1 minute read
From the Director
Welcome to The Massive TragedyofMadame
Bovary! It’s a Greek tragedy, morality tale, literary masterpiece and farcical comedy all rolled into one. It really does have something for everyone but it’s a strange play to introduce as there are two distinct sides to the story – the novel and the adaptation.
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I first read the novel of MadameBovary six years ago, having found a copy of it in my mother-inlaw’s bookcase. I don’t read much, and I’m not really sure why I picked it up, but a few pages in, I found it deceptively easy to read. Biographers of the author Gustave Flaubert have described him as the father of modern realist narration, his influence almost too familiar to be visible. I had no idea of Flaubert’s obsession with finding the right word – he would spend a whole day writing one page – but I had been aware of the novel’s infamy, it being talked about in the same breath as LadyChatterley’sLover . So, whilst I was expecting to be skipping the parts where Flaubert describes the intricacies of a French dresser (to the parts where he describes the intricacies of a French undresser) I instead found every page to be witty, well-paced and luridly captivating.
So that’s the novel. And what of the adaption? Well, it’s written by a theatre group called Peepolykus, more specifically John Nicholson and Javier Marzan; they’ve written, produced and performed a number of madcap comedies including ATrespasser’sGuidetotheClassics and a comedy adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles. So when a friend at work told me about seeing the original run of this play, that it was one of the funniest plays they’d seen, I felt committed to having some part in its production at Cheriton Players at the next opportunity.
I really hope you enjoy our production as much as I, the cast and production team have enjoyed creating it. Finally, my thanks to my wife Katie and son Pippin for their support – without them it would have been impossible for me to direct this show.
Craig Robb
CHERITON PLAYERS’ COSTUME WARDROBE HIRE
The Players now have an extensive supply of theatrical costumes/props for hire to other Dramatic Societies and individuals. For further information contact Jan Conway (01962 771834) or Pauline Cornter (07568 375985).
