Ely High School 1905-1972
ELY HIGH SCHOOL
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CAST
| Orsino, Duke of Illyria | Margaret Dixon. |
| Curio | Sylvia Coleman. |
| Valentine | Patricia Taylor. |
| Viola | Pauline Morris. |
| A Sea Captain, friend to Viola | Susan Bunnett. |
| Sir Toby Belch, uncle to Olivia | Jennifer Drake. |
| Maria gentlewoman to Olivia | Katherine Humphreys. |
| Sir Andrew Aguecheek | Lynda Butt. |
| Feste, clown to Olivia | Christine Day. |
| Olivia | Ann Dobson. |
| Malvolio, steward to Olivia | Jill Burroughs. |
| Sebastian, twin brother to Viola | Jacqueline Bidwell. |
| Antonio, a sea captain, friend to Sebastian | Susan Cumner-Price. |
| Fabian, servant to Olivia | Brenda White. |
| Page to Olivia | Jane Buck. |
| Officers | Ruth Bester, Rosemary Curley. |
| A Priest | Racheal Combe. |
| An attendant to the Duke | Maureen Curtis. |
| Sailors | Jennifer Holmes, Judy Read. |
The Scene : Illyria.
| Produced by | Miss P. R. Brook. |
| Scenery by Painted by |
Miss Reynolds and Miss Cork. Wendy Young & Members of the Sixth Form |
| Music for Songs composed by | Miss H. Dewar |
| Costumes by | Nathams |
| Wardrobe supervised by | Susan Bunnett and Elizabeth Widmer. |
| Lighting by | Janet Baker. |
The first interval will be a short one.
During the longer second interval coffee will be served.
A silver collection will be taken towards the expenses, and
the School Careers Fund.
The Producer and Players wish to thank all those not
mentioned above who have helped in any way with the
production
Jackie Bidwell - Ann Dobson - Racheal Combe?
Lynda Butt - 2 - Jennifer Drake - Jackie Bidwell
A Scene - stage view
from the May 1961 Ely High School Magazine
Twelfth Night - 1960 production
Producer: Miss P. R. Brook.
Perhaps one of the most entertaining pleasures of a school production is the recognition of school personalities as they emerge, one after the other, on the stage. This production of "Twelfth Night" was particularly memorable for its characters : we had Ann Dobson's mellow and poised Olivia and Janet Baker as a dapper and Italian-looking Orsino; Pauline Morris's dark, vivid and quietly courteous Viola, balanced by the stalwart steadiness of her twin, Sebastian (Jacqueline Bidwell).
One remembers the cool, disapproving voice of Jill Burroughs, clad in the Puritanic black of the supercilious Malvolio, and the pale, long-faced disdain which suddenly cracked, incredibly, into a smile. There was the rumbustious and explosive Sir Toby (Jennifer Drake) and the tangle of arms, legs, gloves, giggles, floppy hat, enormous smile and irremediable helplessness that was Lynda Butt as a very funny Sir Andrew (occasionally remin-iscent, with one particular gesture, of Lenny the Lion?).
The gay warmth of Maria (Katherine Humphries) and her management of the gangling Sir Andrew perhaps remain in mind more than the impish humour one might expect from the character. Two of the lesser parts stood out - the dark flash of Susan Cumner-Price as an aggressively protective and genuinely puzzled Antonio, and the quiet good humour of the melodious and not-so-foolish clown, Feste, played by Christine Day.
Plays, however, do not just fall together on the stage. Under Miss Brook's direction the production took on shape and character apart from the lively response she drew from her cast. The importance of Viola to the play was well pointed by the moving of her arrival scene to the very beginning of the play. Another particularly striking feature was the placing of Malvolio's darkened prison below, off-stage, from which we saw his hand stretch through the bars to accompany his plea for release.
The scenery was effective without being distracting: light arches, with a restful, translucent blue beyond them. And last, but by no means least in a play where music plays such a vital part, there was the pervading spirit of Miss Dewar's settings for the songs, especially the haunting and wistful "Come Away, Death".
Yes, we enjoyed this very much.
ANON.