The Pirates Of
Louise Gold
appeared as Isabel, one of Major General Stanley's daughter's, at Theatre Royal
Drury Lane, opening on 26th May 1982, she left on Saturday 26 February
1983, as part of first major cast change (there seems to have been a few minor
cast changes prior to this) . Like several of the cast she had earlier appeared
in the same producer's film
version of The Pirates Of Penzance, in her case
playing Edith, a role she also understudied in this production.
Perhaps one of
the most amazing things about this production was the cast, some of whom were
already names, and many of whom went on to become better known. In addition the
band of Noblemen-turned-Pirates included among their number a real nobleman.
Cast
Original
The Pirate King - Tim
Curry
Samuel, His
Lieutenant - Sylvester McCoy
Frederic -
Ruth, A Pirate Maid
- Annie Ross
Major-General
Edith - Karen
Lancaster
Kate - Bonnie
Langford
Isabel - Louise
Gold
Mabel - Pamela Stephenson
Major-General
Stanley - George Cole
The Sergeant - Chris
Langham
Pirates and Police:
Timothy Bentinck,
Graham Bickley, Keith Binns,
Peppi Borza, Ken
Caswll, Mark Davis, Kevin Feighery, Alan Forrester, Andrew Golder, David Hampshire, Paul Hegarty, Simon
Howe, Paul Leonard, Clive Packham,
& Kevin A. J. Ranson
Back-up Singers:
Neil Braithwaite, Christina Collier, John
Denton,
Understudies:
Pirate King – Chris Langham
Samuel - Andrew Golder
Ruth - Sarah Shipton
Frederic - Graham Bickley
Edith - Louise Gold
Major-General - Kevin A. J. Ranson
Sergeant - David Hampshire
Mabel - Christina Collier
Kate - Carolyn Allen
Isabel - Jackie Downey
Swings - Ray Hatfield, & Anita Pashley.
Orchestra:
Conductor
– Martin Koch
Clarinets
– Richard Blewett
& Martin Frith
Basson – David Miles
Flutes
– Carol Brown & Alexa Turpin
Trumpets
– Malcolm Gosden
& Tim Hawes
Trombone
– Peter Thorley
Keyboards
– Tom Gilhooly
& Andy Read
Mallets
– Nigel Charman
Timpani
– Julian Fairbank
Percussion
– Tony Bourke
Bass
– Lesley Hooson
& Peter Trundley
Cast Listed In Programme Around
December 1982
The Pirate King - Tim
Curry
Samuel, His
Lieutenant - Sylvester McCoy
Frederic -
Ruth, A Pirate Maid
- Annie Ross
Major-General
Edith - Karen
Lancaster
Kate - Bonnie
Langford
Isabel - Louise
Gold
Mabel - Pamela
Stephenson
Major-General Stanley
- George Cole
The Sergeant - Chris
Langham
Pirates and Police:
Timothy Bentinck,
Graham Bickley, Keith Binns,
Peppi Borza, Ken
Caswll, Mark Davis, Kevin Feighery, Alan Forrester, Andrew Golder, David Hampshire, Paul Hegarty, Simon
Howe, Paul Leonard, Clive Packham,
& Kevin A. J. Ranson
Back-up Singers:
Christina
Collier, John Denton, Mike Holoway,
Understudies:
Pirate King - Timothy Bentinck
Samuel - Andrew Golder
Ruth - Sarah Shipton
Frederic - Graham Bickley
Edith - Louise Gold
Major-General - Kevin A. J. Ranson
Sergeant - David Hampshire
Mabel - Christina Collier
Kate - Carolyn Allen
Isabel - Jackie Downey
Swings - Ray Hatfield, Anita Pashley & Aidan Cook.
