.
Open Daily for Morning Coffee, Light Lunches, Afternoon Teas and Dinner.
• Fully Licensed Restaurant • Small Weddings and Family occasions
• Accommodation available
Binham Grange
RESTAURANT AND GARDENS
OLD CLEEVE, MINEHEAD, TA24 6HX
www.binhamgrange.co.uk
Accountancy
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Taxation
Tax Investigations
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Financial Planning*
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CHARTERED
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Call us on 01823 286096 for an initial, no-obligation, meeting on
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Albert Goodman off a comprehensive range of services across
various sectors, aimed at meeting every clients needs.
Please see our website for further details.
Mary Street House, Mary Street, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3NW ag@albertgoodman.co.uk
Taunton
01823 286096
Yeovil
01935 423667
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01460 64646
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01934 642222
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01278 663546
“Albert Goodman
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*Albert Goodman Chartered Financial Planners is a trading style of Albert Goodman Financial Planning Ltd
which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
www.albertgoodman.co.uk
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 4 10/06/2010 19:38:50
5
Muchelney Abbey
Muchelney has a wonderful legend attached. This tells of a man who fell in love with the daughter of a knight.
He opposed their union and therefore forbade them from marrying. The man was heartbroken and became a
monk, eventually moving to Muchelney where, according to some versions of the tale, he became Prior. To his
surprise, he found that his former sweetheart had become a nun there. They still loved each other, so renewed
their relationship and planned to elope together. Sadly, they were betrayed. The prior was sent away to a
distant abbey, to repent his sins. Being a less egalitarian period of our history, the nun was walled up and left
to die in a secret passage somewhere within the abbey. This is, of course, romantic nonsense, probably dreamt
up by a Victorian, whose imagination had been inflamed by seeing some table legs without any covering.
Muchelney, once a verdant island in the Levels and a quiet haven for monks and recluses, is an excellent
venue, with a wall to help actors project and the old foundations providing a stepped auditorium.
Frank Bond Community Centre
The Frank Bond Centre was named after its benefactor, a local builder by the name of Frank Bond. He was a
private man, with two unusual hobbies: he collected theatre organs and around his garden he had numerous
aviaries housing exotic birds. He opened his garden once a year to the general public and all money raised
went to charity. On his death he left his house and garden (now the Centre) and land to the community. The
land was used for development - some was used for housing and some was provided for the St Margaret's
Somerset Hospice to be built. The Centre was established in 1983, and is open to people who have retired and
are seeking activity in a local setting.
The Cleve Hotel & Country Club
This was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in the contemporary style of 1866 for Joseph Hoyland Fox and
his wife Mariana. Originally just called “The Cleve”, it was the second of the three houses of the Fox family
in Wellington, after the original Tonedale House. (The Foxes, being Quakers, didn’t just think of their own
comforts, but of those less fortunate than themselves. It’s worth knowing that sugar wasn’t served to guests
at Tonedale, as it was a product of the slave trade.) When built, there were no bathrooms at The Cleve,
although a hip bath was provided for every bedroom. This is not a situation guests now have to worry about;
not only are all rooms en suite, but there’s a heated indoor swimming pool and fitness suite they can use too!
We’re performing in the gardens, which were designed by Joseph Fox, and where he spent much of his time.
(Information from “More than Two Hundred Years, Wellington and the Foxes” by John Hagen & Michael P.
Fox, pub. Wellington Museum & Local History Society).
Hartwood House
Hartwood House was a new venue last year, and David and Rosemary made us very welcome indeed, as did
their delightful dog, who became an extra cast member in London Assurance, ambling across the stage with
perfect comic timing.
The house nestles in a 6 acre woodland glade. Exceptionally quiet at night, only disturbed by owls or foxes.
Red and roe deer are often seen in the fields and woodland. Birdsong fills the garden throughout the day. The
Freemantles are enthusiastic amateur gardeners and have planted a wealth of trees, shrubs and perennials
over the last 15 years - and in Somerset everything grows apace! The garden has much to interest the
plantsman, as well as having many quiet sitting areas and space for children to play.
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 5 10/06/2010 19:39:26
6
The Rose and Crown is a 13th Century Inn,
standing in superb grounds within the
Somerset Levels. Taunton is just 6 miles
away, Bridgwater 13 miles, Street and
Glastonbury about 20 minutes’ drive.
The pub has a wealth and depth of
character and charm, with a beautiful large
beer garden with views over our paddock
and The Levels; we offer free camping for
touring caravans, motor homes and those
under canvas (as long as they choose to eat
and drink with us!)
The Rose and Crown has a new chef
working with us. He is the well respected
local chef Craig Emery. His talent has given
our menu much greater depth, with greater
choice and
a superb
range of
imaginative
dishes. This
complements
our menu
of grills and
traditional
fare using
local
produce.
We offer
a range of
Wadworth
real ales
brewed in
Devizes.
For the real ale drinker,
we can accommodate
most palates, with the
darker sweeter taste of
6X, Henrys IPA for a
little less gravity to the
tangy, hoppy flavour
of the golden coloured
Strong in the Arm,
named after one of the
draymen (ask Paul).
In the last 6 months
we have gained two
awards for our real
ales:””Brewmaster”, a
Wadworths award for
high quality beer and
good cellar practice,
and “Cask Marque”,
a certificate of excellence, in which our
beer has been judged and tested for
taste, temperature and aroma by an
independent.
Should you be looking for a venue to
hold a wedding party, birthday party,
Christmas or any other celebration, come
and take advantage of our lovely pub and
restaurant. You can have a private area or
take over the whole pub and gardens as
you wish.
If you just want to pop in for a drink,
you will always receive a warm welcome
from us and our staff. We look forward to
meeting you all.
Venue Feature -
The Rose and Crown, East Lyng
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 6 10/06/2010 19:40:06
7
As You Like It
by William Shakespeare
Synopsis
The cruel and arrogant Oliver de Boys has deprived his younger brother Orlando of his birthright, and plots to
have him killed by the champion wrestler of the ducal court. At the court, Orlando meets Rosalind, daughter
of the deposed Duke Senior, and her beloved cousin Celia, the usurping Duke Frederick’s child. Against the
odds, Orlando wins his bout and Rosalind’s heart simultaneously; but their love is hopeless in the unjust
atmosphere of Duke Frederick’s court. While Orlando flies to the Forest of Arden with his faithful servant
Adam, Rosalind is banished by her paranoid uncle. She decides to disguise herself as a boy (Ganymede) to
protect herself and Celia, who leaves with her, in the role of Ganymede’s sister, Aliena. Together with the court
jester, Touchstone, they too reach the Forest of Arden, and safety.
Arden is also the refuge of Duke Senior, whose court in exile includes the melancholy and wryly speculative
Jaques. Orlando is welcomed by the duke and the unexpected comfort gives him time and leisure to write love
poems for his seemingly lost Rosalind, and post them on trees throughout the forest. Rosalind and Celia find
them, and the former princess uses her male disguise as a pretext for gently teasing and testing Orlando’s love.
At the same time, however, she inadvertently causes Phebe – a shepherdess being pursued by the lovelorn
shepherd Silvius – to fall in love with her persona as Ganymede!
This sylvan idyll is threatened when Duke Frederick sends Oliver to track down his brother; but Oliver
undergoes a miraculous change of heart, is rescued from death by Orlando, and falls in love with Celia. In a
joyful scene of resolution and reconciliation, Rosalind and the marriage god Hymen oversee the matching
of Celia and Oliver, Phebe and Silvius, Touchstone and his country wench Audrey, and Orlando and herself.
Duke Frederick, suddenly religious and repentant, restores his banished brother to the dukedom, and –
accompanied by Jaques – takes refuge from the vicissitudes of the world.
As You Like It is perhaps Shakespeare’s sunniest comedy, but there are patches of shade amidst the love-
drenched brightness. Political corruption, fraternal rivalry and melancholy all serve as thematic counterpoints
to Shakespeare’s investigation of how release from the constraints of court, city, and even gender can permit
a profound development of the self. Despite the improbability of much of the play’s narrative, in the Arcadian
beauty of Arden, we finally see love and nature fuse in a deeply satisfying act of harmony.
ACT I
Prologue:  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  The Duke’s Palace
Scene 1:  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Orchard of Oliver’s house
Scene 2: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  Lawn before the Duke’s palace
Scene 3:  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The same
Scene 4: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . A room in the palace
Scene 5: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  The Forest of Arden
Scene 6: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 7: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 8: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 9: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 10:  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
ACT II
Scene 1:  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 2: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 3: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Another part of the forest
Scene 4: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 5: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Another part of the forest
Scene 6: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 7: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 8: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
Scene 9: .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . The Forest
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 7 10/06/2010 19:40:44
8
Binham Grange
Binham is a unique Jacobean house of great antiquity, offering good food and luxury accommodation with a
personal touch.
Mentioned in the 13th century in association with Cleeve Abbey, it is surrounded by 300 acres of some of
Somerset's most beautiful countryside. Marie, Stewart and family have lovingly and tastefully restored the
house and gardens to their former glory, while retaining the integrity of the former house and bringing it up
to 21st Century comfort. Original features remain throughout, including the Tudor alabaster arches, solid oak
doors and Jacobean frieze.
The bedrooms at Binham are individually decorated and contain antique furniture, a selection of books
and flowers from the garden. The rooms enjoy excellent views of the garden which are tended by Marie and
Stewart who are keen gardeners and have created an outdoor haven for the guests to enjoy.
The formal Jacobean parterre to the front of the house is east facing with a collection of unusual plants. To the
south is a pergola with scented roses which leads to an Italian style garden and a vegetable, herb and cutting
garden used in the house. To the west of the garden terrace, flower borders lead to the traditional orchard and
the broader landscape beyond.
Glastonbury Abbey
Quite possibly the oldest of our venues, if you believe the legend – Joseph of Arimathea coming to Britain after
the Crucifixion and planting the thorn tree. And legends are something Glastonbury is drenched in. In the
beginning, when the legends of mythical Avalon began, Glastonbury, a small town in Somerset, cradled in a
cluster of hills in the South of England, was thought to have been a site for pre-Christian worship. Three stone
Abbeys, each large than the last, have stood on this site over the centuries; and before that the 'Old Church' on
the site of the current Lady Chapel and St David’s Church to the east of this. There is even a small amount of
evidence of Roman culture, plus evidence of Bronze and Iron Age occupation in and around Glastonbury. We
are running the risk of being upstaged by the site where the bones of Arthur and Guinevere were enshrined.
HIC IACET SEPULTUS INCLITUS REX ARTURIUS IN INSULA AVALONIA was inscribed on the lead cross
found seven feet underground with the bones in a stone coffin, although that site and the cross are both now
lost. Cynical historians look at the politics of the time, just after The Anarchy (more famous now because of
Brother Cadfael than the civil war between Stephen and Matilda) with Henry II trying to re-establish the rule
of law and they wonder how convenient the discovery was. Another, more modern myth tells of the existence
of a zodiac in the earthworks around the area. Global warming and the rise in sea level might be about to
reveal the truth or otherwise in that tale.
St James Church
St James is known to have existed since 1169, and this church was roughly the size of the present nave.
Around 1308, the original building was pulled down and the present nave and north aisle erected. Not much
changed until the 19th century, but the Victorians were very active here: in 1832 a south aisle was added,
and the upper parts of the splendid tower were rebuilt in 1867 as a replacement for the original, which was in
danger of collapse. Finally, the chancel was enlarged in 1888, and the south aisle extended into a chapel, and
an 18th century gallery removed from the north aisle.
