An inspector Calls programme Dec 2013

InspectorAn

Callsby J.B. Priestley

4th-7th December 2013www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk

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Pyramid House, 59 Winchester Road, FOUR MARKS, Alton, GU34 5HR

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When Cheriton Players committee first asked me to direct An Inspector Calls by celebrated author J.B. Priestley, I regarded it as a huge challenge, never having tackled a major mystery drama before as a Director. This is a play

that examines closely some of the less appealing aspects of human nature, whilst also reflecting some of its redeeming facets and generational differences. Written in 1945 – though set in 1912 just before the sinking of the Titanic – the action takes place in the dining room of a large North Country suburban house belonging to a prosperous, though somewhat provincial,

factory owner Arthur Birling and his slightly disparate family.

The six main characters are skillfully drawn, showing contrasting attitudes and faculties. There is a continuous underlying sense of moral values and class differences throughout. The dénouement might be regarded as rather predictable but nevertheless leaves the audience guessing. This has not been an easy play to direct but I have enjoyed the experience in spite of one or two fraught rehearsals! The cast and crew have shown great enthusiasm and determination to ‘get it right’ and I am most grateful to all involved. Finally I hope you, the audience, will feel that our labours have not been in vain.

Enjoy your evening.

Pauline Cornter

From the Director

InspectorAn

CallsA play by J.B. Priestley4th-7th December 2013This amateur production of “An Inspector Calls” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH LTD.

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First produced at the Opera House, Manchester, on March 9th 1946 and subsequently at the New Theatre London on October 1st 1946 with Alec Guinness as Eric Birling and Ralph Richardson as Inspector Goole.

The Cast (in order of appearance)

Arthur Birling Mike Cornter Gerald Croft Jules Anderson Sheila Birling Tracey Anderson Sybil Birling Helena Gomm Eric Birling Charlie Hellard Edna Rebecca Leadley Inspector Goole David Cradduck

The Production Team

Director Pauline Cornter Producer/ASM Jan Conway Stage Manager Tim Conway Lighting/sound/special effects Jamie Herdman, Graham Arnott Voice Coach Barbara Large Prompt Angela Ledsham Props Paul McTaggart Costumes Julia Kimber Set Design Tim Day, Pauline Cornter Set and seating build Tim Day, Alan Kettle, Richard Perkins, Andy Birnie, Tim Conway, Jan Conway, Angela Ledsham, Paul Hellard Décor Henrietta Hellard Photography Craig Robertson Publicity David Cradduck Programme and poster design Owen Jones Illustration of Inspector Kezia Hoffman Front of House Alan and Jane Kettle and team

InspectorAn

CallsA play by J.B. Priestley4th-7th December 2013

Synopsis of ScenesAct l - The dining room of the Birlings’ house in Brumley, an industrial city in the North

Midlands: an evening in Spring, 1912

Act ll - The action is continuous

There will be an interval of 20 minutes between acts during which refreshments will be served.

We would like to thank everyone who has helped in any way with this production – in particular Heather Witham from RAODS for costumes and props, Ian Monier-Williams for table and chairs, Duncan Griffiths of Eddolls for carpeting, Rick from Alresford Builders

Merchants for loan of pallets and The Flower Pots for loan of props and materials (and for keeping the cast sustained after rehearsals).

Please turn off all mobiles and keep aisles clear at all times Please refrain from flash photography and note that video or audio recording of the performance is prohibited.

We are delighted to say that, as this programme goes to print, we have a complete sell-out of tickets. That is a fantastic situation to be in, and it shows we have a growing, loyal, audience. So at this time we would like to thank all our friends, audiences and supporters – especially our long suffering advertisers who kindly contribute year after year to making our programme worthy of being a professional souvenir. In particular, we would like to thank The Flower Pots Inn who give us sustenance after rehearsals and who looked after our box office for the first 50 years of our existence! If you have time after the show, please pop in and have an after-show drink with them and – quite possibly – a few cast and crew too. If you would like to advertise in our programme, please contact us by email at [email protected] or on our contact page on our website, www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk/contact-us/ - the rates are very reasonable and the reproduction, as we’re sure you will agree is very good!

