Noël Coward’s
FALLEN PRESENT
ANGELS 21
WEDNESDAY ST – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2018
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FA LL EN ANGELS
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Noël Coward’s
FALLEN PRESENT
ANGELS
WEDNESDAY
21ST – SATURDAY 24TH NOVEMBER 2018
First performed at the Globe Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London (now the Gielgud Theatre) on 21 April 1925 where it ran until 29 August the same year. Later productions include Amsterdam 1926 (where it was banned after a few performances), Broadway (1927/1956), Paris (1928/1945) and West End London (1949/1967/2000). TV adaptations were broadcast by the BBC in 1963 and Anglia TV in 1974, and BBC radio presented it in 1973. This amateur production is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French Ltd
From the Director Cheriton Players are thrilled to be presenting Fallen Angels, this deliciously witty, light, yet controversial early comedy written by Noël Coward when he was just 24. Fallen Angels amused and shocked audiences in equal numbers and an official in the Lord Chamberlain’s office initially recommended that a performing licence be refused on the grounds that the loose morals of the two main female characters ‘would cause too great a scandal’. The depiction of independent married women who had only recently won the right to vote was considered outrageous in the still highly moralistic 1920s. The Manchester Guardian however praised Coward’s theatrical skill as ‘little short of amazing’ and The Observer called the play ‘trenchant, superficially frothy but actually questioning the empty lives led by these indolent privileged people’. Revivals have since
attracted actresses of the calibre of Felicity Kendal, Frances de la Tour, Susannah York and Joan Collins and we are delighted to be now bringing it to Cheriton audiences 93 years late, but still just as relevant in 2018. We welcome three talented new faces to the Cheriton stage: Denise Truscott, Matt Jones and Pete Shepherd and hugely look forward to seeing them in future productions. The play could not happen without the dedicated and unseen team behind the scenes listed inside who deserve just as many plaudits as those on stage. It has been the greatest fun to direct – Coward would have approved! This is Noël Coward at his inimitable best: witty, debonair and sophisticated. We hope you will enjoy this delightful play as much as we have had rehearsing it. Richard Perkins
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Forthcoming Productions – dates for your Diary
Wed 3rd-Sat 6th April 2019 A Very International Variety Show (It’s a Little Bit Bonkers) More details to come on our website, newsletters and social media soon.
Blue Apple Theatre presents A Christmas Carol at Theatre Royal Winchester on Friday11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13th January 2019 at 7.30pm. Tickets from TRW box office 01962 840440 or www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk
www.thecheritonplayers.org/comingsoon
PRESENT
Noël Coward’s
FALLEN ANGELS The Cast Julia Sterroll Fred Sterroll Saunders Willy Banbury Jane Banbury Maurice
Denise Truscott John Weston Claire Smith Matt Jones Fiona Mackay Pete Shepherd
Synopsis of Scenes The action of the play takes places in the drawing / dining room of the Sterrolls’ flat in London. Time: 1925. Act One: The morning. Act Two: Evening, the same day. Act Three: The following morning. There will be an interval of 20 minutes between Acts 2 & 3 during which refreshments will be available.
The Production Team Director Producer Stage Manager Lighting/sound Wardrobe Hair and make-up Props Prompt Set Design Set Construction Décor Photography Filming/editing Best Dog Publicity Programme & poster Front of House
Richard Perkins Jan Conway Angela Ledsham Graham Arnott, Jamie Herdman Pauline Cornter, Sue Cox Pauline Cornter Jan Conway, Marilyn Weston, Melissa Simm Marilyn Weston Paul and Henrietta Hellard Paul Hellard, Dave Wright, Pete Reay Henrietta Hellard, Tim Conway, Jan Conway, Angela Ledsham Craig Robertson Jim Glaister Bertie Mackay David Cradduck Ian Lock, David Cradduck Sue Herdman and team
Please turn off all mobile phones and keep aisles clear at all times. Please refrain from flash photography and note that video or audio recording of the performance is prohibited.