Orchestra:
Conductor
– Martin Koch
Clarinets
– Richard Blewett
& Martin Frith
Basson – David Miles
Flutes
– Carol Brown & Alexa Turpin
Trumpets
– Malcolm Gosden
& Tim Hawes
Trombone
– Peter Thorley
Keyboards
– Tom Gilhooly
& Andy Read
Mallets
– Nigel Charman
Timpani
– Julian Fairbank
Percussion
– Tony Bourke
Bass
– Lesley Hooson
& Peter Trundley
January 1983 (for three weeks -? possibly Sat 9 (eve) to 29 )
The Pirate King - Timothy
Bentinck
Samuel, His
Lieutenant - Sylvester McCoy
Frederic -
Ruth, A Pirate Maid
- Annie Ross
Major-General
Edith - Karen
Lancaster
Kate - Bonnie
Langford
Isabel - Louise
Gold
Mabel - Pamela
Stephenson
Major-General Stanley
- George Cole
The Sergeant - Chris
Langham
Pirates and Police:
Graham Bickley, Keith Binns, Peppi Borza, Ken
Caswll, Mark Davis, Kevin Feighery, Alan Forrester, Andrew Golder, David Hampshire, Paul Hegarty, Simon
Howe, Paul Leonard, Clive Packham,
& Kevin A. J. Ranson
Back-up Singers:
Christina
Collier, John Denton, Mike Holoway,
Understudies:
Samuel - Andrew Golder
Ruth - Sarah Shipton
Frederic - Graham Bickley
Edith - Louise Gold
Major-General - Kevin A. J. Ranson
Sergeant - David Hampshire
Mabel - Christina Collier
Kate - Carolyn Allen
Isabel - Jackie Downey
Swings - Ray Hatfield, Anita Pashley & Aidan Cook.
Orchestra:
Conductor
– Martin Koch
Clarinets
– Richard Blewett
& Martin Frith
Basson – David Miles
Flutes
– Carol Brown & Alexa Turpin
Trumpets
– Malcolm Gosden
& Tim Hawes
Trombone
– Peter Thorley
Keyboards
– Tom Gilhooly
& Andy Read
Mallets
– Nigel Charman
Timpani
– Julian Fairbank
Percussion
– Tony Bourke
Bass
– Lesley Hooson
& Peter Trundley
From ?possibly 31 January 1983 Until
Saturday 26 February 1983
The Pirate King - Oliver
Tobias
Samuel, His
Lieutenant - Sylvester McCoy
Frederic -
Ruth, A Pirate Maid
- Annie Ross
Major-General
Edith - Janet
Shaw
Kate - Bonnie
Langford
Isabel - Louise
Gold
Mabel - Karen
Lancaster
Major-General
Stanley - Ronald Fraser
The Sergeant - Chris
Langham
Pirates and Police:
Timothy Bentinck,
Graham Bickley, Keith Binns,
Peppi Borza, Ken
Caswll, Mark Davis, Kevin Feighery, Alan Forrester, Andrew Golder, David Hampshire, Paul Hegarty, Simon
Howe, Paul Leonard, Clive Packham,
& Kevin A. J. Ranson
Back-up Singers:
Christina
Collier, John Denton, Mike Holoway,
Understudies:
Pirate King - Timothy Bentinck
Samuel - Andrew Golder
Ruth - Sarah Shipton
Frederic - Graham Bickley
Edith - Louise Gold
Major-General - Kevin A. J. Ranson
Sergeant - David Hampshire
Mabel - Christina Collier
Kate - Carolyn Allen
Isabel - Jackie Downey
Swings - Ray Hatfield, Anita Pashley & Aidan Cook.
Orchestra:
Conductor
– Martin Koch
Clarinets
– Richard Blewett
& Martin Frith
Basson – David Miles
Flutes
– Carol Brown & Alexa Turpin
Trumpets
– Malcolm Gosden
& Tim Hawes
Trombone
– Peter Thorley
Keyboards
– Tom Gilhooly
& Andy Read
Mallets
– Nigel Charman
Timpani
– Julian Fairbank
Percussion
– Tony Bourke
Bass
– Lesley Hooson
& Peter Trundley
During the run
of the show there were many cast changes (only the first cast plus a few minor
changes are listed here - in the first major cast change (28 February 1983) Anita
Pashley took over as Isabel). Perhaps one of the
most notable changes, though, was just after Christmas 1982, so probably around
early January 1983, when Tim Curry left, his replacement, Oliver
Tobias did not actually join the cast until 3 weeks later, hence why for
those three weeks The Pirate King was played by Timothy Bentinck.