From the outside, the tower dominates everything. Although largely Victorian, its design - executed in a
fine, red sandstone - is firmly in the tradition of Somerset towers. The red sandstone is enlivened by stone
dressings in the famous golden Ham limestone.
Look hard, however, and the older architecture becomes clear: the north arcade of the nave, and the north
wall, date from the 14th century rebuilding, and the original fan vaulting in the vault beneath the tower -
now the entrance porch - dates from around 1440. At the east end of the north aisle, a mediaeval squint has
survived – a feature constructed to enable those in the aisle to watch the elevation of the host during Mass.
There are some interesting furnishings: pride of place goes to the lovely 15th Century font, each of its eight
sides decorated with figures of saints; and the pulpit is a good example of local carving, and dates from
1633. Next to the font is the memorial to Colonel Lacy Walters Giles Yea, (d. 1845) killed in the Crimean War,
complete with two statuettes of Fusiliers. The south aisle chapel boasts a fine wooden screen - exhibited in the
Wembley exhibition of 1825 and made of Burmese Coco wood.
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 8 10/06/2010 19:41:23
9
Abbeyfield Somerset
Residential Care Home & Apartments
Singles and couples
Comfortable en-suite rooms
Attractive communal areas
Quiet gardens and sitting areas
24 hour care from experienced, caring staff
Day Care and Special Dementia care service available
A higher standard of residential care
Heron Drive, Bishops Hull, Taunton TA1 5HA
(off Silk Mills Road)
01823 334238 www.abbeyfieldtaunton.co.uk
Registered Charity No.24866R
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 9 10/06/2010 19:41:56
10
COURTLY LOVE IN AS YOU LIKE IT
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) lived in interesting times. The late Middle Ages were drawing to a close,
and the move away from restrictive ideologies, feudal systems and the age-old codes of chivalry and courtly
love that held sway from the 5th to the 15th centuries was in full swing, fuelled by the excitement of the onset
of the Renaissance sweeping Europe. This was an exhilarating and liberating age, and in the play performed
tonight, written in 1599-1600, we see Shakespeare exulting in the new freedoms and pushing back the
boundaries still further.
Courtly love had its birth in the 11th century, and perhaps the most widely accepted ‘bible’
of its conditions and rules is The Art of Courtly Love, written in the second half of the
twelfth century by a monk, Andreas Capellanus, in mediaeval Latin. The main principles
of courtly love were established very largely as a result of arranged marriages. Couples
were married for convenience, for status, for dowries, for political gain; certainly not for
romantic love. It was thus believed that, in most cases, love did not exist between married
couples, and, since many young knights (perhaps second or third sons who would not
inherit their fathers’ estates – Orlando’s situation, in fact) could only aspire to worship
their lord’s lady, or some equally unattainable goddess, from afar, courtly love became the
established and accepted way to express desire, which was often overtly sexual.
(The Countess of Champagne, being asked to rule on whether romantic love could exist within marriage,
made this declaration in May 1174: “We declare and we hold as firmly established that love cannot exert its
powers between two people who are married to each other. For lovers give each other everything freely, under
no compulsion of necessity, but married people are in duty bound to give in to each other’s desires and deny
themselves to each other in nothing.”)
So courtly love, with all its conventions, came into being. Here are some of the ‘rules’, according to Capellanus:
He who is not jealous cannot love.1.	
When made public, love rarely endures.2.	
The easy attainment of love makes it of little value; difficulty of attainment makes it prized.3.	
Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved.4.	
When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved his heart palpitates.5.	
A new love puts to flight an old one.6.	
If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives.7.	
A man in love is always apprehensive.8.	
Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love.9.	
Jealousy, and therefore love, are increased when one suspects his beloved.10.	
He, whom the thought of love vexes, eats and sleeps very little.11.	
A lover can never have enough of the solaces of his beloved.12.	
A slight presumption causes a lover to suspect his beloved.13.	
A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed by the thought of his beloved.14.	
You get the idea...
In As You Like It, Shakespeare (with the help of his goddess boy/woman Rosalind) spoofs and satirises all of
the above. Firstly, in what should be the bucolic idyll of a shepherd lover and his lass (Silvius and Phoebe),
Silvius mourns and intones his love, displaying every convention of courtly love, as here in one of his opening
conversations with Corin, an older (and wiser) shepherd, where he bemoans the cruelty of Phoebe, and doubts
that anyone could ever have loved as he does:
O, thou didst then ne’er love so heartily!
If thou remember’st not the slightest folly
That ever love did make thee run into,
Thou hast not loved:
Or if thou hast not sat as I do now,
Wearying thy hearer in thy mistress’ praise,
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 10 10/06/2010 19:42:27
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Thou hast not loved:
Or if thou hast not broke from company
Abruptly, as my passion now makes me,
Thou hast not loved. (And he rushes off in a lovesick frenzy)
O Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe!
And it is Rosalind who blasts this Arcadian idyll into the stratosphere:
You foolish shepherd, wherefore do you follow her,
Like foggy south puffing with wind and rain?
You are a thousand times a properer man
Than she a woman...
‘Tis not her glass, but you, that flatters her...
In similar vein, she taunts Orlando for not displaying the traditional outward signs of courtly love (thereby
poking fun at those keeping up the convention):
A lean cheek, which you have not,
A blue eye and sunken, which you have not,
An unquestionable spirit, which you have not,
A beard neglected, which you have not; ...
Then your hose should be ungartered,
Your bonnet unbanded, your sleeve unbuttoned,
Your shoe untied and every thing about you demonstrating
A careless desolation; but you are no such man;
You are rather point-device in your accoutrements
As loving yourself than seeming the lover of any other.
Later, even Phoebe lashes back at Rosalind, squashing the rather feeble courtly contention that a lady’s cruel look
can kill:
O, for shame, for shame,
Lie not, to say mine eyes are murderers!
Now show the wound mine eye hath made in thee
And Touchstone too, the court fool who is not above a bit of unchaperoned hanky panky in
the forest, chimes in with his parody of lovesick Orlando’s poems, which he hangs on trees
(another courtly love rule, of course):
If a hart do lack a hind,
Let him seek out Rosalind.
If the cat will after kind,
So be sure will Rosalind.
In short, the conventions and rules of courtly love are thrown out in favour of romantic and realistic love, albeit
the tying of four lovers’ knots at the play’s end is achieved by one of the oldest conventions known to playwrights,
the arrival of a god, (Hymen, god of marriage ceremonies) in a handy device known as deus ex machina –
literally, a god lowered by stage machinery!
However, dear reader, suspend disbelief and celebrate this pastoral comedy’s triumph of romantic and achievable
love over the mirage of courtly protocol, and celebrate with our eight lovers their bright future, as Shakespeare
himself must have been doing, in a world in which the archaic and stale etiquette of bygone centuries was being
joyfully given the old heave-ho.
Jane Edwards
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 11 10/06/2010 19:42:57
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Duke Senior  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Arthur Cummins
Rosalind .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Katherine Stone
Celia .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Abi Vickery
Audrey  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Annette Baalam
Touchstone .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Matt Webber
Duke Frederick .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Ron Roberts
Madame Le Beau  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Jane Edwards
Orlando  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Charlie Dorr
Adam .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . John Burbery
Oliver .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Alan Philpott
Charles  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Dan Canning
Jaques  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Mike Leach
Amiens  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Tony Leach
Silvius .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Michael Gilbert
Corin/Martext .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Mark Dawson
Phoebe  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Karen Kerslake
William  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Joshua Cooper
Roland De Bois .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Chris Osbourne
Cast &
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 12 10/06/2010 19:43:38
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&Director .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Ray Court
Producer & Tour Manager  .  .  .  .  . Mark Dawson
Assistant Producer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Ron Roberts
Stage Managers .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Mark Dawson
Music written and performed by .  .  . Tony Leach
Lyrics .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . William Shakespeare
Sound & Lighting .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Dan Jones
Props .  .  .  .  . Carrie Vaughan, Sylvia Fellgett
Costume .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Kirsten White
Assisted by Charlotte Briggs, Jane Burt, Alison
Jenkinson, David Northey
Prompt  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Cynthia Jones
Business Manager  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Tony Beaven
Finance Manager .  .  .  .  .  . Jacqueline Roberts
Front Of House .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Martin Jevon
Van Driver .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Walter Plinge
Minibus Driver  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Mark Dawson
Publicity Team .  .  . Rene Kilner, Jane Edwards,
Michael Gilbert, Ron Roberts, Carrie Vaughan
Publicity Design  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Michael Gilbert
Crew
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 13 10/06/2010 19:44:18
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Charlie Dorr «—» Orlando
If you saw our last tour production London Assurance and have
an extraordinary good memory, you may remember me as some
guy who walked in with a violin and played a rather pointless role
while monitoring the set changes. The wordless Jenks was the
first character I played for Taunton Thespians and it was a really
great opportunity for someone with little acting experience to get
involved. Since then I have gradually taken on bigger parts with
some lines, and then more lines, including Mr Scoblowski in Daisy
Pulls it Off last Autumn, and Reuben Starkadder in Cold Comfort
Farm this spring. Orlando is my biggest part yet and for that
reason probably the most intimidating, but it’s a great opportunity
and something I wouldn’t have got into if I hadn’t walked down to
Taunton Thespians on one dull evening last May.
Katherine Stone «—» Rosalind
My first production with Taunton Thespians began last Autumn as
“just one of the Girls!” in Daisy Pulls It Off, where I encountered
the character of Alice Fitzpatrick, Deputy Head Girl. This journey
toured to The Gambia - a truly magical experience. My journey now
continues with the Shakespearean phenomenon As You Like It. I play
the character of Rosalind, “being but a moonish youth, ... effeminate”
and overthrowing “more than her enemies” as she develops her passion
for Orlando as she “cannot be out of the sight” of him! My experience
has given me an in-take of a epic journey and in this discovering a
new language and a taste of a very literature-driven Shakespearean
society. Trials and tribulations have not defeated my initial incentive of
eagerness for success that provides me with a feeling of overwhelming
achievement once the productions have finished.
Abi Vickery «—» Celia
My first summer tour with the Thespians was A Comedy of Errors and I
am delighted that we are returning to Shakespeare once again. This will be
my sixth summer tour and I am really enjoying playing Celia.
Celia is a friend and foil for Rosalind and is a very interesting character
to play because she is spirited, stubborn and strong willed; putting her
friendship with Rosalind before her relationship with her father, the Duke.
She also does not suffer fools – apart from the odd court jester – gladly!
It has been great fun rehearsing As You Like It, I hope you like it too!
Alan Philpott «—» Oliver
I’m pleased to be joining Taunton Thespians for my first ever open-air
Shakespeare production!
With other groups I played characters such as Bob Cratchet, Mole in Toad
of Toad Hall and Justin in Alan Ayckbourn’s RolePlay. My wife has been
very patient while I’ve spent most of my spare time since April rehearsing
for this, acting in a student film in Bristol, and auditioning and rehearsing
for a performance of The Boyfriend in Yeovil. Luckily we’ve had enough
time to attend ballroom dancing lessons together! I’m looking forward
to playing Oliver, and rain-free performances for lovely warm and dry
audiences.
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 14 10/06/2010 19:44:54
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Arthur Cummins «—» Duke Senior
As You Like It was my first experience acting in Shakespeare, 45 years
ago at Perth Repertory playing young Silvius. It is as enjoyable now, to
play the old Duke.
