Programme 2007 – Ladies Who Lunch

Ladies who Lunch

by Tudor Gates
directed by Diana Ryan

Napier Repertory Players (Inc)
76 McGrath Street Napier
14-23 June 2007

THE DIRECTOR : Diana Ryan
Live theatre has been in Diana’s life for a long time, back stage, on stage and directing. She has been a member of Napier Rep for over twenty years (lived in Wellington for 12 of them). Since returning to Hawke’s Bay, she has performed in The Memory of Water, directed After you with the Milk for Deco Decanted, appeared as Margo Buchanan in Laying the Ghost and Dotty in Theatre Hawkes Bay’s Noises Off.

THE PLAYWRIGHT : Tudor Gates
Playwright, novelist, screenwriter, producer, director in film and theatre, Tudor Gates wrote the hugely successful Ladies who Lunch for amateur groups to perform as part of the British Tourist Biennial in 1998. He wrote and directed The Dream of Geronimous Bosch which won the British Drama League Award for the best One-Act Play. Among his film credits are Barbarella and the Peter Sellers film The Optimists of Nine Elms. He died in January in his 77th year.

Please … switch off that cellphone!

Cartoonist Jim Hubbard was in London recently and (wouldn’t you know it) just happened to lunch at San Lorenzo. Not one to miss an opportunity he discreetly sketched a trio of ladies at lunch. Thanks Jim!

GETTING OUT OF TROUBLE
The phone rang as part of the play. A well-known actor picked up the receiver and realized that he had forgotten his lines. There was only one other actor on stage so the forgetful one mused a moment, handed the phone to the other man, said “It’s for you,” and walked off

Cast (in order of appearance)

Sir John Sasson   Jeremy Mirams
Lady Amelia Sasson   Sharon Sinclair
Geraldine Sasson   Jess Danvers
Rachel Milchan   Suzanne Collins
Joane Stocks   Adrienne Hurley
Mary   Millie Booth
Ken Stocks   Steve Driver
Bonnie   Millie Booth
Harry Milchan   David Brock
Ms D L Wallis   Annette Waren

Prologue   Olive Purdie & Phil Stokes

The action takes place in the Sasson’s London drawing room; the Milchan’s duplex in Manhattan; the Stocks’ apartment overlooking Sydney Harbour.

ACT I
Scene 1 & 2   London
Scene 3   Sydney
Scene 4   New York
Scene 5   London

20 minute intermission

ACT II
Scene 1   London
Scene 2 & 3   New York
Scene 4   Sydney
Scene 5   New York
Scene 6   Sydney
Scene 7   New York
Scene 8   London

Jeremy Mirams
In his semi-retirement Jeremy has taken up acting, playing half a dozen roles with Napier Repertory and Napier Operatic in as many years. 2006 saw him as the man who wasn’t there in Laying the Ghost alongside Diana Ryan. He is now enjoying being Sir John under Diana’s direction.

Sharon Sinclair
This is the second time Sharon’s been let out of the kitchen at Napier Rep. being Brenda in Joyful & Triumphant who transformed from a frumpy housewife into a lawyer and wife of Ted, her friends and family wonder how she’ll behave as a ‘lady’.

Jess Danvers
Jess has emerged from back stage at Rep to be Geraldine and is enjoying ‘punking’ up in Act 1 and transforming into a “Sloane Ranger” in Act II. Like all teenage daughters, Sir John her father doesn’t understand her!

Steve Driver
Steve gained millionaire status as Ted in Joyful & Triumphant in 2006, and he couldn’t resist the opportunity to be Ken Stocks the billionaire in this production. Has money gone to his head?

Adrienne Hurley
Drama has been in Adrienne’s life since childhood. Teaching and acting has taken her all over New Zealand and to Norfolk Island for the Trans Tasman Trophy annually since 2002, winning the Trophy ahead of Aussie actors in 2003. Now she’s an Aussie as Joane Stocks and loving being part of this talented cast.

David Brock
Notwithstanding winning big Wednesday Lotto, being Harry Milchan provides Brocky’s best opportunity to be a billionaire ($US) and a Jewish New Yorker to boot! Ladies Who Lunch is his debut at Napier Rep. Brocky’s a seasoned actor/director from Central Hawke’s Bay and Wanganui.

Suzanne Collins
A recent ‘immigrant’ to Napier from Timaru, Suzanne is thrilled to be part of Napier Rep as Rachel. Not having been on stage for some years, she’s enjoying being Harry Milchan’s wife and Benjie’s mother.

Millie Booth
Millie’s a teacher with a background in drama – this [is] her first time on Napier Rep’s stage. Her dual cameo roles as Mary and Bonnie make the most of her split personality.

