Shrove Tuesday Plays

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Katharine
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Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Katharine »

This evening, as I was doing the ironing, I heard the Radio 4 play about Richard II. I am pretty sure one year one of the Shrove Tuesday plays was about him and his wife Anne of Bohemia (Kerren any ideas?) Did the practice of two houses performing on Shrove Tuesday last?

6s did at least two while I was there - one was 1066 & All That - I was a Roman soldier amongst other walk on parts, it may have been my first year, if not then my second. The other play I remember doing was either Quality Street or Pygmalion, then I did the lights.
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Angela Woodford »

I certainly do remember Quality Street, Katharine!

The UV1 of The Study were unfailingly angry with me that year - it must have been your last year at CH. Punishment followed punishment for my boisterous behaviour and giggling. But for that performance of Quality Street, you and your friends harnessed the power of my giggle.

Do you remember at some moment in the play, the hero and heroine moved centre front for a swift clinch, only to be interrupted by the children of the house? Again and again I was rehearsed by Anne-Marie Kelly. We were required to creep and peer from behind the rear curtain (L) and that was the moment when I was required to startle the couple and emit a piercing giggle. I did my best, though I was somewhat embarassed. The giggle that got me into such dire trouble in House was suddenly contributing towards the success of the play. Wendy Lee even recorded it in the House Record Book that was read out at the last tea time of the term. "It will never be forgotten" she wrote.

Do you remember this?
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
Katharine
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Katharine »

Thanks for replying to my thread Angela, does nobody else remember Shrove Tuesday Plays? I think the Richard II one was done by Twos, and Orlaith Kelly was Richard.

I don't remember all the details of Quality Street - the earlier plays were produced by the Hag and that was torture, which is why I put myself up by the lights for it, to be out of the way and able to read my book - after all I was the only one of the UVI doing Physics A level so of course the lights were my duty!!! I do remember the street urchin children, I think it was one of the reasons the play was chosen it could include all ages in the house.

Angela, I have no memory of your behaviour being a subject of discussion in the Study, but it was a large Study and I was on the outer circle, still a BA not a GA while in UVI.
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by MKM »

I don't remember Shrove Tuesday plays, Katharine, so perhaps they were discontinued soon after you left. In fact, I don't remember marking Shrove Tuesday at all, except that we had batter pudding with golden syrup for afters at lunchtime, as an inadequate substitute for pancakes.
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Pixie »

I don't think we marked Shrove Tuesday but I think we always had a lunchtime chapel service on Ash Wednesday.
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Katharine
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Katharine »

Katharine wrote:it was a large Study and I was on the outer circle, still a BA not a GA while in UVI.
I was thinking about this last night, there were 7 of us in 6s Upper VI that year, everyone did three A levels. Between the other six, there were only 7 A level subjects, Doreen Buvyer was the only one to do German, Hilary Evans the only one to do Cookery, all the other subjects were done by at least 2 girls, some by 3 or 4. Me - I did 3 quite different subjects, is it any wonder I felt I didn't quite belong there?
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by storyteller »

Richard of Bordeaux by was directed by Ruth Frankel (now Deech) in ?1961 and was the first play, in my time that was controlled from start to finish by pupils. I still have a copy somewhere, a little green book. I was Maudlyn the page. A vivid time. Anyone have any photos of it?
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Katharine »

storyteller wrote:Richard of Bordeaux by was directed by Ruth Frankel (now Deech) in ?1961 and was the first play, in my time that was controlled from start to finish by pupils. I still have a copy somewhere, a little green book. I was Maudlyn the page. A vivid time. Anyone have any photos of it?
Sarah, was it a Shrove Tuesday play? You were in 8s, Ruth in 7s and I thought I remembered Orlaith Kelly (2s) as Richard? When was the play performed?
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays/ Richard II

Post by storyteller »

I've found my green book. It says 'Property of the Dramatic Society' in it.(Sorry CH) It was a Dram. Soc thing I think. It really needs a new heading/ thread but I'd like to list all the cast that I wrote in pencil inside it. There are gaps! Can anyone fill them.
The Play was
Richard of Bordeaux by Gordon Daviot (a woman, by the way).
The original 1934 London production had John Gielgud as producer and the King.
As done by CH in ? 1961

Produced by Ruth Frankel

Fair Page Maudelyn : Sarah West
Dark Page: Judith Ball
Richard King of England: Orlaith Kelly
Anne the Queen: Anna ?
Thomas of Woodstock: Kathleen (?Hill)
John of Gaunt: Sheila (?Field)
Sir Simon Burley: Margaret Corley
Edmund of Langkley:Helen Norris
Michael de la Pole, Chancellor of England: Sarah ?Ram
Richard Earl of Arundel: ?
Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury: Angela ?
Robert de Vere: Rosemary Eccleston
Mary Countess of Derby:?
Agnes Launcekron, the Queens Waiting woman: Anthea Stones
Henry, Earl of Derby: Carol ?
Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham: Christine ?
Maudelyn, the King's secretary: Sarah West
Sir John Montague: Sheila Pesket
Edward Earl of Rutland: Rosemary Young
A Waiting woman ?
Doctor ?
A man in the street ?
Second man ?
Third man: ?
Woman with loaves:?
Woman with vegetables: ?
First Page:?
Second page:?
Lord Derby's Page: ?
Katharine
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Katharine »

Sarah, I don't think anyone else here remembers it - although Frances was at the school then, she hasn't added anything to my first request.

Did the Dramatic Society put on any other plays? I don't remember any.
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Fjgrogan »

I don't remember this particular play, although I do recognise many of the names. Certainly the Dram Soc did a number of other plays whose names also escape me. In those days I was totally uninterested in anything to do with acting. Ironic then that both my daughters grew up to work in the theatre (thanks to Horsham) - one still does! And my father went to Italia Conti - obviously one of those things which skips a generation! Actually I vaguely remember a play on which Beverley someone (from 4s?) played a male role very convincingly!
Frances Grogan (Haley) 6's 1956 - 62

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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Angela Pratt »

Yes I think I was the Archbishop .I do remember the duo shrove Tuesday plays and Drama soc ones.However my memory of detail is muddled as I gather are some other peoples here! ( My geriatric consultant sister says realisation of bad memory makes it not serious but normal!
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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Fjgrogan »

Thank goodness for that, Angela! Actually, Katharine, I do remember 1066 and all that - in particular, to the tune of Three Little Maids from School, we did Three Little Saints from Rome, in which you and I were two of the saints 'Three saints from Rome came over the hill; if they hadn't left Rome they'd be there still; they all left hone to escape their wives; St Patrick, St Pancras, and of course St Ives!' So clearly my memory works for some things, but I 'm d....d if I can remember who was the third saint, or which of us was St Patrick!!
Frances Grogan (Haley) 6's 1956 - 62

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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Fjgrogan »

Thank goodness for that, Angela! Actually, Katharine, I do remember 1066 and all that - in particular, to the tune of Three Little Maids from School, we did Three Little Saints from Rome, in which you and I were two of the saints 'Three saints from Rome came over the hill; if they hadn't left Rome they'd be there still; they all left hone to escape their wives; St Patrick, St Pancras, and of course St Ives!' So clearly my memory works for some things, but I 'm d....d if I can remember who was the third saint, or which of us was St Patrick!!
Frances Grogan (Haley) 6's 1956 - 62

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Re: Shrove Tuesday Plays

Post by Angela Pratt »

(2 identical postings! Did you forget you had already sent it....?)
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