From the Chair It is difficult to imagine the disquiet Noël Coward caused when he first staged Fallen Angels in 1925. After all, a couple of gals having a few dry Martinis whilst contemplating a bit of extra-marital with a joint ex might seem pretty tame these days. Times move on, but the plot remains as ‘frothy nothing, but treated as only Coward can’. How utterly delightful!
Cheriton Players would like to thank everyone who has loaned props, costumes or who has assisted in any way with this production, in particular Chesil Theatre (Winchester), Gordon Cooper with his 1925 Morris Cowley, West Meon Theatre, Charlie Hellard for the loan of the keyboard, Alresford Golf Club, Robert Whitcombe and members of the cast and crew.
Although Richard Perkins can be described as a true veteran of our stage, having joined us over 20 years ago, this is his directorial debut with a full length play for Cheriton. Directing can be a lonely and time-consuming business, as any experienced director will testify. Which is why it is so important to have a cast and crew that supports and works as a team. We are so lucky at Cheriton to enjoy just that kind of dedication and professionalism. The play you see on stage is like the tip of the iceberg – it is what goes on backstage, months in advance, throughout the build up and rehearsal period, not just on the night, that makes a great production. And the final important ingredient is a loyal and supportive audience and we are so lucky to enjoy that privilege as well. Talking of planning ahead, we are already in an advanced stage of planning for our
spring production, our biennial variety show which is to be entitled A Very International Variety Show – It’s a Little Bit Bonkers, to be performed over four nights 3-6 April 2019. Directing for the first time will be Tracey Anderson and Claire Smith and we do hope you will come and join us for that in just over five months time. In between time there is our annual winter social get-together which will be a repeat of the popular Race Night we held in 2017. Details will be on our website soon but it will be a fundraiser so if you know of anyone who would be willing to sponsor the event and/or a race on the night, please let us know by contacting us through the website www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk During the coming months we will continue to support Blue Apple Theatre, Winchester-based theatre company that supports performers with learning disabilities to develop and present high quality productions. We hope to take part in each other’s forthcoming productions in various ways and and we are delighted to continue our collaboration for, and with, this worthy organisation. I do hope you enjoy your evening. David Cradduck
Cheriton Players is a small friendly theatre group always keen to encourage new members to join us onstage, backstage and front of house. If you are interested in joining the Players, please get in touch through the website www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk or by email to thecheritonplayers@gmail.com You can also join our mailing list through the website to receive our regular newsletters and details of future productions. We would love to hear from you!
BIOGRAPHIES
Richard Perkins
(Director) Richard has been a member of Cheriton Players for over 20 years but this is his first foray into directing a full length play. Early Cheriton roles were in Cat on the Fiddle and as Alastair Spenlow in Move over Mrs Markham. His many characters have included vicars, butlers and doctors! He appeared in the Cheriton 2000 Revue, several parts in Confusions and The Real Inspector Hound. Richard was seen in Out of Order, Table Manners, ‘Allo ‘Allo, Habeas Corpus, The Ghost Train, Don’t Dress for Dinner. He was Bernard in Seasons Greetings, grumpy old laird Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe in Oh Clarence! and Richard took on the major role of Baines, the Butler, in Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime. His recent appearances were in Cash on Delivery and as leading man William Gillette in The Game’s Afoot. Denise Truscott
(Julia Sterroll) Denise’s debut with Cheriton Players marks a welcome return to performing in a Coward play. Recent appearances locally have been for the Chesil Theatre as Belinda in Seasons Greetings, for West Meon Theatre as Queen Catherine/Old Ma Gwyn in Nell Gwyn plus appearances in WMOS’ Oh What A Lovely War (Mrs Pankhurst), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Starveling) and chorus in others. Before moving
to Winchester (and having twin sons!) she played many roles with Teddington Theatre Club and Barnes & Richmond Opsoc – light relief from the day job being an oil and gas commercial analyst. Favourite roles include Joanna in Coward’s Present Laughter (in the presence of Moira Lister who played the part opposite the Master in the West End), Anastasia, the title role, in The Anastasia File, Susannah Hall in The Herbal Bed (nominated for Best Actress Award) plus Eva in Ayckbourn’s Absurd Person Singular and Fay in A Chorus of Disapproval. John Weston
(Fred Sterroll) Seasons Greetings marked John’s debut for Cheriton Players back in 2012 after many visits to our productions as a member of the audience. His previous experience of amateur dramatics was restricted to Sandcastles for ACTS and appearing in revues for the Rio Players during several sojourns in Brazil. Although John has not technically been on the Cheriton stage since Seasons Greetings, he took part in our recent rehearsed reading of The Browning Version in the role of Peter Gilbert and has been active in the background over the past few years helping backstage and supporting his wife Marilyn during her recent three year chairmanship of the group.
