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