Do you remember what the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Amateur Dramatic Society did to Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’? They had Charles Dickens spinning in his grave after their rendition of ‘A Christmas Carol’ (‘render’ meaning ‘to tear apart’). And what occurred when the Farndale Ladies took a trip to outer space shouldn’t have happened to anyone.
Well, now Mrs Reece and the Ladies are having a ‘go’ at Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado. It’s an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza - in fact, it’s so big they’re putting it on at the Conservatorium this time, starring the usual suspects and a chorus of 12 ladies from the Mackay Choral Society.
This is the seventh in the series of ‘Farndale Ladies’ Guild’ plays to be directed by Heather MacTavish, and audiences will recognise familiar faces from previous Farndale productions including Brenda Price (who has played Madam President of the Guild in all seven productions), and Sue Stock as Thelma, the prima donna of the group, playing an hilariously temperamental Yum-Yum.
Other cast members include Bronwyn Grannall as Ko-Ko, Maureen Coleman as Nanki-Poo, Donna Priddle as Katisha, Ken Martin as the Rev. Reg Bishop, Val Dawson as Peep-Bo and Aggie Partridge as the Mikado.
The talented 12-person all-singing, all-dancing, all-acting (and extremely busy) chorus, include (in alphabetical order):
Aggie Partridge
Bernice Martin
Jeanette Oberg
Meagan Gillard
Narelle McLachlan
Skye Mackay
Tessa King
Val Dawson
Wilma Leeming
Pat
Kristyn Everett
Yvonne Tabalotny
The production team assisting director Heather MacTavish include Barbara Allen as rehearsal pianist and Jan Whalen as the production’s musical leader, who between them will be putting together a small orchestra for the production, with choreography by John Atkinson (who also plays the long-suffering Producer). Stan Hillard and Liam-from-the-Conservatorium are respectively Stage Manager and Sound-and-Lighting person, Kath Parr is doing props (of which there seem to be hundreds!), John Irvine is creating a train, a boat, a giant urn and various other interesting items, and Kris Townsend is in charge of costumes.
