Programme 1980 – Puss In Boots

HASTINGS MUSICAL COMEDY COMPANY

PUSS in BOOTS

HASTINGS MUNICIPAL THEATRE
October – November 1980

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HASTINGS MUSICAL COMEDY COMPANY INC.

presents

PUSS IN BOOTS

A Pantomine [Pantomime] by John Crocker
Music and Lyrics by Eric Gilder
DIRECTED BY ROY SHAW

Mary Bell
Musical Director

Roy Shaw
Director

Judith Cater
Choreographer

Once upon a time there was a young man named Philip who lived in the Kingdom of Marmaladia. Philip has just inherited his father’s fortune, (such as it was), and thought that as a man of means he could court the Kingdom’s Princess Esmeralda. Now Esmerelda was just a little bit haughty due to the fact of the Demon having her under his spell, and was proving to be a right nark. However, Philip perseveres with his suit. Meantime, his two brothers, Phiddle and Phaddle are out to extract his inheritance from him as painfully as possible. The King and Queen are fed up with their daughter and would dearly like to see her married off. To compound the plot, Greedyguts the Ogre has been stealing the oranges which the villagers grow as their sole means of revenue. Their simple life would be much simpler if Mistress Mary, one of their residents, didn’t do everything backwards, if Rowley wasn’t a hypochondriac, and if Neddy the Donkey would only do what he should when he should. But all is not lost. A wave of a magic wand by the Sprite and Puss, Philip’s little friend, is transformed, in the best Pantomine tradition, into “PUSS IN BOOTS”, who talks, organises and generally gets things sorted out. Confusing? Never mind, everyone lives happily ever after.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Anthony Rowley   Michael Smyth
Princess Esmeralda   Lucinda Gay
Jimothy, the King’s Page   John Leipst
Mistress Mary Quite Contrary    Jeannette Cresswell
The Miller’s Sons
Phiddle   John Doig
Phaddle   Ross Corbett
Philip   Sue Hall
Neddy, a donkey   Ngaire Rohrs and George Ferris
Philip’s Cat
Mime Puss   Fiona Stuart
Puss   Glenys Russell
King Marmaduke   Lex Barker
Queen Marmaduchess   Peter Hill
Sprite Youngood, an Aprrentice [Apprentice] Fairy   Janeve Rohrs
Demon Oldbad   Barbara O’Sullivan
Lord Snoozle, the Court Chamberlain   Doug Bowey
Greedyguts, the Wicked Ogre   Michael Smyth

CHORUS of villagers. Courtiers, Vassals, Birds, Butterflies, Dandelion.   Derryn Beeby, Paulette Taurima, Andree Kovaleski, Carol Shanks, Vivienne Lang, Cherie Hatch, Mandy Reinders, Leanne O’Sullivan, Tracy Lockart, Rosanne Slade, Ngaire Rohrs, Heather Bishop, Rhonda Wedd, Fiona Cudby, Sue London, Kim Buckley, George Ferris.

BALLET
Janeve Rohrs, Derryn Beeby, Vivienne Lang, Rosanne Slade, Carol Shanks, Fiona Cudby, Kim Buckley, Heather Bishop.

MICHAEL SMYTH

LUCINDA GAY

JOHN LEIST

JEANNETTE CRESSWELL

JOHN DOIG

ROSS CORBETT

SUE HALL

NGAIRE ROHRS

GEORGE FERRIS

FIONA STUART

GLENYS RUSSELL

LEX BARKER

PETER HILL

JANEVE ROHRS

BARBARA O’SULLIVAN

DOUG BOWEY

PART ONE
SCENE ONE   Outside the Old Mill in Marmaladia.
SCENE TWO   A Woodland Glade.
SCENE THREE   The Audience Chamber at the Palace.
SCENE FOUR   A Street Outside the Palace.
SCENE FIVE   The Orange Grove beside the Lake.

This scene opens with a Ballet. The Sprite is awakening to a new day and is hopeful that perhaps, her wings could have grown overnight. She yearns to be a fully fledged Fairy, and fly like her friends, the birds and the butterflies, but after looking over her shoulders she realises she is still a sprite without wings. Her sorrow is boundless. Even the Dandelion seeds float on the air whereas she is still earthbound. She longs to join her friends and wistfully tries to copy them as they joyfully spread their wings to the warmth of the new day’s sun. Unable to even hover like the Insects, she throws herself onto the ground, weeping bitter scalding tears, until her common sense comes to her aid and she prepares to make the best of her world and accepts the fact that her wings will come to her when the time is right.

