1976 ruddigore, the mikado

Gaiety Theatre Dublin

D irectors Eamonn Andrews, Lorcan Bourke, Fred O’Donovan, Dermod Cafferky, Joe Kearns, Tom Walsh.

RATHMINES and RATHGAR MUSICAL SOCIETY presents

A Season of Gilbert & Sullivan Operas RUDDIGORE and THE M IK A D O FOR TWO WEEKS COMMENCING MONDAY NOVEMBER 15th, 1976

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A GAIETY EVENING FIRST ACT Meet in the Gaiety. Have a d rin k in c o m fo r t

before the show.

Bars open 7.30 p.m. O rder and pay for drinks fo r the interval.

INTERVAL Your drinks are ready and waiting for you at your table.

Y ou're saved tim e and trouble.

ENCORE Relax after the show.

Have a drink. The bars are always open for half an hour after curtain fall.

FINALE I ItiiiU ii

st y 째ui eni째yed y0Lir GaiBty evening cometruagain Licenced Bars on all Floors.

GAIETY

THEATRE

SO UTH KING STREET, DUBLIN 2 T e le g ra m s G a iety Dublin

T e le p h o n e

771717

R e s id e n t M a n a g e r : JO E KEARNS NIGHTLY 8 p.m .

MATINEES, SATURDAY 3 p.m .

Commencing Monday November 15lh, 1976 RATHMINES & RATHGAR MUSICAL SOCIETY presents

RUDDIGORE Monday 15, W ednesday 17, Friday 19, Tuesday 23, Thursday 25, Saturday 27 (evening)

THE MIKADO Tuesday 16, Thursday 18, Saturday 20 (m at & eve) Monday 22, W ednesday 24, Friday 25, Saturday 27 (m atinee) Musical Director: TERRY O’CONNOR, L.R.A.M. Chorus M a ste r: HEATHER HEWSON 'C h o reo g rap h y : DOLORES DELAHUNTY Settings d esigned and executed by GAIETY THEATRE WORKSHOP Entire Production by

Norman Meadmore

D u b lin G rand Opera Society W INTER SEASON 1976

THE BARTERED BRIDE (Smetana) Monday, 29th November, Wednesday, 1st Dcember, Friday, 3rd December, Thursday, 9th December

EUGENE ONEGIN (Tchaikovsky) Tuesday, 30th November, Thursday, 2nd December, Saturday, 4th December, Tuesday, 7th December

FAUST (Gounod) Monday, 6th December, Wednesday, 8th December, Friday, 10th December, Saturday, 11th December NIGHTLY at 7.45 p.m.

PROGRAMME NOTE THE MIKADO has stood the test o f time, as alm ost no o th e r G ilb ert and Sullivan opera has ever done.

For the "R. & R.’ its 27th presentation marks yet another ‘spe cia l’ in the long list o f its perform ances since the firs t on December 8, 1913, in the old Queen’s Theatre, m arking the inauguration of the Society.

It is the opera that was nearly not w ritten I Sullivan, during a period of unusually deep depression, inform ed D'Oyly Carte that he would not w rite again fo r light opera. (Since com pleting Princess Ida he had been obsessed with the idea of com posing a grand o p e ra ) A fte r many heated arguments and nerve-wracking m eetings however, between himself, G ilb ert and Carte, an am icable arrangem ent was reached, and at Carte’s special request, Sullivan agreed to w rite the score fo r whatever piece G ilb e rt could produce.

The piece was THE MIKADO !

A fte r six m onths’ w riting and re-writing, this opera w hich was to be the most famous o f them all, was presented in London on M arch 14, 1885.

The story of Nanki-Poo’s gloriously inconsequential love affair is as well-known and loved now as it was in the days im m ediately follow ing its first presentation ninety odd years ago.

One of its main characters, Pooh-Bah, gave a new word to the English language, and its dram atic music and lovely songs are honoured wherever music-makers gather.

RUDDIGORE (o r THE WITCH’S CURSE) was first presented on January 22, 1887 at the Savoy Theatre, London. It was the tenth of the operas produced by the famous pair. It has been described as one of the most fascinating o f th e ir works, with a quaint charm w hich makes it unique in the series.

W hile THE MIKADO was s till packing houses in Britain and America, the partners got down to the first d ra ft of RUDDIGORE in January 1886, but nearly twelve m onths w ent by before it was ready fo r the first night, chiefly because in the interval Sullivan had contracted to w rite THE GOLDEN LEGEND fo r the Leeds Festival.

G ilbert fe lt that RUDDIGORE contained some o f his best w ork, and it became w ell established in the D'Oyly Carte repertory.

The group o f professional bridesm aids (on duty from ten till four) and some excellent patter songs, together with the dancing numbers and the love affair of Rose Maybud and S ir Ruthven M urgatroyd provide a fascinating story, to w h ich is added the comedy of Sir Despard's antics and the tragi-com edy o f Mad Margaret.

RUDDIGORE was last staged by the R. & R. in Autum n 1959.

G. Mac N.

RUDDIGORE Mortals Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd ........... FRED GRAHAM Richard Dauntless ...... CAMILLUS MOUNTAINE Sir Despard Murgatroyd................. PAT CAMPBELL Old Adam G oodheart EDDIE GUiLMARTIN Rose Maybud ... ....... .......... BARBARA GRAHAM Mad Margaret ............. LORETTO O’CONNOR Dame Hannah .................................... LUCY LANE Zorah ................................ CARMEL GIBBONS Ruth .................................................. CAROL DALY Ghosts PETER MURPHY Sir Rupert Murgatroyd .....