With Thespians, I have played Martin & James in London Assurance;
Rochester in Jane Eyre; Roland in Taking Steps; Bartholomew Green
in New Place and Time, and other odd characters in one-act Festival
entries; I was Boggis in Accrington Pals and I began with Henry in Ray
Cooney’s farce, Funny Money.
I hope tonight’s escapade is as much to your liking as performing it is to
mine.
Ron Roberts «—» Duke Frederick
I had a slight doubt when the director told me that I ‘was a natural choice
for the play’s Mr Nasty’ but was delighted when he quickly added that
it was to my credit not to be typecast! As a soldier I had the privilege of
appearances with major amateur companies world-wide. The chance to
play the ‘baddie’ comes along infrequently and getting to ‘know’ Duke
Fred has been a pleasure. Previous acting high points have been mainly
‘goodies’, favourite directing oeuvre was A Man For All Seasons. Amateur
theatre provides a rich contribution to our social structure and it has
been a passion of mine from schooldays onwards. Since retirement, I have
enjoyed fifteen years of commitment to the Thespians. For the Somerset
Fellowship of Drama, I currently run the County Drama Festival and am
the moderator of the county-wide pantomime competition.
Mike Leach «—» Jaques
I first ‘did’ As You Like It as a whining schoolboy and immediately decided
Jaques was the part for me. It’s slightly hard to believe that after all these
years I’ve got the chance to play it for real - a bit like suddenly being asked to
captain England in the Ashes.
Since joining the Thespians early last year, I have much enjoyed playing a
string of flamboyant characters with accents to match: a sinister Italian, a
bluff country squire, a brash American film producer. The introverted and
depressive Jaques could reasonably be described as a contrast. One man in
his time plays many parts...
Jane Edwards «—» Madame Le Beau
Mon Dieu, when je pense of mon extraordinaire route to ze 2010
Tour, it seems bizarre even to moi: soldat with moustache (Wyrd
Sisters, 2005), desperate ‘ousewife (Free Fall), gouvernesse/ keeper
of madwoman (Jane Eyre) and murderesse (Murdered to Death) in
2006; scrubbère in 2007 (Tom Jones), frustrated ‘ousewife (You’re
In Room Eight), murder victime (Suddenly At Home), ze barking
Madame Malaprop (The Rivals) et pissed vicar’s femme (Talking
Heads) in 2008, pas forgetting cheap detective (Two Gentlemen of
Soho) and mad ‘orsewoman (London Assurance) in 2009. Je am
complètement astonished zat I ‘ave remained relativement sane et
capable of playing ze minuscule mais hysteriquement drole rôle of ze
cunningly transgendered ‘ippy French courtier Madame Le Beau zis
year. Eh bien. C’est la guerre. Vive la différence...
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 15 10/06/2010 19:45:31
16
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AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 16 10/06/2010 19:46:03
17
Annette Balaam «—» Audrey
Who could resist the opportunity to take part in that Great British Tradition ...
what? ... ah! ... oh! ... no! ... no! ... not Shakespeare! The Real tradition of England
... The Weather!
The chance of romping around our beautiful countryside creating theatre in the
black holes of places called Upper and Lower Bugg***, in the height of a British
Summer, is a Poker Game with ‘Downpour’, ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’ I couldn’t
miss. Let’s see who blinks first.
Throw in Shakespeare and a country bumpkin called Audrey and the thrilling
adventure becomes a ‘Catastrophe Curve’; it’s amazing, the amount of things
that fail to go wrong! Weather? What weather?! Enjoy the ride!
Matt Webber «—» Touchstone
According to sources, ‘Touchstone marked the beginning of a series of court fool
characters; these characters differed greatly from earlier Shakespearean fools
because their humour is mainly derived from the fool’s wit and intellect’.
In As You Like It Touchstone is often threatened with a whip, the usual
punishment for this sort of clown. However I am pleased to say that, in our
edited version, this reference has been removed - lest the invigorating night air,
warm applause and one or two dressing room ‘preparations’ lead one’s company
to an altogether too liberal use of props. Enjoy the show.
Karen Kerslake «—» Phoebe
Since joining Taunton Thespians in January 2009, I have performed in six
productions. My roles have included: a waiter (Two Gentlemen of Soho) which
went through to the National Finals in Woking; an eccentric Russian anarchist
(The Crimson Cocoanut) in the Ten Parishes Festival; a middle aged bitter
spinster English Teacher (Daisy Pulls it Off) at the Tacchi Morris and, as was my
great fortune, in Gambia; a cow, one of the raving loony Brethren, a guest at both
a 21st birthday party and a wedding, plus another Phoebe, one of the extended
Starkadder family (Cold Comfort Farm). In my second Summer Tour I am a
rather fickle shepherdess – I hope I’m not being type cast!
Michael Gilbert «—» Silvius
The last young lover I played was Lelio in Goldoni’s The Liar at school over
30 years ago, although my first named part for Thespians, Albert Prosser in
Hobson’s Choice in the early 90’s might qualify too. Back then, my foil, Freddy
Beenstock, was played by a young bloke called Mark Dawson... ah well, some of
us age better than others...
More seriously, though, I’ve come to love Silvius a lot (although I’m glad he’s got
less to say than Shakespeare gave him. Pressures of work mean I can’t devote
the time a big role needs). He isn’t stupid, although he might seem that way from
time to time, and he has some of the most beautiful lines in the play. Nothing
deep, just lyrical. And enormous fun, too.
Joshua Cooper «—» William
This is my first encounter with Taunton Thespians, which I have thoroughly enjoyed.
The cast has been immensely accommodating and has assisted me in my approach to
learning lines and having confidence. I play the character William – a forester, eager
to win the heart of Audrey: a simple minded “slut”, destined to marry an arrogant
Touchstone. I also appear as a Hippy and a guard, which is great, as I appear very
frequently in the production. I pursue Drama at school, but this experience requires
more dynamism with a confident approach; full of energy, which is essential, as I am in
an environment riddled with some very accomplished actors and actresses.
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 17 10/06/2010 19:46:39
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Tony Leach «—»Amiens
As well as acting, I have composed songs and music for shows since I left school,
but this is the first time I’ve sung and played in a play! It’s been a real pleasure to
interpret the Elizabethan language (As You Like It has the most scripted songs
of any Shakespeare play) but with it has come a real sense of responsibility to do
the material justice! It’s been a challenge and a lot of hard work but out of it has
arrived, through various means, at varying times of the day, at varying degrees
of convenience, ten original pieces of music. Hopefully these will be available to
purchase on a CD which, as I write, I am hard at work trying to record in time!
John Burbery «—» Adam
Over the years with the Taunton Thespians I have played many different
characters, but none quite like Adam As soon as I read Cold Comfort Farm I
knew that as a septuagenarian this was the only part I could conceivably play...
Hang on, that was the last show...
It’s very rare indeed to get the opportunity to play the old Adam in two
consecutive productions, but the notes I wrote for the last programme apply just
as well to this. Orlando’s servant is not a lot like the ancient farmhand in Stella
Gibbon’s classic work - or is he!
The Summer Tour is not usually something I’m able to take part in, as my love
of messing about in boats takes me off to foreign parts at this time of year. This
year, however, I thought I’d give it a go, just to see if all the stories were true.
I am also the membership Secretary of the Taunton Thespians – so if you fancy joining in the fun give me a
call (details elsewhere)
Mark Dawson «—» Corin
Hello, everyone. I’ve been a Taunton Thespian, on and off, for nearly twenty years
now. At the moment most certainly ‘on’. This is the third successive year I’ve been
involved with our annual summer Tour. We’ve had more than our share of rain over
the years, so it would be only fair if you are now basking in the evening sunshine.
Touring is one of my very favourite types of show. I’m not sure if it is the beautiful
venues and Somerset countryside that do it for me, or the thrill of seeing a ‘stage’ for
the first time half an hour before acting on it. Perhaps it’s both.
Chris Osborne «—» Jaques de Boys
Since I was the age of about six, I’ve always been interested in taking part in
school plays and school choirs. As I grew older I got more involved, especially
when I moved up to secondary school, where I studied drama as a GCSE
subject. When I left school, I became part of the youth theatre in Ilminster
where we staged a performance every term. I am also part of a group called
MAdD (music arts dance drama). Acting plays a big part in my life, as I wish
to take up a career in the acting and music industry.
Dan Canning «—» Charles
This is the third production I’ve done in my acting career. My first was a play called
Curtains where I played the media reporter Daryl Grady. My second performance
was in a variety show, where I helped out in any parts that needed me. And now this
one, Shakespeare, never thought I’d be doing this. Taunton Thespians were running
short of a few people so through a mutual friend I got a phone call and was asked
if I wanted to play a wrestler. Why not, I thought, why not. I’ve done it for real, so I
should be perfect for the role.
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 18 10/06/2010 19:47:14
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Autumn
2010Damsels in Distress: Two plays by Alan
Ayckbourn, performed in collaboration with
Street Theatre, directed by Mike Linham, one week
at the Tacchi-Morris and one week at Strode Theatre.
Thespians will be presenting GamePlan, Street RolePlay,
night about over the two weeks.
Spring 2011The Good Doctor, adapted from the short stories of Anton Chekhov
by Neil Simon, directed by Polly Bray. We took a one-act play abstracted
from this to the Western Regional Finals of the AETF competition in 2010.
It’s very funny indeed, Simon’s skill as a playwright enhancing the wonderful
observational humour of the Russian master.
Summer Tour 2011Servant of Two Masters, Carlo Goldoni’s classic comedy, directed by this production’s Silvius,
Michael Gilbert. Lots of mistaken identity, knockabout comedy and wonderful costumes.
Hopefully, putting on a play set around the waterways of in 18th Century Venice isn’t tempting the
weather gods too much...
Full details of auditions and performance dates from www.tauntonthespians.org.uk
2
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1
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Rose and Crown
Opening Times:
Monday
11am - 3pm / 6pm - 9pm;
Tuesday to Sunday
11am - 3pm / 6pm - 11pm.
Food is served daily
during all opening
hours.
See page 6 for
more details on our
beautiful inn
Main Road,
East Lyng
Somerset
TA3 5AU
Tel: 01823 698948
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 19 10/06/2010 19:47:52
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Taunton Thespians on Tour
Origins
The Tour was born in AD 2000! At the AGM that year, the Thespians had accepted their new chairman’s
challenge to two new concepts: to establish a third, major production within their calendar year and to embrace
the concept of ‘outreach’ rather than just perform in Taunton. Not long afterwards, a new member Sefton Parke
joined us and, one evening over a post-rehearsal pint in the Mason’s Arms, mentioned his erstwhile project to
form a troupe in the South West to tour open-air Shakespeare productions, now regretfully abandoned because
of lack of support facilities. I said “TT will do it, you direct, I’ll produce.” “When?” “This coming summer!” A
decade of achievement was launched.
Outreach
From the outset, we sought to entertain not merely Taunton Deane but as much of the outer reaches of Somerset
as possible. It is remarkable that each year has introduced us to at least one new venue. Whether any venue
survives is a simple matter of economics. Royalties, transport, print runs and other costs add up to some £6k
over a fortnight. For a ten-venue Tour, it follows that each performance must produce (on average) a tenth of
that total. Whereas we try hard to follow our ‘four corners’ policy, sometimes modified by a ‘loss leader’ caveat,
we cannot justify consistent losses and thus reluctantly have to abandon some well-liked venues. We started at
Sefton’s garden at Sampford Brett with a good omen.
2001
Twelfth Night
The equipment van crested the hill some two miles east of the site and a second or two later, Martin Peters
switched on his lights illuminating the trees around the ‘stage’. A beacon to guide us to the West. The first set
was simply four bushes in tubs. The costumes were dress uniforms because we have plenty in our wardrobe.
