In delay, there lies no plenty, Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty. STORM AND SHIPWRECK: LOST LOVE AND LOST ILLUSIONS: JOY AND HOPE RESTORED. Youth s a stuff will not endure. (William Shakespeare - Twelfth Night ) For the Britten Theatre Theatre Production Manager: Paul Tucker Theatre Electrician: Kieran Taylor Front of House Manager: Ian Irvine WHAT YOU WILL In accordance with the requirements of Westminster City Council: 1 The public may leave at the end of each performance by all exit doors, which at that time must be open. 2 All gangways, passages and staircases must be kept entirely free from chairs or any obstruction. 3 Persons shall not under any circumstances be permitted to stand or sit in any of the gangways. 4 The safety curtain must be lowered and raised in the presence of each audience. 5 Both photography and the use of recording equipment are strictly prohibited in all parts of the theatre. 6 Smoking is not permitted in any part of the theatre. SATURDAY 7TH JANUARY 2012, 3.00 P.M AND 7.30 P.M The Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music, London SW7
The story begins. Sailing from Messina, Sebastian and Viola, twin brother and sister and closely resembling one another, are separated in a shipwreck off the coast of Illyria, a country with whom Messina is at war.viola, saved from drowning, disguises herself as a boy, Cesario, and takes service in the court of Duke Orsino, who is in love with the lady Olivia. In mourning for her own dead brother, Olivia refuses the Duke and he in turn sends his young page Cesario to press his suit. But Cesario/Viola has herself fallen in love with the Duke; and to make matters worse, Olivia, attracted by the youthful suitor now falls rapidly in love with him/her. Sebastian, saved from drowning by the sea captain, Antonio, now arrives in Illyria, where Antonio is a wanted man, but where his affection for Sebastian lures him on to risk the ever present danger. Meanwhile, Olivia s uncle Toby, has welcomed Andrew Aguecheek to the household, with the promise of gaining Olivia s love, but mainly in order to use his money for drinking and entertainment. Their midnight revels are broken up by Olivia s steward Malvolio against whom they vow revenge; and together with Maria, Olivia s lady in waiting, a letter is written purporting to be from Olivia, and claiming Malvolio s love. The plot thickens further when Malvolio reads the letter, the jealous Aguecheek challenges Cesario to a duel and when Orsino, Olivia and Antonio all discover reasons for doubting Cesario s loyalty... Jekyll! The Time Machine The Lost Domain The Bubble Into the Woods Frankenstein! Harry! What You Will
SHREWSBURY SCHOOL IN LONDON AND AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE 1993 Guys and Dolls (Mankiewicz etc) 1995 Jekyll! (Moore, Went & Fanning) 1997 The Time Machine (Moore, Went & Fanning) 1998 Jekyll! The Revival (Moore, Went & Fanning) 2000-1 The Lost Domain * (Moore, Went & Fanning) 2002-3 The Bubble * (Moore,Hankin,Roach & Fanning) 2004-5 Into the Woods * (Sondheim and Lapine) 2006-7 Frankenstein! ** (Fanning & Moore) 2008-9 Harry! ** (Fanning & Moore) 2009-10 The Bubble Revived ** (Moore, Hankin, Roach & Fanning) 2011-2 What You Will** (Fanning & Moore) *These productions were staged at the Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden What You Will Based on Shakespeare s Twelfth Night Book and lyrics by Peter Fanning Music by John Moore --- What country, friends, is this? This is Illyria. **Productions staged at the Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music. Music and Drama thrive at Shrewsbury School
Cast Viola, later disguised as Cesario Izzy Osborne Sebastian, her twin brother Charlie Straw Festes, clowns Ali Webb Rob Cross Olivia, a countess Marianne Shawe-Taylor Orsino, Duke of Illyria Rob Collins Valentine, Orsino s Aide Carl Williamson Antonio, a sea captain Gus Haynes Toby, Olivia s uncle Ed Key Andrew, Toby s friend Jack Houghton Maria and Martha, Olivia s maids Hebe Dickins Eleanor Hudson Malvolio, Olivia s Steward Sam Ansloos Soldiers and Servants : Freddie Fullerton, Rory Fraser, Rupert Harvey-Scholes, Will Heyes, Will Hunter, Ed Shawe-Taylor, Kate Swarbrick, Sienna Holmes, Amy Stockdale before turning to me with a charming smile and the encouraging words: Well, enough of that. Let s stage it. We tend to rehearse at breakneck speed. The cast learn lines and notes and the improvised moves in one fell swoop. It s an interesting experience for all. And very scary. We have to trust each other and hope that our judgement doesn t let us down. And it isn t until a show is almost ready for performance that one has any clear idea about its quality. What You Will was no exception. Over the years, we have encountered the heartache and hazard which comes post paid with every brand new show. But though we have the scars to prove it, along with a trunk full of hair-raising anecdotes, I do not think we could have wished for a more exhilarating way to spend our time. The sheer excitement of staging a brand new show, combined with the exuberance of an eternally youthful cast makes for a heady recipe. What writer or director could ever wish for more? After a wonderful Edinburgh season in August 2011, the entire company has returned, many from colleges, gap years and universities some even crossing continents in order to join us for this last revival of What You Will. We hope that it will prove to be as memorable an occasion for you in the audience as it will undoubtedly be for many of those onstage. The Company are extremely grateful to The Haystack Trust for their generous assistance in helping to stage What You Will. Peter Fanning