According to
the Daily
Mail from 25 August 1982, Pamela
Stephenson had by that staged dropped out due to filming commitments on Superman
III (to be replaced by her regular understudy Christine Collier), however, Pamela
Stephenson was still listed in cast list in a programme dated December
1982.
Production Team
Producer - Joseph Papp
Presented by -
Lyrics/Libretti - William S Gilbert
Music - Sir
Arthur Sullivan
Original Productions – 30 December 1879 at The Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, with Miss Kate Neville as Isabel and Miss Marian May as Edith, and then, 31 December 1879, at The 5th Avenue Theatre, New York, with Miss Billie Barlow as Isabel and Miss Jessie Bond as Edith
Director - Wilford Leach
Musical Arranger - William Elliott
Choreography - Graciela Daniele
Scenery by - Bob Shaw & Wilford Leach
Costumes by - Patricia McGourty
Lighting by - Jennifer Tipton
Sound by - Don Ketteler
Musical Director - Martin Koch
Associate Producer (London) - Andrew Treagus
Hair & Make-up originally designed by - J. Roy Helland
All of the
original cast, had appeared in a number of charity previews including:
A Royal
Gala Performance preview of this production The Pirates Of
Penzance (Gala Performance), In aid of Children’s
Country Holidays Fund &
A Royal Gala Preview of this
production of The
Pirates Of Penzance (Gala Preview), in aid of KIDS, on 18 May 1982. (Although two of
the Backing Singers: Anita Pashley and Sarah
Shipton, appear to have been uncredited).
A Benefit
Preview of this production of
The Pirates Of Penzance (Benefit Preview), in aid of The International Theatre Institute, on
21 May 1982
Apart from
Musical Director Martin Koch, the
musicians in the orchestra pit are not credited in the programme. It is however
known that Kate Young sometimes
deputised as a pianist in the pit orchestra (one of her first West End jobs).
It is also known that that Assistant MD was Andy Reed.
Amusingly,
given that at the end of the Operetta The Pirates get let-off because they are
noblemen, in this production Louise Gold found herself waltzing around
the stage with a real nobleman, namely Timothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck,
who went on to inherit the title of 12th Earl Of Portland,
Tim also went on to play David Archer in the BBC Radio 4 soap The Archer's
.
Louise Gold, Timothy Bentinck, Peppi
Borza, David Hampshire, and Simon Howe had
previously appeared in the Papp film version of The Pirates Of
Penzance.
It is perhaps
worth noting that most of the auditions for chorus and minor roles this
production of The Pirates Of Penzance (according to a cutting
from ‘The Stage’) took place on Tuesday 3 November 1981. But it is not quite
clear whether those actors who had already appeared in the film were required to
audition again.
In the film of
The Pirates Of Penzance Louise
Gold played the role of Edith, which she understudied in this stage
production The Only one of the three girls whom Louise Gold has not
played is Kate, interestingly in the second ever production of The
Pirates Of Penzance, at The 5th Avenue Theatre in New
York, that role was played by Miss Rosina Brandram, whom Louise Gold would later portray
in the film Topsy Turvy. Coincidentally, at some point during the Doyly Carte tour of the
Anita Pashley joined the cast of The Pirates of Penzance a
few weeks into rehearsals, on 26 April 1982, a week before her final
performance as Electra in Cats.
Most of the
cast took part, largely as The Pirates Of Penzance cast, and orchestra, in the 1982 Royal Variety Performance,
which that year was actually at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
Bonnie Langford had previously made theatrical history appearing at
It is perhaps worth noting that Theatre Royal Drury Lane has witnessed many historical occurrences, in particular connected with royalty, including assassination attempts on two of the King George’s
Queen
Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s 82 Birthday was marked by the Queen Mother visiting
The
Pirates of Penzance and cutting a huge
white, pink and green birthday cake which she graciously declined to eat.
