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The Nottingham Playhouse Company.Measure for Measure by William ShakespeareThe Nottingham Playhouse. Directed by John Neville This production opened at Nottingham Playhouse on 22 September, 1965. |
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Vincentio, the Duke Angelo, the Deputy Escalus, a councillor Claudio, a young gentleman Lucio, a fantastic Two other like gentlemen |
Christopher Hancock Alan Howard Ronald Magill John Shrapnel Edward Woodward Anthony Langdon |
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Provost Peter, a friar Elbow, a simple constable Froth, a foolish gentleman Pompey, a pimp, servant to Mistress Overdone Abhorson, an executioner Barnardine, a dissolute prisoner Secretary of Angelo Newsboy |
Patrick Tull Laurence Carter John Tordoff Alfred Bell Harold Innocent Laurence Harrington Giles Block Alan Dossor Neil Bennett |
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Isabella, sister to Claudio Mariana, betrothed to Angelo Julietta, beloved of Claudio Francisca, a nun Mistress Overdone, a bawd Kate Keepdown |
Judi Dench Maggie Jordan Marian Forster Mary Healey Ursula Smith Mary Healey |
Guests, Waiters, Convicts, Guards, Citizens
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Ann Teeton Eden Hutton Frederick Share |
Christine Welch Mark Kaniewski Donald Sumpter |
Neil Bennett Colin Richardson Uriel A. Paul Worika |
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Iwan Williams Mike Sillitoe *** |
Piano Drums Saxophone |
The action takes place in Vienna
The time is the present
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Act I Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6 Scene 7 Scene 8 Scene 9 Scene 10 Scene 11 |
Interval of 15 minutes
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Act II Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6 |
The last professional production of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure in Nottingham was during the Shakespeare Birthday Festival presented in the spring of 1921, at the Nottingham Repertory Theatre, then in its second season at the former Grand Theatre in Hyson Green. This Victorian theatre had been greatly transformed by Mrs. Edward Compton to provide a permanent home for the forty years old Compton Comedy Co., and Nottingham's first bold experiment in repertory.
Measure for Measure was presented as the third week of a Festival season which had already seen productions of Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor: and it was followed by Much Ado About Nothing and Othello. Each of the five productions ran for a week, and then played in repertoire during the sixth and final week.
The eminent Dublin Abbey Theatre actor-producer, W.G. Fay, was producing for the company at this time, in association with Viola Compton and H. Worrall-Thompson. The part of Angelo was played by Bellendon Clark, Isabella by Ellen Compton, and there was a Neville in the programme - Gerard Neville, playing Lucio, a Fantastic. These, and all others appearing, were members of the resident company.
It is not without significance that this 1921 production - the only professional one in the city during the present century - has looked across a span of forty-five years, from one repertory theatre to another, awaiting revival.
A.J.S.