Welcome to Cheriton Players’ production of J.B. Priestley’s classic An Inspector Calls. This thought-provoking play is something of a departure from our more usual comedy or farce but everyone involved has enjoyed the challenge of taking on such a well-respected drama!

We are a small friendly theatre group always looking for more members to join us onstage, backstage and front of house. For more information about the group and our past productions please look at our website and sign up to receive details of future events at www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk. We are also on Facebook and Twitter.

We hope you enjoy An Inspector Calls as much as we have enjoyed putting it on. Immense thanks to our Director, Pauline Cornter, for her skill, patience and dedication to the production and to all the cast, backstage and front of house crew who have worked tremendously hard on and offstage. As well as our regular cast and crew, we’re really pleased to have new members on and offstage, Rebecca Leadley and Andy Birnie respectively, as well as Kezia Hoffman who illustrated the brilliant poster and programme cover.

But we would still like more of you involved in future, so if you are interested in joining the Players, please get in touch through the website or by email [email protected]

We would love to hear from you!

We hope that we will see you again at Cheriton Players’ first production in 2014.

From Jan Conway, Chairman

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Pauline Cornter (Director)

Pauline is one of the longest serving members of Cheriton Players and as well as directing – recent credits include ‘Allo ‘Allo and Alice – has played a huge number of leading roles at Cheriton such as Eliza in My Fair Lady and – her favourite character of all – Mole in Wind in the Willows. Other appearances include The Importance of Being Earnest, Salad Days, Lock up Your Daughters, Confusions, Oliver!, Jungle Fantasy, Murder in Cheriton!, several Old Tyme Music Halls and Habeus Corpus, for which she was nominated for a Curtain Call award for her portrayal of Mrs Swabb. She was Audrey Evans in Ten Times Table, Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit and the super sleuth Miss Maple in Murdered to Death. Most recently she appeared in multiple roles in A Bolt from the Blue.

Mike Cornter (Arthur Birling)

Mike has been with Cheriton Players for over 45 years, having met his wife Pauline whilst rehearsing for Pig in a Poke in 1967. His roles down the years have been many and varied, from Mr Bumble in Oliver! to a Brummy tribal chief in Jungle Fantasy. He has sung his way through many an Old Tyme Music Hall and appeared as the ‘front man’ of Cheriton’s answer to the Wurzels. Mike was KGB agent Henry Bastable in Murder in Cheriton! and took the leading roles of René in ‘Allo ‘Allo and Dr Arthur Wicksteed in Habeas Corpus. He played the crusty stationmaster Saul Hodgkin in The Ghost Train, was the Mock Turtle in Alice, delighted audiences with his Colonel Craddock in Murdered to Death and last appeared in A Bolt from the Blue in numerous roles. Like many in the cast, this is Mike’s first ‘serious’ role for a good while.

Jules Anderson (Gerald Croft)

Jules joined Cheriton Players after being press ganged into taking a small part in The Champion of Paribanou - before this he had never acted at all. Such was his leap to fame as The Highwayman that he became typecast in evil roles and found himself playing Herr Flick in ‘Allo ‘Allo. Jules took a break from the stage for a while, returning to play one of Scrooge’s Spirits in Together4Christmas before tackling the significant leading role of Charles in Blithe Spirit, his biggest and most demanding role to date. He then adopted a very different accent for the part of Pierre in the hilarious romp, Murdered to Death and has now refined to posh tones again for the part of Gerald.

Tracey Anderson (Sheila Birling)

As a child Tracey joined in keenly with all school productions. She was encouraged to rekindle her love for drama and return to the stage by her two children, Amy and Lauren, both themselves keen actors and singers. Tracey joined Cheriton Players for Cheriton Players’ 50th anniversary production of Alice, as well as performing with ACTS in The Boyfriend. She also appeared in a splendid production of Billy earlier this year for Winchester Operatic Society at the Theatre Royal Winchester and aims to do more with them. Other Cheriton credits include Clerical Errors, the scheming Elizabeth Hartley-Trumpington in Murdered to Death and the very pregnant Pattie in Alan Ayckbourn’s Season’s Greetings.

