Lady Windermere's Fan programme

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Theatre Company presents...

LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN Written by Oscar Wilde Directed by Alex Taylor

Casting Director Danièle Sanderson

Tue 8 Dec 2020 Birmingham City University

About Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Cast

Formerly known as Birmingham School of Acting, we are now part of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. With roots as a drama school going back to 1936, we retain the professional outlook and commitment to contemporary training that has seen our acting courses consistently rated amongst the best in the UK. We also train the associated disciplines of Stage Management and Applied Performance, which

The action of the play takes place in Lord Windermere’s house in Carlton House Terrace, London within twenty-four hours.

Cast in order of appearance

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Director’s Note It is the day of Lady Windermere’s twenty-first birthday. As she looks forward to the party to celebrate her coming of age she little realises how, within twenty-four hours, her life will be changed. A friend will arrive with a declaration of love and another with a warning. Will Lady Windermere invite the woman many believe to be her husband’s mistress to her party, and what will be the consequences of her decision?

This is Wilde’s first ‘society comedy’ and his first play to be successfully staged. He has not yet arrived at the perfect theatrical form for his

talents – these will be realised in his fourth play The Importance of Being Earnest - ‘a trivial comedy for serious people’ – but here a psychological approach struggles against Wilde’s irrepressible wit and natural instinct for the epigram.

Our version of the play is set in 1930 – the age of the jazz baby and the motor car: the Stock Market Crash and The Great Depression lie just around the corner.

Lady Windermere Georgie Lomax-Ford

Parker (Butler) Andy Yau

Lord Darlington Connor Curren

Duchess of Berwick Lois Beddoe

Lady Agatha Carlisle Jessica Corner

Lord Windermere Reiss Barber

Lady Jedburgh/Rosalie Ella Stokes

Lady Plymdale Camille Burnett

Mr Dumby Sam Waites

Mr Hopper Rob Maynard

Lord Augustus Lorton Will Meadows

Cecil Graham Callum Scurfield

Alex Taylor

Alex Taylor Alex Taylor has worked extensively in the UK, USA and SE Asia as a director, an actor and as a lecturer in Acting and Voice. From 1984-1990 he was the Director of the School of Theatre, Manchester Metropolitan University and, at thirty, was the youngest drama school principal in the UK. In 1990, he became one of the Juilliard School’s (New York) Master Teachers, and in 1993 joined the School of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Alex has directed productions for companies in Hong Kong and for the National Theatre of Korea. He has also led

masterclasses in Acting at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and the University of Korea.

In 2004, Alex returned to live and work in the UK joining the faculty of Birmingham School of Acting in 2005. His most recent professional productions include the musical Once On This Island for the Hong Kong Arts Carnival, and Martin Sherman’s Bent (2013) for Windmill Grass Theatre Company, Hong Kong. Last year he directed Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart for the same company and was nominated as Best Director by the Hong Kong Drama Federation.

Mrs Erlynne Fleur Harvey-Kelly

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Production Department Production Manager

Jacqui Findlay

Scenic Designer Robert Dicks

Lighting Designer Simon Bond

Sound Designer Simon McCorry Head of Wardrobe Jacki Cottom Head of Props John Bailey

Production Technician Jonathan Pearce Staff Stage Manager

Helen Gibbs

Deputy Stage Manager Angus Chow***

Assistant Stage Managers Charlotte Molloy* Technical ASM Camera Ellie Bashford* Technical ASM Camera Georgia Sherratt* Technical ASM Lighting George Ward-Thompson* Technical ASM Sound Darcy O’Grady* Production Assistant

Claire D’Angelo

Technical Assistants Jasper Mattel** Myra Cauchi Bonnici** Emilia Benetatos** Vision Operator Ryker Young** Props & Costume Assistant Alice Chapman** Set and Costume Assistant Amy Regan** Costume and Props Assistant Georgia Thornton** Set and Props Assistant Oliver Boot**

Carpenters Stephen Willets Matthew Willets Voice Support Jessica Corner Movement Support Andy Yau

* 1st Year Stage Management Students **2nd Year Stage Management Students ***3rd Year Stage Management Students