Sir Jasper Murgatroyd ..... .. SEAN HOGAN .... RON EVANS Sir Lionel Murgatroyd ....... . DENIS DEASY Sir Conrad Murgatroyd ...

Sir Desmond Murgatroyd .. .. NOEL DILLON JOHN MURPHY Sir Gilbert Murgatroyd .....

Sir Mervyn Murgatroyd ..... ... NOEL BYRNE and Sir Roderic Murgatroyd................. FRANK O'BRIEN Chorus of Officers, Ancestors, Professional Bridesmaids and Villagers: Shirley McCambridge, Angela McBrien, Marie Culliton, Mary McCann, Maura Cox, Margaret Dickson, Anne Crossan, Dympna Egar, Carmel Barker, Eva Staveley, Pat Moore, Fidelma Allen, Jennifer Patterson, Sally Young, Doreen Sheri­ dan, Margaret Hendron.

Paul Kelly, Larry Shelley, Kenneth Watters, John Madden, David Beddy, John Ryan, Robin Fitz­ gerald, Peter Murphy, Sean Hogan, Ron Evans, Noel Byrne, Denis Deasy, Noel DiUon, John Murphy, Jim Dillon, Matt Littleton, Robert Hayes.

S cene: Act 1 The Fishing Village of Rederring, Cornwall.

Act 2 The Picture Gallery in Ruddigore Castle.

Time — Early in the 19th century. .

THE M I K A D O The Mikado of J a p a n

BRENDAN McSHANE

Nanki Poo ................................................. . TED RYAN Ko-Ko ......................................................... ED BRADY Poo-Bah ...........................

MAURICE O ’SULLIVAN

Pish-Tush .........................

PETER LEWIS

Yum-Yum .................................

EVELYN DOWLING

Pitti-Sing ...................................... GLYNIS CASSON P eep -B o ....................................... DYMPNA CUMMINS Katisha ...................................... HEATHER HEWSON Go-To ...................................................

Ko-Ko’s A tten d an t

NOEL BYRNE

DESMOND O ’SULLIVAN

Chorus of Schoolgirls, Nobles, Guards and C o o lies: Eva Staveley, Ann Gorman, Fran Barrett, Ann Crossan, Margaret Creed, Nuala Kealy, Mary Neville, Dolores Barry, Marie Byrne, Michele O’Byrne, Marie-Ciair O’Riordan, Nikky Sharkey, Emer O’Sullivan, Joan Lenehan, Margaret Hendron, Fidelma Allen.

Robin Fitzgerald, Paul Kelly, Noel Dillon, Denis Leahy, Larry Shelley, Jim Butler, Barney Gorman, Brendan Galvin, Liam Byrne, Jim Dillon, Pat Lawlor, Joe Bevan, John Murphy, John O’Carroll, Don Casey, Matt Littleton, Robert Hayes.

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S cen e:

The Courtyard of Ko-Ko’s Garden.

FOR RATHMINES & RATHGAR MUSICAL SOCIETY H o n o ra ry G e n . S e c r e t a r y : PATRICK CAMPBELL H on o ra ry T r e a s u r e r : MICHAEL FORDE H onorary W ard ro b e M a ste r : ED DELANEY H onorary W a rd ro b e M istre ss : CYNTHIA TAYLOR H onorary. B ooking S e c r e t a r y : FRED TAYLOR H o n o ra ry B u s in e s s S e c r e ta r y : SEAN HOGAN P u blic R e la tio n s : GLADYS MacNEVIN S t a g e D ire cto r : DAPHNE MILLAR A s siste d by : NORA O ’ROURKE

Block Booking E n q u irie s : FRED TAYLOR, “ Dartry” , A rd to n a A ve n u e , Dublin 14, Tel. 981249

C o stu m es: RUDDIGORE : d e s i g n e d by K oc h ie B ourk e -P a tto n a n d e x e c u t e d by M / s . P. J. B o urke & Co., D am e S tre e t.

MIKADO : M /s . B a rretts of B ath.

C re d its: R iding C rop a n d w hip by T. J. C a lla g h a n & Co., D a m e St. Blinds by M /s. Vista Blinds U m brella by H. J o h n s to n Ltd., W icklow St.

FOR GAIETY THEATRE S t a g e M a n a g e r : PADDY JO N E S A s sista n t S t a g e M a n a g e r : GEO RG E McFALL Chief E le c tric ia n : SEAN BURKE L ighting E q u ip m e n t by BOURKE-STRAND ELECTRIC LTD.

Commencing December 27th 1976 Evenings 8 p.m.

Matinee 3 p.m.

Eamonn Andrews Studios present IRELAND’S MOST EXCITING & GREATEST PANTOMINE

MAUREEN POTTER

and a star studded cast of 70 JACK A N D T H E BEANSTALK Directed by

URSULA DOYLE Produced by

FRED O’DONOVAN NOW BOOKING Special rates fo r parties of 25 o r over, apply manager.

All seats bookable.

Box office open daily — 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Phone 771717/8

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KINGS LOUNGE Food and Drink at KINGS Directly across the road from this theatre is the most attractive lounge in Dublin

KINGS There you can enjoy superb food and drink in a luxurious Edwardian atmosphere you w ill be very welcom e at KINGS

THE BEST THEATRES NEED THE BEST IN PROGRAMME PRINTING

ELO PRESS LTD.; TELEPHONE 751257i

Palm

Grove Delicious Ice Cream Now on Sale in this Theatre

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The only g e n u in e A m erican H am b u rg er in Ireland.

First Floor, G rafton C ourt, G rafton St., Dublin 2 P rin ted by th e E lo Press Ltd.