Biographies

Helena Gomm (Sybil Birling)

Helena divides her performing time between West Meon Theatre for whom she directed Neville’s Island and made a memorable performance recently in Calendar Girls at The Theatre Royal Winchester. Other WMT credits include The Real Inspector Hound, and she also writes much of their material. For Cheriton Players, Helena played Ruth, Charles Condomine’s second wife in Blithe Spirit immediately followed by The White Queen in Alice. Her most recent appearances here were as Dorothy in Murdered to Death and Phyllis in Season’s Greetings. Elsewhere she has appeared in the farce Rumours, Much Ado About Nothing, Hay Fever, Outside Edge, The Importance of Being Earnest and Stepping Out. She says her performance as the Vegetable Fairy in Jack and the Beanstalk is probably best forgotten, and she was also once cast as a chicken.

Rebecca Leadley (Edna)

Rebecca moved to Cheriton earlier this year, and says she made joining the Players a priority! She has been a keen actor since childhood, entering drama festivals and exams throughout school, as well as appearing in numerous theatre productions, including Little Shop of Horrors and Midsummer Nights Dream, and as the rather clichéd position of the back end of a pantomime cow in a particularly memorable Chichester Youth Theatre production. After university, Rebecca worked for a murder mystery company, performing up and down the country, portraying wartime murderers and medieval corpses at many a team building event and wedding. Rebecca is excited to be a part of An Inspector Calls and looks forward to lots more fun in the Cheriton Players over the coming years.

Charlie Hellard (Eric Birling)

Charlie first performed with Cheriton Players in their 40th Anniversary production Forty Not Out in 2001 and has appeared in numerous plays since such as The Noble Spaniard, Oliver!, Jungle Fantasy, A Christmas Carol, Together4Christmas, the outdoor production of Alice in which he played a timid Lion that had managed to end up in the wrong play and PC Thomkins in Murdered to Death. He was Clive, the much put upon writer in Season’s Greetings and excelled earlier this year as Edward, the pylon engineer who started growing younger, in A Bolt from the Blue. He has also recently performed with Alresford Community Theatre in The Boyfriend and Annie. He is currently in rehearsal for Oklahoma with ACTS.

David Cradduck (Inspector Goole)

David joined Cheriton Players after playing Tom in Tom Jones at college. Credits at Cheriton include title or lead roles in Charley’s Aunt, Wind in the Willows, Worzel Gummidge, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, Pride and Prejudice, Outside Edge and The Importance of Being Earnest. He appeared as Fagin in Oliver! Other credits include The Real Inspector Hound/Black Comedy, Jungle Fantasy, The Noble Spaniard, Out of Order, A Christmas Carol, Table Manners, Murder in Cheriton!, ‘Allo ‘Allo, The Ghost Train, Ten Times Table, Alice, Murdered to Death, Season’s Greetings and David shaved his head for the part of bald hair specialist Ted Nugent in A Bolt from the Blue. He is also a member of RAODS and Maskers Theatre Co. where credits include Noises Off, Under Milkwood, Mikado, Relative Values, Tom Jones, Shadowlands and Far from the Madding Crowd.

