The Roses of Eyam
March 1980
by Don Taylor, directed by Mary Jones
Cast: William Mompessan, Rector of Eyam - Anthony Morris Sir George Seville, his patron - Gordon Halliday Catherine Mompesson, his wife - Diana Lucas The Bedlam - David Stephens Old Unwin - Roy Wheeler Andrew Merrill - Dick Dann Marshall Howe - Robert Fynn Thomas Stanley, former Rector of Eyam during the Commonwealth - Philip Jones Rowland Torre, from the next village - Alan Lambourne George Vicars, the village tailor - David Gill Colonel Bradshaw, the local squire - John Stuart Mrs Bradshaw - Rosemary Stephenson A Carter, from London - Philip Jones Elizabeth Swanne - Claire Russell Lydia Chapman - Karen Barrett Mrs Cooper - Margaret Butt Edward Cooper - Richard Price Jonathan Cooper - Hugh Darnley-Smith Mrs Sydall - Marie Berry Richard Sydall - John Stuart Emmot Sydall - Fenella Gill Ellen Sydall - Susannah Butt Sarah Sydall - Nicola Jones John Sydall - Gareth Butt Isaac Thornley - Fred Lewes Edward Thornley - Mike Jeans Elizabeth Thornley - Miranda Leger Francis Thornley - Graham Ward Mary Thornley - Joan Ward George Frith - Trevor Rogers Frances Frith - Lynn Trout Mary Frith - Gillian Yates Thomas Frith - Jonathan Beney Mrs Hancock - Pat Rutter William Hancock - Don Rutter John Hancock - Francis Luscombe Thomas Hancock - Adam Gill Elizabeth Hancock - Carol Pettit Edytha Torre - Joyce Evans William Torre - Gordon Halliday Frances Torre - Alison Lambourne John Torre - Clavel Tripp Alice Torre - Jill Green Scythe Torre - Mark Waddicor Thomas Torre - Nigel Browne | Production Team: Producer - Mary Jones Assistant Producer - Angela Beney Production Assistant - Rachel Jones Stage Manager - Mike Trout Stage Construction - Mike Trout & Barry Matthews Lighting - Tony Blake & Kevin Gardner Sound - Barry Matthews Prompt - Sybil Hopson Props - Anne Atkinson, Angela Day & Janet Matthews Costumes - Anne Bacon, Alison Ley & Alison Lambourne Make-up - Ian Bond, Diana Lucas, Angela Beney & Brenda Russell Front of House Manager - Bryan Stephenson Publicity - Gordon Halliday Box Office - Margaret Butt Printing - Don Badger Recorders - played by Clavel Tripp, Jill Green, Mark Waddicor & Nigel Browne |
Reviews:
From Exmouth & East Devon Journal - Sat. 12 Apr 80:
....the powerful acting and plot reduced one to tears...
Gripping, powerful, moving production
One becomes almost nervous to criticise local amateur theatrical productions in case an irate producer comes storming into the Journal offices to defend either the production or the cast.
But in the case of the Estuary Players' production of Don Taylor's The Roses of Eyam there is very little that calls for adverse criticism.
The production, an extremely ambitious choice, was gripping, powerful and at times extremely moving.
It was well cast with the exception of Marshall Howe, played by Robert Fynn, who gave the impression that he was just reading his lines rather than acting a part.
The Roses of Eyam tells the remarkable and true story of a post Civil War Derbyshire village stricken with plague and of the villagers' determination, under the persuasion of the present and former rectors, to prevent its spread by remaining within the village and containing the disease at the certain risk to their own lives.
Anthony Morris played Willam Mompesson, the young, scholarly Rector of Eyam who has just left the confines of university and initially finds himself filled with feelings of disgust for the common village folk. He had a large part and was an absolute natural for it.
Philip Jones plays the rather bitter former Rector of Eyam, who was thrown out of his living when the King's men regained control of the area. He, too, fitted his part extremely well.
Mompesson's wife, Catherine, was interpreted well by Diana Lucas, who was particularly good in the scene when, after months of saintly devotion to the care of the sick and dying, she starts to crack and insists her husband send their two young children away to Yorkshire.
The insights into human tragedy in the play are enormous. When the rector's young wife finally succumbs to plague herself we suddenly see him struck with the awful reality of what it is like to lose a loved one instead of being merely a witness to someone else's tragedy.
There were moments when the powerful acting and plot reduced one to tears.
The cast of nearly 50 was far too big to mention each actor worthy of individual comment, but outstanding was young David Stevens as The Bedlam, the crippled mad boy who hangs round the village hoping for pennies to throw in the stream. He was quite brilliant, bringing humour, rather bizarre and twisted at times, into the horror of the tragedy.
Roy Wheeler as Old Unwin and Dick Dann as Andrew Merrill played two of the lighter characters in the play and provided some very funny moments to offset to a degree the horror of the times.
Producer Mary Jones must be congratulated on carrying off such an ambitious production. Yet another success to add to the Estuary Players' list of good productions.
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