PART TWO
SCENE SIX   The Ballroom at the Palace.
SCENE SEVEN   Outside the Palace.
SCENE EIGHT   The Royal Barracks.
SCENE NINE   On the way to Grislykeep.
SCENE TEN   Grisleykeep, the Ogre’s Castle.
SCENE ELEVEN   Rewards and Fairies.
SCENE TWELVE   The Wedding Reception of the Marquess and Marchioness of Carabas.

MUSICIANS
Mrs Mary Bell   Piano
David White   Percussion

PRODUCTION PERSONNEL
Director   Roy Shaw
Musical Director   Mary Bell
Choreography   Judith Cater
Set Design   Keith Brazier
Set Construction and Painting   Carl Wright, Trevor Palmer, Keith Brazier, Peggy Brazier, Jon Brazier, Tracy Brazier, John Rohrs
Max Harrington, Mike McConnell, Keith Cooze
Stage Crew   Stage Manager:   Carl Wright, Assistant: Max Harrington.
Head Flyman:   Trevor Palmer, Malcolm Palmer, Bob Buckley, Mike McConnell, Dick Maule, Peter Plummer, Peter Dixon, Keith Ormorod [Ormerod], Tony Rohrs, Oliver Christofferson [Christoffersen], Jim McCarthy, Murray Dale.
Set Construction   Carl Wright, Max Harrington, Mike McConnell, Keith Cooze
Lighting Design   Brian Hawkins, Roy Shaw
Lighting Team   Brian Hawkins, Adele Bevan, Kevin Cresswell
Wardrobe Mistress   Francis Murray
Wardrobe Construction and Dressers   Francis Murray, Zelda McCarthy, Peggy Brazier, Katherine Doig, Jean Beeby, Ann Long, Kaye Hawkins
Properties   Jeanne Hall, Joyce Brain, Tracy Brazier
Prompt   Ann Perry
Production Manager   John Rohrs
Production Secretary   Joyce Brain
Publicity   Jim McCarthy, Kevin Broomhead
Programme   Keith Brazier, Joyce Brain
Front of House   Zelda McCarthy and Members of the Company
Sound   David Leese
Tea Ladies    Francis Murray, Jean Beeby
Make-up   Kevan Broomhead, Brian Overend, Staveley Tankersley
Hairdressing   Flora MacDonald

The Hastings Musical Comedy Company wishes to express its gratitude to those members, friends and business houses, who have helped to make this production possible. In particular Hawke’s Bay Electric Power Board Management and Social Club, Napier Operatic Society, Hastings Group Theatre, Hastings Citizen Band, Stanton Bros., Wellington Hospital Operatic Society, Bay City Radio, Apple Radio, Manawatu Theatrical Society, Camera House, Mrs Shirley Pell, Glen Sutherland, Roach’s Ltd., Robert Duncan Metal Processors, Ara’s Trading Post, everyone who has worked, or loaned, or worried for us in connection with “PUSS IN BOOTS”.

Welcome to “Puss in Boots”, our very first Pantomine, and may you all enjoy hours of fun and spectacle.

We are now in the process of purchasing a very large building on the comer of Hastings and Alexandra Streets, so we once again may have our very own Playhouse. We will then be inviting you to join us as we present high class productions in an atmosphere which reflects that of the old Playhouse. Who knows we could even stage another Pantomine in the near future.

Thank you for your support.

PETER HILL,
President.

MUSICAL NUMBERS

The Overture   Entire cast
Sing   Entire cast
Marmaladia   Entire cast
Changes   Princess and Chorus
Home   Philip
Anthem   King and Queen
Whoever You Are   Philip and Princess
Marmaladia (Reprise)   Entire Cast
We’re a Team   Philip and Puss
Talking Cat   Entire Cast
Yah! Boo! Hiss!   Demon, Phiddle and Phaddle
Palace for Two   Philip and Princess
Twisted Gavotte   Entire Cast
Mistress Mary   Mistress Mary and Chorus
Find Her   Queen and Chorus
Blunderful Love   Philip and Jimothy
Hurrah for the Military   Jimothy, Queen, King, Phiddle, Phaddie, Mistress Mary
Orange Yolk   Queen and Audience
Being an Ogre   Ogre
Finale   Entire Cast

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1981 Playhouse Productions

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