According to William Hickey writing in The Daily Express (Friday 6 August 1982)
it was demolished in about five minutes flat by members of the cast and staff
at
On the
Thursday 6th January 1983 the cast, still headed by Tim Curry
(probably just before he left the cast) played their part in a theatrical
tradition, when they did the honours at the annual ceremonial cutting of the Baddeley Cake. Robert Baddeley was a pastry cook and actor, in his will he
left a sum of money in perpetuity so that each year on Twelfth Night a cake and
a drink would be partaken of by his fellow actors in his memory. It is West End
tradition that this ceremonial event is always carried out by the members of
the cast of whichever production is occupying Theatre Royal Drury Lane
at that time.
It seems quite
likely that one of Louise Gold’s performances in The Pirates Of Penzance took place nine years to the day of her
professional stage debut in Dick Whittington.
Many of the
cast stand out in their contribution to theatre, and a surprising number of them
either had worked together before, or would later be reunited. For example:
Chris Langham had
been both a script-writer and a Guest Star on The
Muppet Show, so he already knew Louise Gold in her
puppeteer guise. Chris Langham’s writing credits with the Muppets include: Muppet Show Music Album, and The Muppets Go To The
Movies.
Louise Gold and Chris Langham had previously appeared in “a burlesque show with some of the Muppet-company”, and on the documentary Of Muppets And Men.
Anita Pashley and Bonnie
Langford had previously appeared together in the original company of Cats,
immediately prior to their appearing in The Pirates Of Penzance.
Tim Curry later starred as another Pirate, Long John Silver,
in the film Muppet Treasure Island,
which of course Louise Gold puppeteered on. .
Louise Gold left The Pirates Of Penzance to become a leading
puppeteer on Spitting Image, naturally she also did voices, and Pamela
Stephenson went on to do voices for Spitting
Image, and Chris Langham wrote some
material for that show.
Louise Gold, Kevin A. J. Ranson,
and, Anita Pashley later worked together on Anything Goes (stage
show). Incidentally, during her time on The
Pirates Of Penzance Anita had taken over Louise’s role of Isabel. This
production’s orchestra also included Martin
Frith, plus Kate Young as a dep pianist.
Sylvester
McCoy went on to appear on many
Children's TV programmes including: Jigsaw,
Louise Gold and Mike Holoway
subsequently starred on the JAY/TER
Studio Cast recording of Stop
The World I Want To Get Off.
Bonnie
Langford went on to appear in Broadway To Brighton
Martin Koch went on to become Musical Supervisor for Mamma Mia, and in that capacity was interviewed on
television in ABBA - The
Reunion
Louise Gold and Sylvester McCoy have gone on to appear
in Noises Off
Louise Gold
continued her association with
the work of Gilbert and Sullivan appearing in the stage show The
Metropolitan Mikado and the film Topsy Turvy.
Graham Bickley’s recording credits include The Best Of Broadway Musicals , Encore The Very Best From The
Musicals , Great Duets From The
Musicals , Cole Porter - Night And
Day, The Great Musicals - Wonderful Tales,
The Great Musicals – Glamour And Majesty,
and, Magic Of The Musicals.
Mike Holoway’s recording credits include: The History Of The
Musical
Louise
Gold has gone on
to appear on stage in another G&S operetta, The Gondoliers
Graham Bickley and Mike
Holoway’s
recording credits include Simply Musicals,
and, The Great Musicals – Dashing
Heroes, Blushing Maidens.
Many years
later, while appearing at The Prince
Edward Theatre, Louise Gold, recalled Theatre Royal Drury lane in Tim McArthur Interview.
Kate Young went on to help out as a rehearsal pianist on Assassins .
Kate Young, Martin Koch, and, Sylvester McCoy may have gone on to take part in Thing A Thon.
Louise Gold has since
returned to Theatre Royal Drury Lane
in Oliver!.
Links about The Pirates Of
Timothy Bentinck's website,
see section on his work: http://www.bentinck.net/frame1.htm This link includes a
picture of
Bonnie
Langford’s Website, section on
her theatre work: http://www.bonnielangford.co.uk/theatre.html
Details of
the original productions of the Pirates of
A Review of dep pianist
Kate Young many years later being
a dep pianist on an RAFA Charity Show: http://www.qsulis.demon.co.uk/Reviews/Sams_Bar.htm
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