Eight performances reached Langford Budville (south!); Burrowbridge (north); the only two planned, indoor
performances (ever) at The Warehouse, Ilminster (east-ish); Fyne Court (north-west) and onto home ground
with two performances at the County Museum forecourt, Castle Green.
2002
Merry Wives of Windsor
Nine performances, noted for the fact of a somewhat rotund director packed into a hamper. Two new venues, the
first at Deane Court at Cotford St Luke, Fred Clarke warmly welcoming us to his rough pasture. The other was
Barrington Court where, on Friday, 21 June, we played in probably the only typhoon ever to hit the South West.
The wind and rain constantly lashed from stage right to stage left! The evening started with 28 in the audience:
twelve were still there after the interval and we, the cast, applauded them at the close.
2003
Midsummer Night’s Dream
Ten performances noted for a magical cloak for Oberon and he, in public, kissing our Titania, clad in green with
spiky hair. Our finest ‘audience hour’: a full house of 500 people at Dunster Castle and 375 the next night! Other
‘firsts’ were Green Garden, Lydeard St Lawrence in a cow-and-sheep-smelling field in front of a capacious barn
(more later) and Kelways at Langport, where we decided that playing on a cobbled surface was asking too much,
despite the sorbo-rubber exercise mats!
2004
Comedy of Errors
Eleven peformances. Our male ‘twins’ were in yellow t-shirts and jeans and matching wigs
but unmatched in height. A tour of charity shops produced unbelievably high platform
shoes that fitted – and matched the twins. Twin ‘firsts’ again, the first of them being
the first of two forays into a dinner-cum-play arrangement at Fishponds, Dunkeswell
(well south!). The other to the historic Muchelney Abbey near Langport. We also had an
unplanned ‘indoor’ at Lydeard, escaping the incoming tempest and squeezing the audience
and ourselves into the said ‘changing room’ barn.
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 20 10/06/2010 19:48:28
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2005
Much Ado About Nothing
Eleven performances. The previous year’s success at Muchelney caused English Heritage to invite us to
Cleeve Abbey: superb acoustics within the cloister walls and very basic, centuries-old changing rooms! The
performance at Cotford completely washed out, the four cars of ‘audience’ sent away, the van bogged down
in the ‘car park’ field overnight (which put paid to the venue) but it was the producer’s
birthday, so damp us recovered with a dry fizz at The Bell, Bishop’s Lydeard.
2006
Jane Eyre
Noted for much scenery to cart about (lesson learned!) and the entire set and cast nearly
blown away from a hill-top new venue at Blackmore Farm, Cannington. It was also a
first in the grandiose surroundings of Glastonbury Abbey. Eleven performances for the
last time: temperatures in the high 80s had drained all of us on the Saturday afternoon,
a ‘last straw’ that led us to accept that ending a tour on a Sunday was too much before a
working week for most of us,
2007
Tom Jones
Ten performances and this year’s ‘first’ was the Cleve at Wellington, playing in that
natural little amphitheatre behind the hotel with its raised summerhouse for tech control,
comfortable changing rooms and a near-by bar for the punters!
2008
The Rivals
Ten performances and three ‘firsts’. The first of them playing in Bishop’s Hull, the village-
that’s-part-of-Taunton, and made very welcome at the Frank Bond Centre. The other two
were both private, invited performances at Holcombe Rogus (very south!) and at Norton
Fitzwarren for the Army Benevolent Fund.
2009
London Assurance
Ten performances and a lovely, new venue at Hartwood House, Crowcombe Heathfield.
Not only did the family Freeman make us very welcome, the house being changing-
rooms and ‘backcloth’, but the performance was helping the very worthy cause of SSAFA.
Open Air Touring. . . . is fun!
It is also hard work, of course, travelling to a new venue every day, setting up, getting the actors there on time,
perhaps tired after a day’s work, then rising up to the occasion and performing. Rather historical, really, like
the strolling players of old. Then we ALL help to pack up and retire to a local hostelry to unwind with ‘cakes
and ale’. Every night a First Night and a Last Night! Tiring may be, but fun, because we’re always well received
by audiences and always invited back by hosts.
Onwards
What is also remarkable is that in nine years and out of ninety performances, we have only been beaten by the
weather three times. Often soaked, often frozen, sometimes baked but never downhearted. Here’s to the next
decade....
Ron Roberts
Photos are a random sample from Comedy of Errors, Jane Eyre and The Rivals
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 21 10/06/2010 19:49:05
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This production is entered for
The Phoebe Rees
Awards
Founded by Phoebe Rees and run by the Somerset
Fellowship of Drama, the competition is open
to amateur drama societies and groups in
Somerset. Plays are adjudicated by members of the
Fellowship’s committee
who also run an annual
Original Playwriting
Festival and the county’s
first round of the All
England Theatre Festival,
and organise drama
training.
The Rose Bowl
Awards
Founded by the families of Walter Hawkins and
John Coe, this is now funded through the Quartet
Community Foundation, with individual awards
sponsored by the Bristol Evening Post.
Amateur operatic
and dramatic
productions
throughout former
Avon, Gloucester
and Somerset
are assessed by
GODA qualified
adjudicators.
Taunton Thespians are members of
NODA
The National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA), founded in
1899, is the main representative body for amateur theatre in the UK. It
has a membership of some 2500 amateur/community theatre groups
and 3000 individual enthusiasts throughout the UK, staging musicals,
operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of performing
venues, ranging from the country's leading professional theatres to village
halls. Members have access to a wide range of benefits.
NODA aims
To give a shared voice to the amateur theatre sector;
To help amateur societies and individuals achieve the highest standards
of best practice and performance;
To provide leadership and advice to enable the amateur theatre sector to
tackle the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 22 10/06/2010 19:49:43
23
Rita Adams
Patricia Attrill
Annette Balaam
Michael Barry
Tony & Tessa Beaven
Matthew Botten
Penny Bradnum
Polly Bray
Charlotte Briggs
Harriet Brine
Dona Bullion
John & Carol Burbery
Jane Burt
Jason Carter
Sasha Collard-Jenkins
Tina Cook
Thomas Cooney
Ray & Nikki Court
Jon Cozens
Kim Crooks
Arthur Cummins
Mark & Nicola Dawson
Charlie Dorr
Anne Dowsey
Jane Dyer
Jane Edwards
Sylvia Fellgett
Terry Finn
Olivia Gentile
Keith Gibbons
Michael Gilbert
David & Maggy Goodall
Charles Grace
Stephanie Grafton
Ken & Anne Hague
Bryan Hallett
Jennifer Hancock
Lynn Henden
Jean Hole
Jack Horwood
John Howe
Rosemary Humphreys
Sally Jago
Alison Jenkinson
Linda Jevon
Martin Jevon
Cynthia Jones
Karen Kerslake
Rene Kilner
Michael Leach
Tony Leach
Jane Leakey
Peter Lewis
Jessica Linden
Michael Linham
Clive Linthorne
Rebecca Livermore
Stuart Lyddon
Josephine Mann
Hilary Marshall
Verity Martindill
John & Audrey Meikle
Beryl Morris
David Northey
Mary Paker
Imogen Papworth
Amy Parker
Gemma Payne
Marck & Emily Pearlstone
Martin Peters
Rhian Pugh
Elaine Rawle
Dinah Rawle
Joy Reason
Graham Reeks
Laura Richmond
Ron & Jacqueline Roberts
Vivienne Sharland
Robert Smith
Richard Stenner
Chloe Stepney
Katherine Stone
Nigel Stuart-Thorn
Susan Swan
Vera Sweeting
Stuart Symonds
Pauline Tilley
Susanna Tookey
Christine Vaughan
Caroline Vaughan
Anthony Venn
Abigail Vickery
Thelma Wander
Margaret Way
Matt Webber
Angela Widgery
Pete Wilmott
Bethanie Winter
Katherine Winter
Helen Witcomb
Taunton Thespians
President – John Meikle
Vice Presidents – Margaret Way, Thelma Wander, Ron Roberts
Coming Soon
THE SUMMER PLAY READING PROGRAMME: This year we are including some Sundays in our Play
Reading Season which kicks off on SUNDAY JULY 4th. Your hosts will be Tony Beaven, Jane Burt and David
Northey. The dates are Sunday 4th July, Wednesday 7th July, Wednesday 14th July, Wednesday 21st July,
Sunday 25th July, Wednesday 28th July, Wednesday 4th August, Sunday 8th August, Wednesday 11th August,
Wednesday 18th August, Sunday 22nd August
Friday & Saturday SEPTEMBER 10th & 11th: NEW DIRECTORS’ SHOWCASE!
November 2010 – Next autumn’s public production is a joint venture with Street Theatre. Two Alan
Ayckbourn plays, GamePlan and RolePlay, use the same setting. Taunton Thespians will present the former,
Street the latter. Each production will be done night about at the Tacchi-Morris and Strode Theatre, one week
here and one week there. Watch the press for further details and audition announcements.
Joining us
If you’re looking for something to do that is huge amounts of fun, gives something back to people and doesn’t
cost a fortune, come and join us! Full membership of the society is only £12 a year. For more details, check
out our web site at www.tauntonthespians.org.uk or call the Membership Secretary, John Burbery on 01823
442118. As well as everything listed above, we have a Club Night on the first Wednesday of every month from
September to May at our home base, The Place in Wilfred Road, Taunton. And you don’t have to want to act;
we have a huge wardrobe which needs caring for, sets need building, shows need lighting, makeup needs to be
put on, props need to be made... all sorts of things.
