• The Comedy of Errors

The Comedy of Errors
Wed 18 April to Sat 21 April 1979

4 performances
Hampton Court Theatre, United Kingdom


The Comedy of Errors
by William Shakespeare
Music and Songs by Guy Wolfenden and Trevor Nunn

For it's production at Hampton Court Theatre, YAT were given special permission to use the music written for the televised RSC production. Live musicians accompanied the singing and dancing in this unique musical style adaptation.

Review for Surrey Comet (April 1979)

The fresh and adventurous approach of the Youth Action Theatre carried through yet another ambitious production last week - The Comedy of Errors, with the music and songs used in the recent Royal Shakespeare Company version.

I have learned to judge anything the precocious young players at the Hampton Court Theatre do by high standards, but was still very surprised that they managed to make such a professional job of Shakespeare's mistaken identity romp.

Despite the fact that the twin brothers in the comic webb of confusion looked nothing like each other, except for costume, both Nik Harman and Jonathan King made a good partnership, helped a great deal by the two Dromios - Nigel Hadley and Philip Bliss - who contributed most of the humour and a vast amount of energy to the drama.

Of the ladies in the play (which was directed by Eric Yardley), Annabel Giles was supreme. Graceful, yet fiery when she needed to be, she was a model for the rest of the cast to follow, and was only equalled in stage presence by Stephen Bentley with a colourful Doctor Pinch.

One thing which was particularly clear in the first act was that the players are better actors than singers, although the second half songs were much better. The musicians did a fine job, with keyboards player Peter Roberts deserving several curtain calls.



Review for Richmond & Twickenham Times (April 1979)

Tackling a straight production of The Comedy of Errors would have been ambitious enough, but Youth Action Theatre made its task doubly difficult at Hampton Court [Theatre] this week by doing the musical version as performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Eric Yardley, who runs Youth Action [Theatre], seems determined to set his group ever more impossible goals with each new show.

As if the play itself isn't hard enough to interpret in a way that holds the audience's interest, the company also had to contend with some highly intricate musical numbers, most of which were beyond them.

One can hardly put all the blame on the poor musicians, who did their best, but the accampaniment is undoubtably too loud, making the lyrics quite inaudible at times.

The most effective numbers were Dromio's hymn of flagellation, He Beats Me, Dr Pinch's weird and wonderful Satan Come Forth (someone should tell Kate Bush about that one!) and the smashing finale number, Lets Go Hand in Hand, which the company obviously enjoyed as much as the audience.

On balance, I think the play is better for the musical interludes. It certainly helps to break up and enliven what is otherwise one of Shakespeare's less distinguished efforts.

The long-lost twins were played by Jonathan King (not that one) and Nick Harman, and the matching Dromios, looking like a pair of Leo Sayers, were Nigel Hadley and Philip Bliss. The latter is a natural comedian with more stage presence than most professionals.

Annabel Giles, as Adriana, is not only distractingly pretty, but she puts a lot of work into her acting, through she must guard against rushing her lines. Debbie Lane, as Luciana, paced her narrative a lot better.

One of the delights of the production is the appearance of YAT veteran, Stephen Bentley, as the sinister-looking fake exorcist, Dr Pinch, a character right up young Mr. Bentley's street.

Cast
Role Name
The WatchDavid Richmond
Egeon, a merchant of SyracuseOliver Cookson
Solinus, Duke of EphesusSimon Rudge
Solinus's LadyEmma McCarthy (Hitching)
Solinus's OfficerRobert Eadie
Solinus's GuardDavid Gray
David Ripley
Antipholus of SyracuseJonathan King
Dromio of SyracuseNigel Hadley
Antipholus of EphesusNick Harman
Dromio of EphesusPhilip Bliss
AdrianaAnnabel Giles
LucianaDebbie Adye (Lane)
A maidVickie Smith
NellCarole Sayers (Palmer)
A MerchantTom Osorio
Another MerchantSimeone Pickford
AngeloGuy Taylor
BalthasarBernard Forrester
A CourtesanSarah Keeler
Doctor PinchStephen Bentley
Pinchs ApprenticeRichard Tipper
EmiliaCharlotte Andrews (Goddard)
NunKate Doyle
Rebecca Harman (Lane)
People of EphesusMandy Bushell
Julie Dafforne
Sara Meaker
David Richmond
Amanda Harman
Kate Doyle
Rebecca Harman (Lane)
Crew
Role Name
DIRECTOREric Yardley
MUSICAL DIRECTORPeter Roberts - Vocal
Clive Stott - Instrumental
CHOREOGRAPHERSally Bottomley
Patty Bottomley
STAGE MANAGERFiona Andrews
Kevin Browne
LIGHTINGChris Davies
LIGHTING ASSISTANTEddie Dapre - Operation
Annie Davies - Follow Spot
SOUNDCharles Halford
WARDROBEMargaret Robertson
WARDROBE ASSISTANTJean Brown
SET DESIGNERJonathan King
PROPERTIESGill Simpson
PROMPTCarol Pain
Band
Role Name
KEYBOARDSPeter Roberts
GUITARClive Stott
WOODWINDBob Hine
PERCUSSIONGary Jones