London! Welcome to the Royal College of Music for this, our fourth production in the exquisite Britten Theatre, which has recently been celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. Despite our past good fortune in staging shows at the Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Britten Theatre is the perfect venue to showcase the musicals, which we have written over the last twenty years. In 1993, on the back of a five-star trip to the Edinburgh Fringe with Guys and Dolls, Alex Went, John Moore and I hit on the idea of creating our own original musicals, with a show based on Stevenson s Jekyll and Hyde. To our own wide eyed amazement Jekyll! won a coveted Fringe First; and since then, John and I, along with a host of loyal troopers have travelled the dangerous highway of creating new productions roughly every other year. Former company members, many of whom are married now, will treasure particular memories. The spectacular set of the The Time Machine, innocent youth in The Lost Domain ; the coruscating energy of The Bubble, the gothic thunder of Frankenstein or the zany zip and nightmare of Harry ; each one of these pieces has presented different challenges. Creating these shows is a daunting experience for any wannabe actor or singer; and our rehearsals follow a curious pattern. We cast before much of the music is written, so that John can write music specially suited to the voice of each soloist. Nor does the director always know what the music sounds like much before the first rehearsal. John will arrive with a brand new song, the sheets still warm from the photocopier, and then proceed to drill the cast for twenty glorious minutes, Band Vicki Kirk Violin David Joyce Violin Carys Gittins Flute Jake Pople Alto Saxophone/Clarinet Alex Collins Clarinet/Sax/Keyboard Harry Serjeant Trumpet Richard Hudson Trombone George Watts Percussion John Moore Keyboard Technical Crew Lighting Alex Davies Sound James Brown Harry Boutflower Stage Crew Will Allott, James Lyons, Nick Lloyd Make Up Christine Samworth Wardrobe Jane Fanning Costumes Ann Watkins, ST6 Front of House Dimitri Portier Technical Director Alex Davies Company Manager Toby Percival Musical Director John Moore Directed by Peter Fanning Grateful thanks to Shrewsbury High School for their generous support
Dost thou think because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale? ( Twelfth Night : Act Two Scene Three) THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS were a time for celebration and festivity in Elizabethan times. A world so strictly hierarchical, was, in this brief holiday, turned quickly upside down and a Lord of Misrule appointed. Masters then might do their servants bidding men disguised themselves as women; women might wear breeches. Mirth and merriment, fun and frolic, riot and disorder ruled safe in the knowledge that as soon as the clock struck twelve on the eve of Twelfth Night, order would quickly be restored and hierarchy once again establish a firm hold on all proceedings. The Old Queen loved the theatre and summoned her players to perform throughout the Christmas festivities. But the Puritans of the City despised what they saw as den of the wickedness, where young boy players disguised themselves in women s clothes; where passion and love and anger were false and all was show and a thin disguise for lies, hypocrisy and lust. On the 6th of September, 1642, the theatres were closed by Act of Parliament. And in, 1644, Parliament banned the celebration of Christmas, it being considered not seemly to indulge in any kind of diversions or amusements in such troublous times. Christmas was seen as a wasteful festival that threatened Christian values. All activities relating to Christmas, including attending mass, were forbidden until the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660. Tempests are kind and salt waves fresh in love. ( Twelfth Night : Act Three, Scene Four) Sonnet 20 A woman's face with nature's own hand painted, Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion; A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted With shifting change, as is false women's fashion: An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling, Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth; A man in hue all hues in his controlling, Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth. And for a woman wert thou first created; Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting, And by addition me of thee defeated, By adding one thing to my purpose nothing. But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure Mine be their heart and thy love s use their treasure Make me a willow cabin at your gate And call upon my soul within the house. Write loyal cantons of contemned love And sing them loud even in the dead of night Halloo your name to the reverberate hills And make the babbling gossip of the air Cry out Olivia! Oh you should not rest Between the elements of earth and air But you should pity me. ( Twelfth Night : Act One Scene Five)