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 23 10/06/2010 19:50:22
If you are thinking of buying or selling in
the area, contact us first
Estate agents – valuers – Auctioneers
Residential, Commercial
& Development Surveyors
Letting Agents & Property Management
Winchester House, Corporation Street,
Taunton TA1 4AJ
01823 332121
www.wilkie.co.uk
www.rightmove.co.uk
AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 24 10/06/2010 19:50:29

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Programme for Taunton Thespians' production of As You Like It

  • 1. YouAs Like By William Shakespeare 15th – 26th June 2010 It Tenth Annual Summer Tour Souvenir Programme AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 1 10/06/2010 19:36:06
  • 2. 2 Acknowledgements Alongside the people named as members of cast and crew, Taunton Thespians would like to thank the following for their generous support in the making of this production: For displaying Billboards: Mrs Tooze, Chelston, The Civil Service Sports & Social Club, Taunton, Yule Brown, Taunton Cast Members and other Taunton Thespians for loan of various props and costumes. Everyone who helped publicise this production. Our advertisers, without whom this programme would truly be an ill-favoured thing. Please support them with your custom. Taunton Thespians is a Registered Charity, Number 800217 AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 2 10/06/2010 19:36:40
  • 3. 3 Director’s Thoughts Like most of my generation, my introduction to Shakespeare was reading it at school with little explanation or help from our teacher. It is no wonder that so many are turned off Shakespeare at an early age. In my teens, I went to the Old Vic Theatre in London to see a production of Julius Caesar. I went because it was a day off school, and as a penance I had to watch the play. I was riveted by the performance. Suddenly, the dull written words came to life and I understood what was going on. As Paul Roseby, who is the Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre, said in a newspaper article recently, “Shakespeare isn’t meant to be read. It’s meant to be performed”. However, today it is much easier to read Shakespeare, as the published plays include a great deal of information. In my copy of As You Like It, more than two thirds of the book is about the meaning of the play, historical background and, most important, the meaning of the words. If only I could have had this information when I was at school. Having watched one production in the pouring rain at Hestercombe last year and another on the hard seats of the Globe Theatre in London, I understand that sitting through a long play can be quite uncomfortable. I have therefore slightly abridged this script so that we can make the best use of daylight and get home at a reasonable time. (By the way, in my opinion everyone should try and see a performance at the Globe. It is a truly unique experience.) So today we are performing As You Like It. Why did I choose this play? Quite simply because it is one of my favourites. Add to that the fact that we have already performed the other four major Shakespearean comedies and the decision was easy. However, I have not made myself popular with the female side of the Taunton Thespians as there are very few roles for women; this is because women were not allowed to act on stage when the plays were written and female parts had to be played by young men. Shakespeare’s plays were often performed in the courtyards of inns, and they are therefore ideal for a touring production, where the carrying around of a stage set is not practical. As You Like It is mostly set in the Forest of Arden (the French forest, not the one in Warwickshire). You will find a lot of French references as the play proceeds. The style of music and dress is based on the Hippie Culture of the late 1960s, because it seemed to fit the play and the costumes were easily available. I have been involved in most of the previous productions that the Thespians have taken on tour. I have been stage manager, actor, lighting technician and Front of House. Hopefully, this has enabled me to understand the needs of the production from the point of view of a Director. Shakespearean language is not easy and the rehearsals have been both stimulating and challenging. It is very rewarding to see the cast progress as they take up the challenge and develop their characters. They have proved that they are capable of ‘Playing Shakespeare’ and I hope to direct them again sometime. Ray Court AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 3 10/06/2010 19:37:28
  • 4. 4 Restaurant and Gardens Open daily, 5-star accommodation Please contact Marie and Victoria for any enquiries and bookings. Contact Marie on 01984 640056 Binham Grange is a unique house, mentioned in association with Cleeve Abbey. Stewart, Marie and Family have restored the grange to its former glory in order to carry on the tradition of hospitality offered by the monks in centuries past. Food sourced locally, with the herbs and vegetables grown in the gardens. Simply prepared they speak for themselves. A visit to Binham is a Countryside and Culinary experience, set in beautiful landscape and gardens providing guests with a memorable experience. Open Daily for Morning Coffee, Light Lunches, Afternoon Teas and Dinner. • Fully Licensed Restaurant • Small Weddings and Family occasions • Accommodation available Binham Grange RESTAURANT AND GARDENS OLD CLEEVE, MINEHEAD, TA24 6HX www.binhamgrange.co.uk Accountancy Audit Business Advisory Taxation Tax Investigations VAT Services & Custom Duties Financial Planning* Corporate Recovery Payroll Company secretarial Valuations & Forensics IT Consultancy & Support CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS “...but which accountant? That is the question.” Call us on 01823 286096 for an initial, no-obligation, meeting on clever ways of mitigating your tax liability and ask to speak to a Tax Consultancy Partner. Albert Goodman off a comprehensive range of services across various sectors, aimed at meeting every clients needs. Please see our website for further details. Mary Street House, Mary Street, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3NW ag@albertgoodman.co.uk Taunton 01823 286096 Yeovil 01935 423667 Chard 01460 64646 Weston-super-Mare 01934 642222 Sedgemoor 01278 663546 “Albert Goodman Chartered Accountants of course!” *Albert Goodman Chartered Financial Planners is a trading style of Albert Goodman Financial Planning Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. www.albertgoodman.co.uk AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 4 10/06/2010 19:38:50
  • 5. 5 Muchelney Abbey Muchelney has a wonderful legend attached. This tells of a man who fell in love with the daughter of a knight. He opposed their union and therefore forbade them from marrying. The man was heartbroken and became a monk, eventually moving to Muchelney where, according to some versions of the tale, he became Prior. To his surprise, he found that his former sweetheart had become a nun there. They still loved each other, so renewed their relationship and planned to elope together. Sadly, they were betrayed. The prior was sent away to a distant abbey, to repent his sins. Being a less egalitarian period of our history, the nun was walled up and left to die in a secret passage somewhere within the abbey. This is, of course, romantic nonsense, probably dreamt up by a Victorian, whose imagination had been inflamed by seeing some table legs without any covering. Muchelney, once a verdant island in the Levels and a quiet haven for monks and recluses, is an excellent venue, with a wall to help actors project and the old foundations providing a stepped auditorium. Frank Bond Community Centre The Frank Bond Centre was named after its benefactor, a local builder by the name of Frank Bond. He was a private man, with two unusual hobbies: he collected theatre organs and around his garden he had numerous aviaries housing exotic birds. He opened his garden once a year to the general public and all money raised went to charity. On his death he left his house and garden (now the Centre) and land to the community. The land was used for development - some was used for housing and some was provided for the St Margaret's Somerset Hospice to be built. The Centre was established in 1983, and is open to people who have retired and are seeking activity in a local setting. The Cleve Hotel & Country Club This was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in the contemporary style of 1866 for Joseph Hoyland Fox and his wife Mariana. Originally just called “The Cleve”, it was the second of the three houses of the Fox family in Wellington, after the original Tonedale House. (The Foxes, being Quakers, didn’t just think of their own comforts, but of those less fortunate than themselves. It’s worth knowing that sugar wasn’t served to guests at Tonedale, as it was a product of the slave trade.) When built, there were no bathrooms at The Cleve, although a hip bath was provided for every bedroom. This is not a situation guests now have to worry about; not only are all rooms en suite, but there’s a heated indoor swimming pool and fitness suite they can use too! We’re performing in the gardens, which were designed by Joseph Fox, and where he spent much of his time. (Information from “More than Two Hundred Years, Wellington and the Foxes” by John Hagen & Michael P. Fox, pub. Wellington Museum & Local History Society). Hartwood House Hartwood House was a new venue last year, and David and Rosemary made us very welcome indeed, as did their delightful dog, who became an extra cast member in London Assurance, ambling across the stage with perfect comic timing. The house nestles in a 6 acre woodland glade. Exceptionally quiet at night, only disturbed by owls or foxes. Red and roe deer are often seen in the fields and woodland. Birdsong fills the garden throughout the day. The Freemantles are enthusiastic amateur gardeners and have planted a wealth of trees, shrubs and perennials over the last 15 years - and in Somerset everything grows apace! The garden has much to interest the plantsman, as well as having many quiet sitting areas and space for children to play. AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 5 10/06/2010 19:39:26
  • 6. 6 The Rose and Crown is a 13th Century Inn, standing in superb grounds within the Somerset Levels. Taunton is just 6 miles away, Bridgwater 13 miles, Street and Glastonbury about 20 minutes’ drive. The pub has a wealth and depth of character and charm, with a beautiful large beer garden with views over our paddock and The Levels; we offer free camping for touring caravans, motor homes and those under canvas (as long as they choose to eat and drink with us!) The Rose and Crown has a new chef working with us. He is the well respected local chef Craig Emery. His talent has given our menu much greater depth, with greater choice and a superb range of imaginative dishes. This complements our menu of grills and traditional fare using local produce. We offer a range of Wadworth real ales brewed in Devizes. For the real ale drinker, we can accommodate most palates, with the darker sweeter taste of 6X, Henrys IPA for a little less gravity to the tangy, hoppy flavour of the golden coloured Strong in the Arm, named after one of the draymen (ask Paul). In the last 6 months we have gained two awards for our real ales:””Brewmaster”, a Wadworths award for high quality beer and good cellar practice, and “Cask Marque”, a certificate of excellence, in which our beer has been judged and tested for taste, temperature and aroma by an independent. Should you be looking for a venue to hold a wedding party, birthday party, Christmas or any other celebration, come and take advantage of our lovely pub and restaurant. You can have a private area or take over the whole pub and gardens as you wish. If you just want to pop in for a drink, you will always receive a warm welcome from us and our staff. We look forward to meeting you all. Venue Feature - The Rose and Crown, East Lyng AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 6 10/06/2010 19:40:06
  • 7. 7 As You Like It by William Shakespeare Synopsis The cruel and arrogant Oliver de Boys has deprived his younger brother Orlando of his birthright, and plots to have him killed by the champion wrestler of the ducal court. At the court, Orlando meets Rosalind, daughter of the deposed Duke Senior, and her beloved cousin Celia, the usurping Duke Frederick’s child. Against the odds, Orlando wins his bout and Rosalind’s heart simultaneously; but their love is hopeless in the unjust atmosphere of Duke Frederick’s court. While Orlando flies to the Forest of Arden with his faithful servant Adam, Rosalind is banished by her paranoid uncle. She decides to disguise herself as a boy (Ganymede) to protect herself and Celia, who leaves with her, in the role of Ganymede’s sister, Aliena. Together with the court jester, Touchstone, they too reach the Forest of Arden, and safety. Arden is also the refuge of Duke Senior, whose court in exile includes the melancholy and wryly speculative Jaques. Orlando is welcomed by the duke and the unexpected comfort gives him time and leisure to write love poems for his seemingly lost Rosalind, and post them on trees throughout the forest. Rosalind and Celia find them, and the former princess uses her male disguise as a pretext for gently teasing and testing Orlando’s love. At the same time, however, she inadvertently causes Phebe – a shepherdess being pursued by the lovelorn shepherd Silvius – to fall in love with her persona as Ganymede! This sylvan idyll is threatened when Duke Frederick sends Oliver to track down his brother; but Oliver undergoes a miraculous change of heart, is rescued from death by Orlando, and falls in love with Celia. In a joyful scene of resolution and reconciliation, Rosalind and the marriage god Hymen oversee the matching of Celia and Oliver, Phebe and Silvius, Touchstone and his country wench Audrey, and Orlando and herself. Duke Frederick, suddenly religious and repentant, restores his banished brother to the dukedom, and – accompanied by Jaques – takes refuge from the vicissitudes of the world. As You Like It is perhaps Shakespeare’s sunniest comedy, but there are patches of shade amidst the love- drenched brightness. Political corruption, fraternal rivalry and melancholy all serve as thematic counterpoints to Shakespeare’s investigation of how release from the constraints of court, city, and even gender can permit a profound development of the self. Despite the improbability of much of the play’s narrative, in the Arcadian beauty of Arden, we finally see love and nature fuse in a deeply satisfying act of harmony. ACT I Prologue: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Duke’s Palace Scene 1: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orchard of Oliver’s house Scene 2: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lawn before the Duke’s palace Scene 3: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The same Scene 4: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A room in the palace Scene 5: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest of Arden Scene 6: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 7: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 8: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 9: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 10: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest ACT II Scene 1: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 2: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 3: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Another part of the forest Scene 4: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 5: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Another part of the forest Scene 6: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 7: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 8: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest Scene 9: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forest AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 7 10/06/2010 19:40:44