Annette Waren
Annette is a seasoned performer for Waipawa M&D, Waipukurau Little Theatre and Theatre Hawke’s Bay. DL Wallis the butch looking cookie is her first role for Napier Rep, rather different from the real Annette who lives in Te Awanga with husband Dick, Buddy the dog and Benjy the cat.

THE CREW

Stage Manager   Jeff Elkins
Assistant Stage Manager   Andy Sinclair
Production Assistant   Diane Holmes
Set Builder   Andy Sinclair
Painters   David Brock & Kerry Greenhalgh
Wardrobe   Maggie Hollis & Jean Meux Hunter
Dresser   Kay Howes
Properties   Annette Elkins
Lighting & Sound   Peter Hurley & Anne Corney
Sound Effects   Phil Stokes
Prompt   Sharon Kerr
Publicity   Anne Corney
Roster   Annette Elkins
Programme   Diane Holmes & Clemens Neulinger

We’re 75 next year and we’ll be celebrating!

We’ll be casting the net wide to find thespians and helpers from yesteryear to come to Napier some time mid 2008 (date not set yet) to reminisce.

We’d love to collect old programmes, scripts and other memorabilia from past shows.

And of course if you can remember the lines from a play you did a decade or two (or three) ago, you might like to stand up on our stage and do it all again.

More to come about all of this in the months ahead, meantime drop us a line at Box 500 Napier with any interesting titbits or email to [email protected]

Many thanks to our suppliers …

The cast would have stood up all night if not for the lounge suite from …
Cumfy Cnr

… the stage floor would have just been brown paint if not for the carpet from …
Flat Tack Flooring

… the drinks on stage would not have looked as good as they did if not for the table from …
Raphael Furnishing Studios Ltd

… the theatre may have been empty if not for the signage by …
HAYTER & FLEMMING Signs

… the public would not have known how good looking the cast is if not for the photographs taken by Jannette
SHOOTING STARS
PHOTOGRAPHY

COMING ATTRACTIONS!

Our end of year production will be

“The Last Pantomine [Pantomime] in Little Grimley”
“The Last Tango in Little Grimley”
“The Fat Lady Sings in Little Grimley”

put together as three one-act plays known as “The Grimley Trilogy” written by British Playwright David Tristram.

A comedy with a cast of two men and two women to be directed by Sharon Kerr.
Auditions on 2nd September.
Production dates 15th to 24th November.

This is the saga of misfortunes of the Little Grimley Amateur Dramatic Society members in their quest to revive their falling membership and audiences by introducing sex into their shows!

We’re having a play reading here on Friday July 13th! The date, unlucky for some but could be your lucky day! Always wanted to be on stage but thought “Oh no I couldn’t”? Here’s your chance and you don’t have to be on stage. We sit in the auditorium with a glass of wine for courage, the scripts get passed around, you read a bit and pass it on. You can sit in a dark corner if you like as long as you can be heard. The play to be read is under wraps until the night but come along at 7.30pm with wine and food and be entertained. No cost!

Hawke’s Bay Youth Theatre (HaBYT) is performing a condensed version of
Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas
June 26th 27th and 28th 8pm at this theatre.
Featuring Thomas Barker with Mary McHattie playing the flute.
Tickets from Bella Rossa, Janeff Books & Hastings Community Arts Centre.
Admission Adults $15 Students $7.50

Deco Decanted Jazz Festival
“Dark Town Dive”
Tropical Downbeat Orchestra
July 20th & 21st 9pm to midnight – here!
Book at the Art Deco Centre Napier.
Admission $15. Cash bar available.

Theatre is all about people.

The cast and crew get their name in lights … but there are the unnamed folks who work in the kitchen, serve the food, the wine, the water, the tea and the coffee and wash the dishes. Thanks team, the show couldn’t happen without you.

Napier Rep wouldn’t exist without its members. And you get plenty of bang for your bucks – $2 off the ticket price, monthly newsletter telling you what’s coming up so you’ll know in advance what we’re planning on stage. We usually do three plays a year, so you get $6 back for your single subscription of $15 or $25 double or if three in the family are keen the sub is only $30! Send your name, address and money to Box 500 Napier – we would love to have you as part of the Rep family.

If you’re handy with a hammer and paint brush, you can help with set construction.

If you’ve got an eye for style, you can help with wardrobe.

If you’ve an eye for detail, you can help with props.

If you like noise and bright lights, you can help with lighting and sound.

If you’ve had a hankering to be someone else, you can be an actor.

If you’re bossy, brash and like telling people what to do, you can direct a play.

The committee:
Anne Corney :  President 843 9197
Diana Ryan :  Secretary 877 9317
Diane Holmes : Treasurer 835 5603
Annette & Jeff Elkins   842 1348
Andy & Sharon Sinclair   839 5733
Adrienne & Peter Hurley   879 8499
Sharon Kerr   874 8010
Jean Meux-Hunter   835 6414