SETTING Julie Judge Performance
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CAST PRODUCTION in order of speaking Zangler Robert Sheppard Director & Designer Ian Nichols Gertrud Barbara Tresidder Costumier Diane Nichols Marie Hana Bird Composer Andrew Donovan Sonders Michael Thonger Sound Simon Price Foreigner Evelyn Morgan Lighting Robert Sheppard Ian Nichols examines the history of cross gender acting OXENFORD NESTROY WILDER HERMAN STOPPARD Melchior Dom Gwyther Stage Manager Rosemary Chapman Hupfer Steffen Zschaler Production Manager Michael Burne You either will, or already have discovered that in this production the role of Christopher is played by a young lady. This is not a whim of this particular director but takes its lead Christopher Claire Racklyeft Properties Jane Hampton from the original production at the National Theatre when Felicity Kendal played the Weinberl Jason Orbaum Publicity Tessa Duggleby part. That adaptation of Johann Nestroy's 1842 play, in turn, played homage to the In 1835, the English Dramatist John Oxenford give up, though. In 1954, at the behest of Tyrone Philippine Louise Johnson Gilly Fick original material, which followed a long tradition in Viennese drama of cross gender (1812—1877) wrote a one-act farce called A Day Guthrie, he revised the play and renamed it The Madame Knorr Gilly Fick Claire Racklyeft casting for some comic roles. So, quite a history in its own right! Well Spent in which two shop assistants, Bolt and Matchmaker. It had its première at the Edinburgh Mrs Fischer Kathryn Attwood Laura Sheppard But this, of course, was not the beginning of cross gender acting. In Ancient Greece all Mizzle, decide to take the day off when their Festival and later transferred to Broadway, where the female roles were played by men, as indeed they were in English Renaissance theatre employer, Cotton the hosier, has to go out on it enjoyed a rather more respectable run of 486 Italian Waiter Steffen Zschaler Graphic Design Phill Griffith and continued to be so right up to Margaret Hughes boldly making the first appearance business. Being a farce, they get into all kinds of performances! The play was made into a film in Coachman Graham Russell-Price Set Construction Michael Burne on stage of a female actor in 1660. scrapes before finally returning to 1958, starring Shirley Booth as Dolly Head Waiter Mark Williams and Painting Mike Dean the shop with Cotton none the wiser Levi and also featuring Anthony German Man Steffen Zschaler Kevin Malam Shakespeare's comedies Twelfth Night and As You Like It depend on the confusion as to their exploits. In addition to Perkins and Shirley MacLaine. arising from the 'breeches roles' where girls disguise themselves as boys Of course, the German Woman Ally Murphy Ian Parkinson confusion was all the greater as, at that time, young ladies were played by pubescent boys his dramatic endeavours, Oxenford But there was life yet in the was also a translator from German Scottish Man Eddie Woolrich Jonathan Poole and hence, a boy playing a girl was pretending to be a boy! chequered history of Oxenford’s Scottish Woman Barbara Tresidder Graham Russell-Price and, indeed, wrote a treatise on little farce. Following the success of Cross gender acting refers to an actress or actor, not pretending, but portraying a Schopenhauer which was translated The Matchmaker on stage and Constable Eddie Woolrich Eddie Woolrich character of the opposite gender. In general, young actresses play a variety of young male into German. Somehow, Oxenford’s screen, Jerry Herman’s (b. 1931) Miss Blumenblatt Pam Hemelryk Set Dressing Cheryl Malam roles whereas men playing women are frequently grotesques. This is, of course, farce found its way into the hands musical version, Hello Dolly, hit the Lisette Louise Johnson Prompt Catherine Smart epitomised in pantomime where the gender swap provides us traditionally with the of the celebrated Viennese 'Principal Boy' and the 'Dame' figures. The grotesque can also be seen in Dustin Broadway stage in 1964, starring Waiter/Ragamuffin Jordan Gunner Lighting Desk Oli Bruce playwright Johann Nestroy (1801— Carol Channing, and for a time Hoffman's ‘Tootsie’, Robin Williams’ ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ or even Barry Humphries' ‘Dame 1862) and in 1842 he adapted it into enjoyed the accolade of being the Seamstresses Elizabeth Burton Edna’. the musical play Einen Jux will er longest running musical in Rosemary Chapman sich Machen (He Will Go On A Shakespearean drama has had a relatively recent resurgence of gender crossing Broadway history, piling up an SETTING Julie Judge performance. In the 18C Sarah Siddons was the first, but not the last, actress to decide Spree or He’ll Have Himself A impressive 2,844 performances! The Good Time). Nestroy was a lifelong Catherine Smart that the part of Hamlet was too good just to be left to male actors. When Sarah Bernhardt inevitable film version, starring Barbara Tresidder controversially played the Prince in 1899 her performance gave rise to a duel. More singer and most of his dramatic Barbra Streisand, followed in 1969. Fin de Siècle Vienna recently a whole gamut of actresses have queued for the opportunity, from Frances de la works incorporated music and and Company Milliners The action of the play takes place variously in songs. The music for Einen Jux was Twelve years flash past and - hey Tour to Maxine Peake. Nor has it stopped there. Vanessa Redgrave has given her Zangler’s shop, Mme Knorr’s fashion house, the ASMs Howard Benbrook written by Adolf Müller and during presto! - finally we arrive at Tom Prospero, Fiona Shaw, Cate Blanchett and Kathryn Hunter their rendition of both Michael Burne his career Nestroy also used music by Karl Binder Stoppard’s (b. 1937) free adaptation of Nestroy’s Imperial Gardens Café and Miss Blumenblatt’s Richard II and III. Hunter is also the first actress to have portrayed Lear. Now Glenda play with the first performance of On The Razzle apartment. Maddy Collins Jackson is giving us hers. and Jacques Offenbach, amongst others. at, by a neat twist, a production by the National Ally Murphy You might think that that was the end of the There will be one interval of twenty minutes. Nor is the traffic one way: from Ronald Pickup's Rosalind to Mark Rylance stepping into Theatre in 1981 at the Edinburgh International Programme Robert Sheppard Cleopatra's crown and gown. But this is not even to mention those all male companies story… but no! In 1938 Nestroy’s play was seized Festival, from where it subsequently transferred to upon by the American Pulitzer Prize-winning Ian Nichols like Propeller and Cheek by Jowl or the all-female casts of Henry VI and Julius Caesar! the South Bank. dramatist Thornton Wilder (1897—1975), who Photography Phill Griffith Is there no end to it? Well, Phew! And there (at least for the time being) you turned it into The Merchant of Yonkers, which Transport Michael Burne probably not. As theatres have revolves around Horace Vandergelder, a have it. Mr Oxenford - step forward and take a adopted colour blind casting so, wealthy New York businessman in the market for bow, sir! increasingly, they are accepting a wife. The production was not a great success and gender blindness. The tradition closed after just 39 performances. Wilder did not Adam Sniptov is long and well established. Meanwhile, in On the Razzle, we merely have one actress in a Vienna had created the waltz dance which, around this time, became known as the Viennese waltz to 'breeches role.' But fear not, the distinguish it from the other waltzes it had spawned around the world. But it also thrilled to rag time. The panto season is already with us! city embraced the new and exciting - the glittering gold of Gustav Klimt's decorative artwork and the shock of Egon Schiele's near pornographic draughtsmanship, the shockingly reformed clothing designs of Emilie Flöge, the revolutionary design of everything from the Secession building to the startling new furniture. The city fell in love with all that was innovative and the habitually sedate and traditional was turned on its head by a stimulating tide of modernity. Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French Ltd. Yet Tom Stoppard, one assumes with tongue firmly in his cheek, turns the passion for fashion into the fad for everything tartan! Now that really is a little facetious, Mr Stoppard, but - we will take you at your word! rehearsal photos by Phill Grifth .