  • 8. 8 Binham Grange Binham is a unique Jacobean house of great antiquity, offering good food and luxury accommodation with a personal touch. Mentioned in the 13th century in association with Cleeve Abbey, it is surrounded by 300 acres of some of Somerset's most beautiful countryside. Marie, Stewart and family have lovingly and tastefully restored the house and gardens to their former glory, while retaining the integrity of the former house and bringing it up to 21st Century comfort. Original features remain throughout, including the Tudor alabaster arches, solid oak doors and Jacobean frieze. The bedrooms at Binham are individually decorated and contain antique furniture, a selection of books and flowers from the garden. The rooms enjoy excellent views of the garden which are tended by Marie and Stewart who are keen gardeners and have created an outdoor haven for the guests to enjoy. The formal Jacobean parterre to the front of the house is east facing with a collection of unusual plants. To the south is a pergola with scented roses which leads to an Italian style garden and a vegetable, herb and cutting garden used in the house. To the west of the garden terrace, flower borders lead to the traditional orchard and the broader landscape beyond. Glastonbury Abbey Quite possibly the oldest of our venues, if you believe the legend – Joseph of Arimathea coming to Britain after the Crucifixion and planting the thorn tree. And legends are something Glastonbury is drenched in. In the beginning, when the legends of mythical Avalon began, Glastonbury, a small town in Somerset, cradled in a cluster of hills in the South of England, was thought to have been a site for pre-Christian worship. Three stone Abbeys, each large than the last, have stood on this site over the centuries; and before that the 'Old Church' on the site of the current Lady Chapel and St David’s Church to the east of this. There is even a small amount of evidence of Roman culture, plus evidence of Bronze and Iron Age occupation in and around Glastonbury. We are running the risk of being upstaged by the site where the bones of Arthur and Guinevere were enshrined. HIC IACET SEPULTUS INCLITUS REX ARTURIUS IN INSULA AVALONIA was inscribed on the lead cross found seven feet underground with the bones in a stone coffin, although that site and the cross are both now lost. Cynical historians look at the politics of the time, just after The Anarchy (more famous now because of Brother Cadfael than the civil war between Stephen and Matilda) with Henry II trying to re-establish the rule of law and they wonder how convenient the discovery was. Another, more modern myth tells of the existence of a zodiac in the earthworks around the area. Global warming and the rise in sea level might be about to reveal the truth or otherwise in that tale. St James Church St James is known to have existed since 1169, and this church was roughly the size of the present nave. Around 1308, the original building was pulled down and the present nave and north aisle erected. Not much changed until the 19th century, but the Victorians were very active here: in 1832 a south aisle was added, and the upper parts of the splendid tower were rebuilt in 1867 as a replacement for the original, which was in danger of collapse. Finally, the chancel was enlarged in 1888, and the south aisle extended into a chapel, and an 18th century gallery removed from the north aisle. From the outside, the tower dominates everything. Although largely Victorian, its design - executed in a fine, red sandstone - is firmly in the tradition of Somerset towers. The red sandstone is enlivened by stone dressings in the famous golden Ham limestone. Look hard, however, and the older architecture becomes clear: the north arcade of the nave, and the north wall, date from the 14th century rebuilding, and the original fan vaulting in the vault beneath the tower - now the entrance porch - dates from around 1440. At the east end of the north aisle, a mediaeval squint has survived – a feature constructed to enable those in the aisle to watch the elevation of the host during Mass. There are some interesting furnishings: pride of place goes to the lovely 15th Century font, each of its eight sides decorated with figures of saints; and the pulpit is a good example of local carving, and dates from 1633. Next to the font is the memorial to Colonel Lacy Walters Giles Yea, (d. 1845) killed in the Crimean War, complete with two statuettes of Fusiliers. The south aisle chapel boasts a fine wooden screen - exhibited in the Wembley exhibition of 1825 and made of Burmese Coco wood. AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 8 10/06/2010 19:41:23
  • 9. 9 Abbeyfield Somerset Residential Care Home & Apartments Singles and couples Comfortable en-suite rooms Attractive communal areas Quiet gardens and sitting areas 24 hour care from experienced, caring staff Day Care and Special Dementia care service available A higher standard of residential care Heron Drive, Bishops Hull, Taunton TA1 5HA (off Silk Mills Road) 01823 334238 www.abbeyfieldtaunton.co.uk Registered Charity No.24866R AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 9 10/06/2010 19:41:56
  • 10. 10 COURTLY LOVE IN AS YOU LIKE IT William Shakespeare (1564-1616) lived in interesting times. The late Middle Ages were drawing to a close, and the move away from restrictive ideologies, feudal systems and the age-old codes of chivalry and courtly love that held sway from the 5th to the 15th centuries was in full swing, fuelled by the excitement of the onset of the Renaissance sweeping Europe. This was an exhilarating and liberating age, and in the play performed tonight, written in 1599-1600, we see Shakespeare exulting in the new freedoms and pushing back the boundaries still further. Courtly love had its birth in the 11th century, and perhaps the most widely accepted ‘bible’ of its conditions and rules is The Art of Courtly Love, written in the second half of the twelfth century by a monk, Andreas Capellanus, in mediaeval Latin. The main principles of courtly love were established very largely as a result of arranged marriages. Couples were married for convenience, for status, for dowries, for political gain; certainly not for romantic love. It was thus believed that, in most cases, love did not exist between married couples, and, since many young knights (perhaps second or third sons who would not inherit their fathers’ estates – Orlando’s situation, in fact) could only aspire to worship their lord’s lady, or some equally unattainable goddess, from afar, courtly love became the established and accepted way to express desire, which was often overtly sexual. (The Countess of Champagne, being asked to rule on whether romantic love could exist within marriage, made this declaration in May 1174: “We declare and we hold as firmly established that love cannot exert its powers between two people who are married to each other. For lovers give each other everything freely, under no compulsion of necessity, but married people are in duty bound to give in to each other’s desires and deny themselves to each other in nothing.”) So courtly love, with all its conventions, came into being. Here are some of the ‘rules’, according to Capellanus: He who is not jealous cannot love.1. When made public, love rarely endures.2. The easy attainment of love makes it of little value; difficulty of attainment makes it prized.3. Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved.4. When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved his heart palpitates.5. A new love puts to flight an old one.6. If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives.7. A man in love is always apprehensive.8. Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love.9. Jealousy, and therefore love, are increased when one suspects his beloved.10. He, whom the thought of love vexes, eats and sleeps very little.11. A lover can never have enough of the solaces of his beloved.12. A slight presumption causes a lover to suspect his beloved.13. A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed by the thought of his beloved.14. You get the idea... In As You Like It, Shakespeare (with the help of his goddess boy/woman Rosalind) spoofs and satirises all of the above. Firstly, in what should be the bucolic idyll of a shepherd lover and his lass (Silvius and Phoebe), Silvius mourns and intones his love, displaying every convention of courtly love, as here in one of his opening conversations with Corin, an older (and wiser) shepherd, where he bemoans the cruelty of Phoebe, and doubts that anyone could ever have loved as he does: O, thou didst then ne’er love so heartily! If thou remember’st not the slightest folly That ever love did make thee run into, Thou hast not loved: Or if thou hast not sat as I do now, Wearying thy hearer in thy mistress’ praise, AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 10 10/06/2010 19:42:27
  • 11. 11 Thou hast not loved: Or if thou hast not broke from company Abruptly, as my passion now makes me, Thou hast not loved. (And he rushes off in a lovesick frenzy) O Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe! And it is Rosalind who blasts this Arcadian idyll into the stratosphere: You foolish shepherd, wherefore do you follow her, Like foggy south puffing with wind and rain? You are a thousand times a properer man Than she a woman... ‘Tis not her glass, but you, that flatters her... In similar vein, she taunts Orlando for not displaying the traditional outward signs of courtly love (thereby poking fun at those keeping up the convention): A lean cheek, which you have not, A blue eye and sunken, which you have not, An unquestionable spirit, which you have not, A beard neglected, which you have not; ... Then your hose should be ungartered, Your bonnet unbanded, your sleeve unbuttoned, Your shoe untied and every thing about you demonstrating A careless desolation; but you are no such man; You are rather point-device in your accoutrements As loving yourself than seeming the lover of any other. Later, even Phoebe lashes back at Rosalind, squashing the rather feeble courtly contention that a lady’s cruel look can kill: O, for shame, for shame, Lie not, to say mine eyes are murderers! Now show the wound mine eye hath made in thee And Touchstone too, the court fool who is not above a bit of unchaperoned hanky panky in the forest, chimes in with his parody of lovesick Orlando’s poems, which he hangs on trees (another courtly love rule, of course): If a hart do lack a hind, Let him seek out Rosalind. If the cat will after kind, So be sure will Rosalind. In short, the conventions and rules of courtly love are thrown out in favour of romantic and realistic love, albeit the tying of four lovers’ knots at the play’s end is achieved by one of the oldest conventions known to playwrights, the arrival of a god, (Hymen, god of marriage ceremonies) in a handy device known as deus ex machina – literally, a god lowered by stage machinery! However, dear reader, suspend disbelief and celebrate this pastoral comedy’s triumph of romantic and achievable love over the mirage of courtly protocol, and celebrate with our eight lovers their bright future, as Shakespeare himself must have been doing, in a world in which the archaic and stale etiquette of bygone centuries was being joyfully given the old heave-ho. Jane Edwards AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 11 10/06/2010 19:42:57
  • 12. 12 Duke Senior . . . . . . . . . Arthur Cummins Rosalind . . . . . . . . . . . Katherine Stone Celia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abi Vickery Audrey . . . . . . . . . . . . Annette Baalam Touchstone . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Webber Duke Frederick . . . . . . . . . . Ron Roberts Madame Le Beau . . . . . . . . Jane Edwards Orlando . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie Dorr Adam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Burbery Oliver . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Philpott Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Canning Jaques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Leach Amiens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tony Leach Silvius . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Gilbert Corin/Martext . . . . . . . . . . Mark Dawson Phoebe . . . . . . . . . . . . Karen Kerslake William . . . . . . . . . . . . Joshua Cooper Roland De Bois . . . . . . . . . Chris Osbourne Cast & AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 12 10/06/2010 19:43:38