Claire Smith
(Saunders) Claire has been involved in theatre since the age of five when she learnt to dance and she soon started joining musical theatre groups. After university, Claire was busy with WMOS (Winchester Musicals and Opera Society), mainly in the chorus and as a dancer. She has taken roles like Hebe in HMS Pinafore and Lady Ella in Patience. Claire was involved in the Great Cheriton Variety Show, mostly singing in various roles. She appeared as Nellie in Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, her first appearance in a non-musical production since secondary school and she then took on the challenging role of Julia in A Month of Sundays. Claire was part of the hilarious line up for Cash on Delivery and as Aggie Wheeler in the thriller The Game’s Afoot. She will be remembered for her delightful singing as Mary Poppins in The Even Greater Cheriton Variety Show and she is co-directing the Players’ next production A Very International Variety Show in April 2019. She also took part in our rehearsed reading of The Browning Version in the summer.
Pete Shepherd
(Willy Banbury)
Maurice Duclos)
Another new comer to the Cheriton stage, Matt is already established as a Cheriton Singer and Flowerpots regular and was attracted to trying out for the Cheriton Players as a first ‘proper’ acting role since school days. In recent years, as a veterinary educator, he has been engaged in a range of veterinary communications skills work including playing ‘virtual clients’ – the owners, that is, not the animals! He has also written and performed in several review-type shows over the years. We do hope to see more of Matt on Cheriton stage in the future. Fiona Mackay
(Jane Banbury) Cheriton Players were delighted when Fiona agreed to put in a guest appearance as Daria Chase in The Game’s Afoot and even more pleasantly surprised when she returned to play the lead role of Poopay in Communicating Doors. Of her first role at Cheriton she says she thoroughly enjoyed the role of Daria Chase as it gives her the opportunity to be really bitchy to the other characters, whilst at the same time trying to look glamorous. Communicating Doors was altogether a different and challenging role. We welcome Fiona back for a third appearance in Fallen Angels to take on yet another glamorous and challenging role. Fiona is a very experienced actress – the majority of her past productions have been with RAODS in Romsey. Amongst her favourites are Murdered to Death, Ladies’ Day, Ladies Down Under and A Bedfull of Foreigners.
Completing our line up of new faces, Pete is making his acting debut with Cheriton Players – unless you count playing lead role in Amahl And The Night Visitors at the age of nine! (which Pete says he doesn’t). No stranger to the world of letters, Pete took his MA in Modern Languages at Oxford, and has studied drama in all its forms. An experienced public speaker, he has addressed audiences in English and Spanish in venues ranging from the European Commission, to Quito, the equatorstraddling highest capital in the world – and has often watched Cheriton Players from the other side of the footlights. Pete is learning to tap-dance (but please don’t tell anyone, he says!).