A Bolt from the Blue – April 2013

Season’s Greetings – Nov 2012

Murdered to Death – May 2012

Clerical Errors – Nov 2011

Alice – June 2011

Blithe Spirit – Nov 2010

Don’t Dress For Dinner – April 2010

Together4Christmas – Dec 2009

Ten Times Table – April/May 2009

The Ghost Train – Nov 2008

Habeas Corpus – April 2008

Allo’ Allo’ – Nov 2007

Murder in Cheriton! – May 2007

The Champion of Paribanou – Jan 2007

Parallel Lines – Nov 2006

Table Manners – April 2006

A Christmas Carol – Dec 2005

Out of Order – April 2005

Idol Talent – Jan 2005

The Noble Spaniard – Nov 2004

Jungle Fantasy – May 2004

The Real Inspector Hound & Black Comedy – Nov 2003

Oliver! – Jan 2003

Don’t Utter a Note – May 2002

Forty – Not Out! – Dec 2001

Murder in Play – March 2001

Confusions – Nov 2000

An Evening’s Entertainment – March 2000

Move over Mrs Markham – Nov 1999

Party Piece – Nov 1998

After the Ball is Over – April 1998

And then there were None – Nov 1997

Cat on the Fiddle – April 1997

Love’s a Luxury – Nov 1996

She Stoops to Conquer – April 1996

Key for Two – Nov 1995

‘Bless ’em All’ – May 1995

Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime – Nov 1994

Pardon Me, Prime Minister – April 1994

Variety Music Hall – Nov 1993

Murder in Company – April 1993

Worzel Gummidge – Nov 1992

Outside Edge – April 1992

My Fair Lady – Nov 1991

Two One-Act Plays – April 1991

Lock up Your Daughters – Nov 1990

Haul for the Shore – May 1990

Best of Old Time Music Hall – Feb 1990

Tons of Money – Nov 1989

The Late Mr. Larrington – April 1989

Merry Christmas Music Hall – Dec 1988

Man Alive – April 1988

The Wind in the Willows – Dec 1987

I’ll Get My Man – May 1987

Music Hall – Jan/Feb 1987

Laughter in the Dark – Dec 1986

Salad Days – April 1986

The Proof of the Poison – Dec 1985

Gala Music Hall – Sep 1985

Charley’s Aunt – May 1985

Music Hall – Feb 1985

Small Hotel – Nov 1984

Beyond a Joke – May 1984


Play On! – Nov 1983

Present Laughter – May 1983

Old Time Music Hall – Feb 1983

And So To Bed – Nov 1982

Here We Come Gathering – April 1982


Book of the Month – Nov 1981

Pride and Prejudice – May 1981

Music Hall – Jan/Feb 1981

The Full Treatment – Nov 1981

Fish Out of Water – May 1980


A Friend Indeed – Nov 1979

Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime – April 1979

Music Hall – Jan 1970

Jam Tomorrow – Nov 1978

The White Sheep of the Family – April 1978

Old Time Music Hall – Jan/Feb 1978

Love Birds – Nov 1977

Running Riot – May 1977

Jubilee Revue – Jan 1977

Your Obedient Servant – Nov 1976

Person Unknown – April 1976

Old Time Music Hall – Jan 1976

The Importance of Being Earnest – Nov 1975

Wolf’s Clothing – April 1975

Old Time Music Hall – Jan/Feb 1975

Love’s a Luxury – Nov 1974

Sailor Beware – April 1974


See How They Run – Nov 1973

Doctor in the House – April 1973


Quiet Weekend – Nov 1972

Who Lies There? – April 1972


Pools Paradise – Nov 1971

Something to Hide – April 1971


Beside the Seaside – Nov 1970

Trap for a Lonely Man – Feb 1970

Man Alive – Nov 1969

Busybody – May 1969

Sleeping Partnership – Feb 1969

Dear Delinquent – Nov 1968

Goodnight, Mrs Puffin – May 1968

A Pig in a Poke – Feb 1968

Wanted One Body – Nov 1967

Still Life & Speaking Terms – July 1967

Flat Spin – May 1967

The Happiest Days of Your Life – Feb 1967

See How They Run – October 1966

The Bride and the Batchelor – April 1966

Breath of Spring – Nov 1965

Blithe Spirit – Nov 1964

Pools Paradise – May 1964

One Man Banned – Nov 1963

Haul for the Shore – Nov 1962Friends and Neighbours – March 1962Here We Come Gathering – Nov 1961

Previous Productions

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An inspector Calls programme Dec 2013