  • 13. 13 &Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ray Court Producer & Tour Manager . . . . . Mark Dawson Assistant Producer . . . . . . . . Ron Roberts Stage Managers . . . . . . . . . Mark Dawson Music written and performed by . . . Tony Leach Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . William Shakespeare Sound & Lighting . . . . . . . . . . Dan Jones Props . . . . . Carrie Vaughan, Sylvia Fellgett Costume . . . . . . . . . . . . Kirsten White Assisted by Charlotte Briggs, Jane Burt, Alison Jenkinson, David Northey Prompt . . . . . . . . . . . . Cynthia Jones Business Manager . . . . . . . . Tony Beaven Finance Manager . . . . . . Jacqueline Roberts Front Of House . . . . . . . . . Martin Jevon Van Driver . . . . . . . . . . . Walter Plinge Minibus Driver . . . . . . . . . Mark Dawson Publicity Team . . . Rene Kilner, Jane Edwards, Michael Gilbert, Ron Roberts, Carrie Vaughan Publicity Design . . . . . . . Michael Gilbert Crew AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 13 10/06/2010 19:44:18
  • 14. 14 Charlie Dorr «—» Orlando If you saw our last tour production London Assurance and have an extraordinary good memory, you may remember me as some guy who walked in with a violin and played a rather pointless role while monitoring the set changes. The wordless Jenks was the first character I played for Taunton Thespians and it was a really great opportunity for someone with little acting experience to get involved. Since then I have gradually taken on bigger parts with some lines, and then more lines, including Mr Scoblowski in Daisy Pulls it Off last Autumn, and Reuben Starkadder in Cold Comfort Farm this spring. Orlando is my biggest part yet and for that reason probably the most intimidating, but it’s a great opportunity and something I wouldn’t have got into if I hadn’t walked down to Taunton Thespians on one dull evening last May. Katherine Stone «—» Rosalind My first production with Taunton Thespians began last Autumn as “just one of the Girls!” in Daisy Pulls It Off, where I encountered the character of Alice Fitzpatrick, Deputy Head Girl. This journey toured to The Gambia - a truly magical experience. My journey now continues with the Shakespearean phenomenon As You Like It. I play the character of Rosalind, “being but a moonish youth, ... effeminate” and overthrowing “more than her enemies” as she develops her passion for Orlando as she “cannot be out of the sight” of him! My experience has given me an in-take of a epic journey and in this discovering a new language and a taste of a very literature-driven Shakespearean society. Trials and tribulations have not defeated my initial incentive of eagerness for success that provides me with a feeling of overwhelming achievement once the productions have finished. Abi Vickery «—» Celia My first summer tour with the Thespians was A Comedy of Errors and I am delighted that we are returning to Shakespeare once again. This will be my sixth summer tour and I am really enjoying playing Celia. Celia is a friend and foil for Rosalind and is a very interesting character to play because she is spirited, stubborn and strong willed; putting her friendship with Rosalind before her relationship with her father, the Duke. She also does not suffer fools – apart from the odd court jester – gladly! It has been great fun rehearsing As You Like It, I hope you like it too! Alan Philpott «—» Oliver I’m pleased to be joining Taunton Thespians for my first ever open-air Shakespeare production! With other groups I played characters such as Bob Cratchet, Mole in Toad of Toad Hall and Justin in Alan Ayckbourn’s RolePlay. My wife has been very patient while I’ve spent most of my spare time since April rehearsing for this, acting in a student film in Bristol, and auditioning and rehearsing for a performance of The Boyfriend in Yeovil. Luckily we’ve had enough time to attend ballroom dancing lessons together! I’m looking forward to playing Oliver, and rain-free performances for lovely warm and dry audiences. AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 14 10/06/2010 19:44:54
  • 15. 15 Arthur Cummins «—» Duke Senior As You Like It was my first experience acting in Shakespeare, 45 years ago at Perth Repertory playing young Silvius. It is as enjoyable now, to play the old Duke. With Thespians, I have played Martin & James in London Assurance; Rochester in Jane Eyre; Roland in Taking Steps; Bartholomew Green in New Place and Time, and other odd characters in one-act Festival entries; I was Boggis in Accrington Pals and I began with Henry in Ray Cooney’s farce, Funny Money. I hope tonight’s escapade is as much to your liking as performing it is to mine. Ron Roberts «—» Duke Frederick I had a slight doubt when the director told me that I ‘was a natural choice for the play’s Mr Nasty’ but was delighted when he quickly added that it was to my credit not to be typecast! As a soldier I had the privilege of appearances with major amateur companies world-wide. The chance to play the ‘baddie’ comes along infrequently and getting to ‘know’ Duke Fred has been a pleasure. Previous acting high points have been mainly ‘goodies’, favourite directing oeuvre was A Man For All Seasons. Amateur theatre provides a rich contribution to our social structure and it has been a passion of mine from schooldays onwards. Since retirement, I have enjoyed fifteen years of commitment to the Thespians. For the Somerset Fellowship of Drama, I currently run the County Drama Festival and am the moderator of the county-wide pantomime competition. Mike Leach «—» Jaques I first ‘did’ As You Like It as a whining schoolboy and immediately decided Jaques was the part for me. It’s slightly hard to believe that after all these years I’ve got the chance to play it for real - a bit like suddenly being asked to captain England in the Ashes. Since joining the Thespians early last year, I have much enjoyed playing a string of flamboyant characters with accents to match: a sinister Italian, a bluff country squire, a brash American film producer. The introverted and depressive Jaques could reasonably be described as a contrast. One man in his time plays many parts... Jane Edwards «—» Madame Le Beau Mon Dieu, when je pense of mon extraordinaire route to ze 2010 Tour, it seems bizarre even to moi: soldat with moustache (Wyrd Sisters, 2005), desperate ‘ousewife (Free Fall), gouvernesse/ keeper of madwoman (Jane Eyre) and murderesse (Murdered to Death) in 2006; scrubbère in 2007 (Tom Jones), frustrated ‘ousewife (You’re In Room Eight), murder victime (Suddenly At Home), ze barking Madame Malaprop (The Rivals) et pissed vicar’s femme (Talking Heads) in 2008, pas forgetting cheap detective (Two Gentlemen of Soho) and mad ‘orsewoman (London Assurance) in 2009. Je am complètement astonished zat I ‘ave remained relativement sane et capable of playing ze minuscule mais hysteriquement drole rôle of ze cunningly transgendered ‘ippy French courtier Madame Le Beau zis year. Eh bien. C’est la guerre. Vive la différence... AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 15 10/06/2010 19:45:31
  • 16. 16 Express Print ad We at 'A Touch Of Elegance' will aid you in creating an ideal home. We will design according to lifestyle bringing unique & inspirational ideas into your home. Our fresh yet traditional de- signs allow for a unique experience in home interior design on a very personal level. We offer the opportunity to sit down in a comfortable friendly environment & have a one on one interpersonal discussion about the interior decoration of your home. Some examples might be: • Sophisticated & elegant curtains • Elaborate heading of box pleats • Swags & tails • Filled & draped pelmets • Scatter Cushions • Pretty loose covers A Touch of Elegance 5 West Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 9AA Tel/Fax: 01460 55992 email: sue@atouchofelegancesomerset.co.uk A Touch of Elegance AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 16 10/06/2010 19:46:03
  • 17. 17 Annette Balaam «—» Audrey Who could resist the opportunity to take part in that Great British Tradition ... what? ... ah! ... oh! ... no! ... no! ... not Shakespeare! The Real tradition of England ... The Weather! The chance of romping around our beautiful countryside creating theatre in the black holes of places called Upper and Lower Bugg***, in the height of a British Summer, is a Poker Game with ‘Downpour’, ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’ I couldn’t miss. Let’s see who blinks first. Throw in Shakespeare and a country bumpkin called Audrey and the thrilling adventure becomes a ‘Catastrophe Curve’; it’s amazing, the amount of things that fail to go wrong! Weather? What weather?! Enjoy the ride! Matt Webber «—» Touchstone According to sources, ‘Touchstone marked the beginning of a series of court fool characters; these characters differed greatly from earlier Shakespearean fools because their humour is mainly derived from the fool’s wit and intellect’. In As You Like It Touchstone is often threatened with a whip, the usual punishment for this sort of clown. However I am pleased to say that, in our edited version, this reference has been removed - lest the invigorating night air, warm applause and one or two dressing room ‘preparations’ lead one’s company to an altogether too liberal use of props. Enjoy the show. Karen Kerslake «—» Phoebe Since joining Taunton Thespians in January 2009, I have performed in six productions. My roles have included: a waiter (Two Gentlemen of Soho) which went through to the National Finals in Woking; an eccentric Russian anarchist (The Crimson Cocoanut) in the Ten Parishes Festival; a middle aged bitter spinster English Teacher (Daisy Pulls it Off) at the Tacchi Morris and, as was my great fortune, in Gambia; a cow, one of the raving loony Brethren, a guest at both a 21st birthday party and a wedding, plus another Phoebe, one of the extended Starkadder family (Cold Comfort Farm). In my second Summer Tour I am a rather fickle shepherdess – I hope I’m not being type cast! Michael Gilbert «—» Silvius The last young lover I played was Lelio in Goldoni’s The Liar at school over 30 years ago, although my first named part for Thespians, Albert Prosser in Hobson’s Choice in the early 90’s might qualify too. Back then, my foil, Freddy Beenstock, was played by a young bloke called Mark Dawson... ah well, some of us age better than others... More seriously, though, I’ve come to love Silvius a lot (although I’m glad he’s got less to say than Shakespeare gave him. Pressures of work mean I can’t devote the time a big role needs). He isn’t stupid, although he might seem that way from time to time, and he has some of the most beautiful lines in the play. Nothing deep, just lyrical. And enormous fun, too. Joshua Cooper «—» William This is my first encounter with Taunton Thespians, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. The cast has been immensely accommodating and has assisted me in my approach to learning lines and having confidence. I play the character William – a forester, eager to win the heart of Audrey: a simple minded “slut”, destined to marry an arrogant Touchstone. I also appear as a Hippy and a guard, which is great, as I appear very frequently in the production. I pursue Drama at school, but this experience requires more dynamism with a confident approach; full of energy, which is essential, as I am in an environment riddled with some very accomplished actors and actresses. AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 17 10/06/2010 19:46:39
  • 18. 18 Tony Leach «—»Amiens As well as acting, I have composed songs and music for shows since I left school, but this is the first time I’ve sung and played in a play! It’s been a real pleasure to interpret the Elizabethan language (As You Like It has the most scripted songs of any Shakespeare play) but with it has come a real sense of responsibility to do the material justice! It’s been a challenge and a lot of hard work but out of it has arrived, through various means, at varying times of the day, at varying degrees of convenience, ten original pieces of music. Hopefully these will be available to purchase on a CD which, as I write, I am hard at work trying to record in time! John Burbery «—» Adam Over the years with the Taunton Thespians I have played many different characters, but none quite like Adam As soon as I read Cold Comfort Farm I knew that as a septuagenarian this was the only part I could conceivably play... Hang on, that was the last show... It’s very rare indeed to get the opportunity to play the old Adam in two consecutive productions, but the notes I wrote for the last programme apply just as well to this. Orlando’s servant is not a lot like the ancient farmhand in Stella Gibbon’s classic work - or is he! The Summer Tour is not usually something I’m able to take part in, as my love of messing about in boats takes me off to foreign parts at this time of year. This year, however, I thought I’d give it a go, just to see if all the stories were true. I am also the membership Secretary of the Taunton Thespians – so if you fancy joining in the fun give me a call (details elsewhere) Mark Dawson «—» Corin Hello, everyone. I’ve been a Taunton Thespian, on and off, for nearly twenty years now. At the moment most certainly ‘on’. This is the third successive year I’ve been involved with our annual summer Tour. We’ve had more than our share of rain over the years, so it would be only fair if you are now basking in the evening sunshine. Touring is one of my very favourite types of show. I’m not sure if it is the beautiful venues and Somerset countryside that do it for me, or the thrill of seeing a ‘stage’ for the first time half an hour before acting on it. Perhaps it’s both. Chris Osborne «—» Jaques de Boys Since I was the age of about six, I’ve always been interested in taking part in school plays and school choirs. As I grew older I got more involved, especially when I moved up to secondary school, where I studied drama as a GCSE subject. When I left school, I became part of the youth theatre in Ilminster where we staged a performance every term. I am also part of a group called MAdD (music arts dance drama). Acting plays a big part in my life, as I wish to take up a career in the acting and music industry. Dan Canning «—» Charles This is the third production I’ve done in my acting career. My first was a play called Curtains where I played the media reporter Daryl Grady. My second performance was in a variety show, where I helped out in any parts that needed me. And now this one, Shakespeare, never thought I’d be doing this. Taunton Thespians were running short of a few people so through a mutual friend I got a phone call and was asked if I wanted to play a wrestler. Why not, I thought, why not. I’ve done it for real, so I should be perfect for the role. AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 18 10/06/2010 19:47:14
