Drama

R. D. Burton R. M. Craig P. W. M. Crowley P. G. Fender

G. A. Flintoff

N. P. Frost H. C. Gatiss

S. B. Irons D. J. Johnson J. A. Johnson

D. R. Kaner A. J. Leckenby J. A. McGrath S. J. Mawby A. J. B. Miller J. C. Neal R. M. Owen N. C. H. Pemberton

P. N. Reay

B. Saber S. J. Shilleto R. J. T. Wilson 5 5 5 6 4

Violin Theory Violin Violin Piano 5 Violin Distinction 1 6 Theory Distinction 6 Theory 6 Piano 5 Trumpet 7 General Musicianship Merit 7 Piano Merit 2 Piano 4 Flute Merit 6 Theory 4 Violin 5 Theory 2 Piano Merit 2 2 Violin Piano Merit

5 Theory 1 Piano Merit 6 Organ Merit 6 Theory Distinction I 5 Theory 5 Piano 3 Flute 2 Piano 4 Flute

"IOLANTHE"

Dramatis Personae: The Lord Chancellor, Barry Creasy; Earl of Mountararat, Edmund Atha; Earl of Tolloller, Steven Bruce-Jones; Private Willis (of the Grenadier Guards), Mark Burn; Strephon (an Arcadian shepherd), David Du Croz; Queen of the Fairies, David Barron; Iolanthe (a Fairy, Strephon's mother), Kit Bird; Celia (Fairy), James Neal; Leila (Fairy), Paul Aagaard; Fleta (Fairy), Graham Flintoff; Phyllis (an Arcadian Shepherdess and Ward in Chancery), Nigel Pemberton.

Fairies: Stephen Ashton, Oliver Bird, Christopher Bronk, Fergus Craig, Nigel Dixon, Christopher Drury, Carl Hancock, Timothy Heap, Gregory Lomas, David Nendick, David Pemberton, Andrew Powles, Timothy Prosser-Higdon, Jason Rea, Jeremy Taylor, Andrew Whipp, Harvey Whittam, Simon Woollons and Jonathan Wright. (With one exception the Fairies are members of St. Olave's School.)

Peers: Mark Anderson, Charles Anelay, Alastair Barron, Roderick Barron, Howard Clough, Keith Coulthard, Roderick Craig, Kevin Dell, Roger Depledge, Peter Fender, Peter Gardiner, Christopher Greaves, John Greaves, Don Hamilton, John McGrath and Patrick Smith. Lord Chancellor's Chair Carrier, Andrew Gray. 22

Make-up: Barry Creasy, David Bretherton, Simon Dench, Simon Dresser and Tony Miller. Set designed and painted by Mike Christelow, Des Clout, Basil Smith and Mike Thornham. Construction Unit: Kevin Dell, Tony Miller, Michael Christelow and Nigel Morris. Lighting: Tim Barker and Stephen Atha. Wardrobe Mistress: Noreen Gypson. Orchestra composed of members of the Music Staff, Boys and Friends of the School. Rehearsal Accompanist: Joyce Ellery. Director of Music and Conductor, Keith Pemberton. Producer, Edmund Field .

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Programme designed by Mike Christelow. ocsimile) Printed by Gordon Fuller and the Printing Option. We should like to thank Mrs. Forbes Adam for lending us so many of the costumes and also Mrs. Blissett, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Craven, Mrs. Dench, Mrs. Du Croz, Mrs. Field, Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Gypson, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Jordan, Mrs. Kirby, Mrs. Le Tocq, Mrs. Nix, Mrs. Nixon, Mrs. Rayson, Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Shuttleworth for their help with costumes and dressing.

The last time I saw lolanthe, in a prep school production, all the roles, from fairies to Peers, were played by little boys. The range was too wide for them, and for this reason I anticipated the St. Peter's production with mixed feelings: how would a boys' school cope with fairies and so many female characters and, in general, the great variety of roles in Iolanthe? The worry turned out to be misplaced—the producer, Edmund Field, not only coped but gave us something highly successful and very enjoyable. One reason for the success was the opportunity to deploy such a wide range of actors, from St. Olave's through St. Peter's to the staff and even the Head: St. Olave's and staff cum sixth-formers provided a very plausible range from perky little fairies to stately Lords. Another reason was the balanced nature of the performances; an unusual thing in a school production—there were no weak spots, either of groups or individuals. On the one hand there was the group of fairies, looking remarkably pretty for St. Olave's boys, tripping hither and thither with gusto and evident relish, and led by three engagingly humorous principal fairies. On the other hand there were the two groups of peers, handsome and dashing tenors, and stately and lordly basses: everything they did was done with great verve—they made their entrances with éclat, their singing had swing and speed, and when acting as stage onlookers all of them (and particularly Don 23

Hamilton and the Head) "hammed" their oohs and ahs and grimaces with great spirit.

