Archives - April 2006

HAUNTED
by Eric Chappell

Produced by Mike Liassides

THE PLAY

Modern-day comedy, set in a country house. Nigel Burke is a reclusive multi-phobic playwright who can't write any more and will only see his wife Mary and agent Turner. His life is interrupted, however, by two people: glamorous novelist Julia and the mysterious Mr Potter. The latter gives Nigel a skull goblet reputedly once owned by Lord Byron, Nigel's lifelong hero. When Nigel drinks from it, Byron appears to him and offers helpful advice about how to live life. The only snag with that is that Byron's life was one of utter debauchery, hence his advice could be considered a little suspect!

Nonetheless, Nigel learns from the deceased poet, embarks on a passionate affair with Julia (and an other nearby women) until, finally, he and Potter decide to leave all the recent upheaval behind and set off on a road trip to Italy...

FROM THE GROUP

This play is just about perfect: it has everything you might wish for as a producer. For all that it is described as a comedy, it is actually more  of a thriller and ghost-story that just happens to have a script which is sharp, bitingly funny and full of surprises. Byron's elegant Regency figure (and the mechanics of his appearing and disappearing) add a dimension of colour and technical challenge to proceedings. The ghostly element gives scope to build up tension, then sweep it away with darkly humorous plot turns. I was lucky enough to have an absolutely perfect cast to work with, all of them fitting together around the nucleus of Dave's neurotic self-pitying Nigel and Gareth's languid, sarcastic Byron. Clare and Steve's long-suffering performances breathed real life into the way everyone's life changes as the story evolves. Stuart, in his first deadly serious role, managed difficult transitions between menacingly sinister and pathetically vulnerable and some very long scene-setting speeches. Lyndsey, meanwhile, breezed glamorously in and out with a delightfully poised self-absorption. It really was a joy to direct proceedings: just about my favourite production to date.

Mike - Producer

POSTER

PROGRAMME

(Click To View)

PHOTOS

The Cast L-R: Back: Steve Buckler (Turner Gould), Gareth Jones (Lord Byron) and Dave Holden (Nigel Burke)
Front: Clare Buckland (Mary Burke), Start Gladwell (Mr Potter) and Lyndsey Kite (Julia Phillips)

The Set: Nigel's study, a shrine to Byron
 

PREVIEWS & REVIEWS

Preview from the Worthing Herald, April 2006

Review from the Worthing Herald, 27th April 2006

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