This photo is from the Manchester Evening News and the account below is reproduced from the Wythenshawe Express of 12th December 1968.
Twelfth Night |
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After much-acclaimed
success with Under Milk Wood in March 1968, the
Dramatic Society decided to have a go at something even
more exotic. The result was this magnificent production
of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, produced by Mr.
Eric Platt in December 1968. This photo is from the Manchester Evening News and the account below is reproduced from the Wythenshawe Express of 12th December 1968. |
"After success with Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood last March, Poundswick High School Dramatic Society decided that William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night would be the ideal follow-up. The Society's efforts were shown to parents and friends when the production was staged at the school last week. The main hall at the Upper School, Simonsway, Woodhouse Park, was filled on each of the four nights the play was shown, but on Friday evening attendance was at its best and it was doubtful whether everyone would be seated. Two plots run side-by-side in this comedy. One concerns the wooing of the Lady Olivia (played by Valerie Howarth) by Viola (Hilary Gilman) - disguised as a young man - on behalf of the Duke of Orsino (Kenneth Holt), and the consequences of this. The other tells of Malvolio (Ian Gillings), the conceited major - domo in the Lady Olivia's household; how he is duped and then harshly ill-treated by the fun-loving Sir Toby Belch (Geoffrey Homer) and his cronies, all of whom have been, at one time or other, slighted by Malvolio. The atmosphere of the first plot is romantic and poetical; and the second is rather nightmarish. There are also further complications of mistaken identities. Mr. Eric Platt, who has been a teacher of English at the school for 12 months, produced the play. Prior to his post at Poundswick he taught drama at Sharston High School, where he produced many school plays. Although he had a little difficulty getting a complete cast together, Mr. Platt found that the actors were very keen to do the play. Rehearsals only got seriously underway at the end of September. However, so that lessons would not be disrupted, the cast decided to rehearse at weekends and after school. The school will be staging one of Sheridan's lesser-known plays after Christmas. This will be shown to the pupils from the Upper and Lower Schools. Mr. Platt will not be producing the play, but instead will take an acting part. The producer will be Mr. Owen. The cast of Twelfth Night - in order of appearance - was: Orsino, Duke of Illryia (Kenneth Holt); Curio, a head scribe (Marilyn Westwood); Valentine, a servant (Paul Hambley); Viola, a shipwrecked girl (Hilary Gilman); Sea Captain (Hugh Woods); Sir Toby Belch, cousin to Lady Olivia (Geoffrey Homer); Maria, a pert wench (Suzanne Hamman); Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a friend of Sir Toby (Michael Monks); Feste, Lady Olivia's clown (Judith Haughton); Olivia, a lady (Valerie Howarth); Malvolio, Lady Olivia's major (Ian Gillings); Sebastian, Viola's twin brother (Lawrence Koffman); Antonio, sea captain, friend to Sebastian (Martin Pickes); Fabian, friend of Sir Toby (David Pearson)." |
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