What can one say of individual performances? We were given firm singing and characterisation in the Mountararat and Tolloller of Edmund Atha and Steven Bruce-Jones; a good performance of a nerve-racking role from Nigel Pemberton, singing the Shepherdess to David Du Croz's Strephon—a pair whose duets improved during the evening. From Kit Bird we had a successful performance of the very difficult role of lolanthe. David Barron gave us a very matronly and statuesque Queen of the Fairies: would a fairy ever challenge her authority—a Queen twice the size of most of her subjects? We saw Mark Burn's Private Willis have his moment of glory at the beginning of Act II (splendid sets of Palace Yard, Westminster)—he had the physique to match (and fit! ) his uniform.

Two performances must be singled out from this catalogue. Firstly, Barry Creasy was the comic centre of the evening, and deserves the star role in any review. He played the Lord Chancellor as a Restoration fop, using exaggerated, prancing and whimsical movements of his long hands and lanky figure to marvellous comic effect. What was extraordinary was that he did this while singing; while singing a part whose length is inordinately difficult both for memory and voice; while singing comically! The second performance was a minor role, Chair-carrier to Barry Creasy's Chancellor: the short Andrew Gray by the long Barry Creasy (good casting). Here in Andrew Gray's humorous byplay with the chair and splendid use of his own facial expressiveness we had a great comic talent revealed—may one say?—in miniature.

All these were helped by the excellent sets, make-up and costumes; and in the background there was orchestral playing of a high standard under Keith Pemberton—especially in the woodwind (excellent fluteplaying) and brass, who came into their own in the fanfares for the Peers' Chorus.

Why was it all such fun? There was confidence and high spirits in the whole performance, which could not be without effect: the improvisation of Barry Creasy and Andrew Gray is one example of actors' enjoyment which communicated itself to the audience. In addition to all this, I think that certain incongruities made for a lot of the fun. It is very funny to see a very tall Chancellor and a very short Chair-boy; a History Master and a third-former singing to each other; St. Olave's boys as pretty little fairies; the Head and other Masters as Peers; and finally, perhaps, a performance of lolanthe without a female on stage? M.J.B.

"THE CARETAKER"

Freezing cold, like imminent death, wonderfully concentrates the mind; so I learnt one November night in that quaintly ecclesiastical building, the Old Gym. The set of "The Caretaker" called for an unheated junk-room, and it was there for the asking, with nothing extraneous to distract, perhaps as never again in its plush and electronic future.

A play then, about Power: how people exercise it, and react under it; often the same person: today's sycophant is tomorrow's Caesar. 24

Simon Wallace plays Davies, a pitiful old man: the twitch, the sniff into the dirty sleeve, the nervous tremor of the jaw, are professional touches in a sophisticated performance.

Marcus Haw, playing Aston, gives Davies food and shelter. Why? To befriend him? No. Why then? A whim? Charity? For company?

No. More likely for a need in himself, to play the Tin God. But Aston knows he cannot rely on his own sanity, and vacantly nurtures his sane periods. Marcus Haw certainly shows us the empty ache in the poor man's soul.

Mick bursts in as a threat, and Brian Kay brings to the part the authentic touches of the criminal sadist: the twisted leer, half-smile; the light-hearted mean trick; the unprovoked cuff and kick. Davies is the butt; he protests and whines, but knows who's boss.

But, when he gets the chance to take advantage of Aston's apathy, then how he plays the bully, too. It is a revelation of human nature that we uneasily suspect; it is the genius of the play to bring it out, and the strength of this excellent production. Davies changes; his voice and features harden; he attacks, demands, boasts and rants. Then Aston reveals his lurking madness; his apathy becomes panic. Mick returns for the showdown: the tension breaks.

A good play, well produced, well acted! Well done!

J.P.R.

"THE HOLE"

"Curtain raisers" before Senior rugger matches are partly to entertain, and partly to give young players a taste of the "big-time". This was surely the justification for this production of "The Hole".

Ian Lowe needs to train his actors coming up the School. It is not an easy play—some say it is a spoof. The Visionary, in the guise of a watchman, broods over a roadwork: a hole. Miller looked suitably enigmatic, and has potential.

The others consider the hole, stare into it, purport to see visions in it, and argue the significance of those visions.

Personally, I found it a little tedious, though there were amusing touches from the actors who coped rather well. If this seems to damn with faint praise, it is because only a production of the calibre of "The Caretaker" could have transcended the cold and gloom. In retrospect, I feel that the plays would have been better given on separate nights. J.P.R.

"I feel that instead of any inability to communicate there is a deliberate evasion of communication. Communication itself between people is so frightening that rather than do that there is a continual cross-talk, a continual talking about other things rather than what is at the root of their relationship." "I want to present living people to the audience, worthy of their interest primarily because they ARE, they exist, not because of any moral the author may draw from them." "Simple truth can often be something much more terrifying than ambiguity or doubt."