Constance Cox’s play is based on a short story by Oscar Wilde about Lord Arthur Savile (John Otter) who is engaged to Sybil Merton (Joanne Hardacre). Her friend Podgers (Ralph Hastings) has read Lord Arthur’s palm and foretold he would commit a murder. Lord Arthur wants a blissful married life and therefore decides to get the murder over with first. Despite help from his butler and the cheerful anarchist Winkelkopf (Brian Barber), attempt after attempt fails. Then news comes that Podgers is a charlatan: Lord Arthur is free and the carriage awaits to take him to the wedding rehearsal. Unfortunately, it contains Winkelkopf’s newest bomb. Lord Arthur saves himself by throwing it into a horse trough. As the dust settles, two policemen appear and march the unhappy Arthur away for disturbing the peace!
David Laine had meticulously set up a computer at the side of the stage for the various sound effects. During the performance, standing idly by and waiting for his next entrance, Baines the butler, played by Jonathan, decided to just check the time to see how we were doing. Unfortunately on clicking on the time, a booming rendition of the Wedding March burst forth until David came bursting through the side door looking panic-stricken to see what had happened!
We have a DVD
It seems to be the last involvement for Brenda Hester, who joined 51 years ago! Brenda seems to have done every job in the society, as well as appearing in 25 plays