BIOGRAPHIES
Matt Jones
Past Productions The Browning Version/A Matter of Taste June 2018 Communicating Doors April 2018 The Game’s Afoot November 2017 Young Jane September 2017 (Another) Murder in Cheriton! June 2017 The Even Greater Cheriton Variety Show April 2017 Cash on Delivery Nov 2016 A Month of Sundays March 2016 Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime Nov 2015 Third Week in August June 2015 The Great Cheriton Variety Show April 2015 Oh Clarence! May 2014 An Inspector Calls Dec 2013 A Bolt from the Blue April 2013 Season’s Greetings Nov 2012 Murdered to Death May 2012 Clerical Errors Nov 2011 Alice June 2011 Blithe Spirit Nov 2010 Don’t Dress For Dinner April 2010 Together4Christmas December 2009 Ten Times Table April/May 2009 The Ghost Train November 2008 Habeas Corpus April 2008 ’Allo ’Allo November 2007 Murder in Cheriton! May 2007 The Champion of Paribanou January 2007 Parallel Lines November 2006 Table Manners April 2006 A Christmas Carol December 2005 Out of Order April 2005 Idol Talent January 2005 The Noble Spaniard November 2004 Jungle Fantasy May 2004 The Real Inspector Hound & Black Comedy November 2003 Oliver! January 2003 Don’t Utter a Note May 2002 Forty – Not Out! December 2001 Murder in Play March 2001 Confusions November 2000 An Evening’s Entertainment March 2000 Move over Mrs Markham November 1999 Party Piece November 1998 After the Ball is Over April 1998
And then there were None Nov 1997 Cat on the Fiddle April 1997 Love’s a Luxury November 1996 She Stoops to Conquer April 1996 Key for Two November 1995 ‘Bless ’em All’ May 1995 Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime Nov 1994 Pardon Me, Prime Minister April 1994 Variety Music Hall November 1993 Murder in Company April 1993 Worzel Gummidge November 1992 Outside Edge April 1992 My Fair Lady November 1991 Two One-Act Plays April 1991 Lock up Your Daughters November 1990 Haul for the Shore May 1990 Best of Old Time Music Hall February 1990 Tons of Money November 1989 The Late Mr. Larrington April 1989 Merry Christmas Music Hall December 1988 Man Alive April 1988 The Wind in the Willows December 1987 I’ll Get My Man May 1987 Music Hall Jan/Feb 1987 Laughter in the Dark December 1986 Salad Days April 1986 The Proof of the Poison December 1985 Gala Music Hall September 1985 Charley’s Aunt May 1985 Music Hall February 1985 Small Hotel November 1984 Beyond a Joke May 1984 Music Hall February 1984 Play On! November 1983 Present Laughter May 1983 Old Time Music Hall February 1983 And So To Bed November 1982 Here We Come Gathering April 1982 Music Hall February 1982 Book of the Month November 1981 Pride and Prejudice May 1981 Music Hall Jan/Feb 1981 The Full Treatment November 1981 Fish Out of Water May 1980 Music Hall February 1980 A Friend Indeed November 1979 Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime April 1979
Music Hall January 1979 Jam Tomorrow November 1978 White Sheep of the Family April 1978 Old Time Music Hall Jan/Feb 1978 Love Birds November 1977 Running Riot May 1977 Jubilee Revue January 1977 Your Obedient Servant November 1976 Person Unknown April 1976 Old Time Music Hall January 1976 The Importance of Being Earnest November 1975 Wolf’s Clothing April 1975 Old Time Music Hall Jan/Feb 1975 Love’s a Luxury November 1974 Sailor Beware April 1974 Old Time Music Hall Jan 1974 See How They Run November 1973 Doctor in the House April 1973 Old Time Music Hall January 1973 Quiet Weekend November 1972 Who Lies There April 1972 Old Time Music Hall January 1972 Pools Paradise November 1971 Something to Hide April 1971 Old Time Music Hall January 1971 Beside the Seaside November 1970 Trap for a Lonely Man February 1970 Man Alive November 1969 Busybody May 1969 Sleeping Partnership February 1969 Dear Delinquent November 1968 Goodnight, Mrs Puffin May 1968 A Pig in a Poke February 1968 Wanted One Bod November 1967 Still Life & Speaking Terms July 1967 Flat Spin May 1967 The Happiest Days of Your Life February 1967 See How They Run October 1966 The Bride and the Batchelor April 1966 Breath of Spring November 1965 Blithe Spirit November 1964 Pools Paradise May 1964 One Man Banned November 1963 Haul for the Shore November 1962 Friends and Neighbours March 1962 Here We Come Gathering Nov 1961
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