  • 19. 19 Autumn 2010Damsels in Distress: Two plays by Alan Ayckbourn, performed in collaboration with Street Theatre, directed by Mike Linham, one week at the Tacchi-Morris and one week at Strode Theatre. Thespians will be presenting GamePlan, Street RolePlay, night about over the two weeks. Spring 2011The Good Doctor, adapted from the short stories of Anton Chekhov by Neil Simon, directed by Polly Bray. We took a one-act play abstracted from this to the Western Regional Finals of the AETF competition in 2010. It’s very funny indeed, Simon’s skill as a playwright enhancing the wonderful observational humour of the Russian master. Summer Tour 2011Servant of Two Masters, Carlo Goldoni’s classic comedy, directed by this production’s Silvius, Michael Gilbert. Lots of mistaken identity, knockabout comedy and wonderful costumes. Hopefully, putting on a play set around the waterways of in 18th Century Venice isn’t tempting the weather gods too much... Full details of auditions and performance dates from www.tauntonthespians.org.uk 2 0 1 0 S ea so n 2 0 11 Rose and Crown Opening Times: Monday 11am - 3pm / 6pm - 9pm; Tuesday to Sunday 11am - 3pm / 6pm - 11pm. Food is served daily during all opening hours. See page 6 for more details on our beautiful inn Main Road, East Lyng Somerset TA3 5AU Tel: 01823 698948 AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 19 10/06/2010 19:47:52
  • 20. 20 Taunton Thespians on Tour Origins The Tour was born in AD 2000! At the AGM that year, the Thespians had accepted their new chairman’s challenge to two new concepts: to establish a third, major production within their calendar year and to embrace the concept of ‘outreach’ rather than just perform in Taunton. Not long afterwards, a new member Sefton Parke joined us and, one evening over a post-rehearsal pint in the Mason’s Arms, mentioned his erstwhile project to form a troupe in the South West to tour open-air Shakespeare productions, now regretfully abandoned because of lack of support facilities. I said “TT will do it, you direct, I’ll produce.” “When?” “This coming summer!” A decade of achievement was launched. Outreach From the outset, we sought to entertain not merely Taunton Deane but as much of the outer reaches of Somerset as possible. It is remarkable that each year has introduced us to at least one new venue. Whether any venue survives is a simple matter of economics. Royalties, transport, print runs and other costs add up to some £6k over a fortnight. For a ten-venue Tour, it follows that each performance must produce (on average) a tenth of that total. Whereas we try hard to follow our ‘four corners’ policy, sometimes modified by a ‘loss leader’ caveat, we cannot justify consistent losses and thus reluctantly have to abandon some well-liked venues. We started at Sefton’s garden at Sampford Brett with a good omen. 2001 Twelfth Night The equipment van crested the hill some two miles east of the site and a second or two later, Martin Peters switched on his lights illuminating the trees around the ‘stage’. A beacon to guide us to the West. The first set was simply four bushes in tubs. The costumes were dress uniforms because we have plenty in our wardrobe. Eight performances reached Langford Budville (south!); Burrowbridge (north); the only two planned, indoor performances (ever) at The Warehouse, Ilminster (east-ish); Fyne Court (north-west) and onto home ground with two performances at the County Museum forecourt, Castle Green. 2002 Merry Wives of Windsor Nine performances, noted for the fact of a somewhat rotund director packed into a hamper. Two new venues, the first at Deane Court at Cotford St Luke, Fred Clarke warmly welcoming us to his rough pasture. The other was Barrington Court where, on Friday, 21 June, we played in probably the only typhoon ever to hit the South West. The wind and rain constantly lashed from stage right to stage left! The evening started with 28 in the audience: twelve were still there after the interval and we, the cast, applauded them at the close. 2003 Midsummer Night’s Dream Ten performances noted for a magical cloak for Oberon and he, in public, kissing our Titania, clad in green with spiky hair. Our finest ‘audience hour’: a full house of 500 people at Dunster Castle and 375 the next night! Other ‘firsts’ were Green Garden, Lydeard St Lawrence in a cow-and-sheep-smelling field in front of a capacious barn (more later) and Kelways at Langport, where we decided that playing on a cobbled surface was asking too much, despite the sorbo-rubber exercise mats! 2004 Comedy of Errors Eleven peformances. Our male ‘twins’ were in yellow t-shirts and jeans and matching wigs but unmatched in height. A tour of charity shops produced unbelievably high platform shoes that fitted – and matched the twins. Twin ‘firsts’ again, the first of them being the first of two forays into a dinner-cum-play arrangement at Fishponds, Dunkeswell (well south!). The other to the historic Muchelney Abbey near Langport. We also had an unplanned ‘indoor’ at Lydeard, escaping the incoming tempest and squeezing the audience and ourselves into the said ‘changing room’ barn. AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 20 10/06/2010 19:48:28
  • 21. 21 2005 Much Ado About Nothing Eleven performances. The previous year’s success at Muchelney caused English Heritage to invite us to Cleeve Abbey: superb acoustics within the cloister walls and very basic, centuries-old changing rooms! The performance at Cotford completely washed out, the four cars of ‘audience’ sent away, the van bogged down in the ‘car park’ field overnight (which put paid to the venue) but it was the producer’s birthday, so damp us recovered with a dry fizz at The Bell, Bishop’s Lydeard. 2006 Jane Eyre Noted for much scenery to cart about (lesson learned!) and the entire set and cast nearly blown away from a hill-top new venue at Blackmore Farm, Cannington. It was also a first in the grandiose surroundings of Glastonbury Abbey. Eleven performances for the last time: temperatures in the high 80s had drained all of us on the Saturday afternoon, a ‘last straw’ that led us to accept that ending a tour on a Sunday was too much before a working week for most of us, 2007 Tom Jones Ten performances and this year’s ‘first’ was the Cleve at Wellington, playing in that natural little amphitheatre behind the hotel with its raised summerhouse for tech control, comfortable changing rooms and a near-by bar for the punters! 2008 The Rivals Ten performances and three ‘firsts’. The first of them playing in Bishop’s Hull, the village- that’s-part-of-Taunton, and made very welcome at the Frank Bond Centre. The other two were both private, invited performances at Holcombe Rogus (very south!) and at Norton Fitzwarren for the Army Benevolent Fund. 2009 London Assurance Ten performances and a lovely, new venue at Hartwood House, Crowcombe Heathfield. Not only did the family Freeman make us very welcome, the house being changing- rooms and ‘backcloth’, but the performance was helping the very worthy cause of SSAFA. Open Air Touring. . . . is fun! It is also hard work, of course, travelling to a new venue every day, setting up, getting the actors there on time, perhaps tired after a day’s work, then rising up to the occasion and performing. Rather historical, really, like the strolling players of old. Then we ALL help to pack up and retire to a local hostelry to unwind with ‘cakes and ale’. Every night a First Night and a Last Night! Tiring may be, but fun, because we’re always well received by audiences and always invited back by hosts. Onwards What is also remarkable is that in nine years and out of ninety performances, we have only been beaten by the weather three times. Often soaked, often frozen, sometimes baked but never downhearted. Here’s to the next decade.... Ron Roberts Photos are a random sample from Comedy of Errors, Jane Eyre and The Rivals AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 21 10/06/2010 19:49:05
  • 22. 22 This production is entered for The Phoebe Rees Awards Founded by Phoebe Rees and run by the Somerset Fellowship of Drama, the competition is open to amateur drama societies and groups in Somerset. Plays are adjudicated by members of the Fellowship’s committee who also run an annual Original Playwriting Festival and the county’s first round of the All England Theatre Festival, and organise drama training. The Rose Bowl Awards Founded by the families of Walter Hawkins and John Coe, this is now funded through the Quartet Community Foundation, with individual awards sponsored by the Bristol Evening Post. Amateur operatic and dramatic productions throughout former Avon, Gloucester and Somerset are assessed by GODA qualified adjudicators. Taunton Thespians are members of NODA The National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA), founded in 1899, is the main representative body for amateur theatre in the UK. It has a membership of some 2500 amateur/community theatre groups and 3000 individual enthusiasts throughout the UK, staging musicals, operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of performing venues, ranging from the country's leading professional theatres to village halls. Members have access to a wide range of benefits. NODA aims To give a shared voice to the amateur theatre sector; To help amateur societies and individuals achieve the highest standards of best practice and performance; To provide leadership and advice to enable the amateur theatre sector to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 22 10/06/2010 19:49:43
  • 23. 23 Rita Adams Patricia Attrill Annette Balaam Michael Barry Tony & Tessa Beaven Matthew Botten Penny Bradnum Polly Bray Charlotte Briggs Harriet Brine Dona Bullion John & Carol Burbery Jane Burt Jason Carter Sasha Collard-Jenkins Tina Cook Thomas Cooney Ray & Nikki Court Jon Cozens Kim Crooks Arthur Cummins Mark & Nicola Dawson Charlie Dorr Anne Dowsey Jane Dyer Jane Edwards Sylvia Fellgett Terry Finn Olivia Gentile Keith Gibbons Michael Gilbert David & Maggy Goodall Charles Grace Stephanie Grafton Ken & Anne Hague Bryan Hallett Jennifer Hancock Lynn Henden Jean Hole Jack Horwood John Howe Rosemary Humphreys Sally Jago Alison Jenkinson Linda Jevon Martin Jevon Cynthia Jones Karen Kerslake Rene Kilner Michael Leach Tony Leach Jane Leakey Peter Lewis Jessica Linden Michael Linham Clive Linthorne Rebecca Livermore Stuart Lyddon Josephine Mann Hilary Marshall Verity Martindill John & Audrey Meikle Beryl Morris David Northey Mary Paker Imogen Papworth Amy Parker Gemma Payne Marck & Emily Pearlstone Martin Peters Rhian Pugh Elaine Rawle Dinah Rawle Joy Reason Graham Reeks Laura Richmond Ron & Jacqueline Roberts Vivienne Sharland Robert Smith Richard Stenner Chloe Stepney Katherine Stone Nigel Stuart-Thorn Susan Swan Vera Sweeting Stuart Symonds Pauline Tilley Susanna Tookey Christine Vaughan Caroline Vaughan Anthony Venn Abigail Vickery Thelma Wander Margaret Way Matt Webber Angela Widgery Pete Wilmott Bethanie Winter Katherine Winter Helen Witcomb Taunton Thespians President – John Meikle Vice Presidents – Margaret Way, Thelma Wander, Ron Roberts Coming Soon THE SUMMER PLAY READING PROGRAMME: This year we are including some Sundays in our Play Reading Season which kicks off on SUNDAY JULY 4th. Your hosts will be Tony Beaven, Jane Burt and David Northey. The dates are Sunday 4th July, Wednesday 7th July, Wednesday 14th July, Wednesday 21st July, Sunday 25th July, Wednesday 28th July, Wednesday 4th August, Sunday 8th August, Wednesday 11th August, Wednesday 18th August, Sunday 22nd August Friday & Saturday SEPTEMBER 10th & 11th: NEW DIRECTORS’ SHOWCASE! November 2010 – Next autumn’s public production is a joint venture with Street Theatre. Two Alan Ayckbourn plays, GamePlan and RolePlay, use the same setting. Taunton Thespians will present the former, Street the latter. Each production will be done night about at the Tacchi-Morris and Strode Theatre, one week here and one week there. Watch the press for further details and audition announcements. Joining us If you’re looking for something to do that is huge amounts of fun, gives something back to people and doesn’t cost a fortune, come and join us! Full membership of the society is only £12 a year. For more details, check out our web site at www.tauntonthespians.org.uk or call the Membership Secretary, John Burbery on 01823 442118. As well as everything listed above, we have a Club Night on the first Wednesday of every month from September to May at our home base, The Place in Wilfred Road, Taunton. And you don’t have to want to act; we have a huge wardrobe which needs caring for, sets need building, shows need lighting, makeup needs to be put on, props need to be made... all sorts of things. AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 23 10/06/2010 19:50:22
  • 24. If you are thinking of buying or selling in the area, contact us first Estate agents – valuers – Auctioneers Residential, Commercial & Development Surveyors Letting Agents & Property Management Winchester House, Corporation Street, Taunton TA1 4AJ 01823 332121 www.wilkie.co.uk www.rightmove.co.uk AYLI_Programme_pages.indd 24 10/06/2010 19:50:29