Edward Alderton Theatre

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Lysistrata 
by Aristophanes
Translated by Dudley Fitts

Directed by Derek Goulding

22-29 January 1983 (7 performances)

The women of Ancient Greece try withholding sex from their husbands, in order to put an end to the long-running Peloponnesian War...

Cast
Diana Jean Midlane
Ceres John Webster
Minerva Gillian Johnson
Lysistrata Vera Robinson
Kalonike Stephanie Dungate
Myrrhine Georgia Robinson
First Woman Pam Leadley
Second Woman Ann Kirby
Lampito Sue Higginson
Boita  Donna Scrafton
Anthea Ruth Burton
Leto Lorri Simkins
Third Woman Sylvia Graves
Pauson Neal Flux
Nereus Brian Warner
Servant Lianne Glanville
Agathon George Robinson
Koryphaious (Male) Steve Marshall
Chorus I (Male) John Midlane
Chorus II (Male) Alan Rodman
Koryphaious (Female) Brenda Winn
Chorus I (Female) Maureen Hardwen
Chorus II (Female) Fay Rose
Commissioner Dave Hampton
Constable & Sentry Bob Phillips
Constable Patrick Moore
Kinesias Paul Jennings
Herald  Andy Blackburn
Athenian Ambassador Martin Heard
Spartan Ambassador Dave Phillips
Citizen Martin Shaw
Handmaiden Helen Ayling
Handmaiden Karen Everett


Crew
Stage Manager Pearl Ayling
Assistant Stage Manager Mike Higginson
Set Design Derek Goulding
Costumes The cast
Lighting  Gary Lacey
Sound Bill Ayling
Prompt Joanne Colyer

 

Review

A bawdy romp from the ancient Greeks

Brash and bawdy, nice and naughty - that was the way the cast played Aristophanes' Lysistrata at the Edward Alderton Theatre, Bexleyheath, last week. If there had been school bicycle shed in ancient Greece, this was the kind of humour that would have slid out from behind them.

It told the famous tale of Greek women led by Lysistrata, who withdrew their 'services' pending an ending to their menfolk's interminable warfare. And at the risk of shocking the socks off at least some members of the audience, the cast grasped the nettle firmly and played it for all it was worth.

Director Derek Goulding took care to ensure that coyness was kept well out of this production, and his players milked every last drop of smut and innuendo out of Dudley Fitts' uproarious translation. Which was exactly as it should have been.

This was just the right play to coax the company's best comedians out of the woodwork. In fact everyone got the chance to get on stage and ham it up like mad. George Robinson made a lovely job of the camp and mincing poet Agathon. Steve Marshall, John Midlane and Alan Rodman as a chorus of revolting old men, and Brenda Winn, Maureen Hardwen and Fay Rose as their scraggy sparring partners, had a great time doing a kind of "who can be the rudest?" routine.

This is a fairly wordy play, and one criticism I feel bound to make is that when there were a lot of bodies on stage some of the cast seemed to think they had become invisible. A bit more reaction and 'business' would not have gone amiss at times.

Set design (also by the director) was excellent - clean and streamlined, and complemented cleverly by Gary Lacey' skilful lighting. 

I've saved the last word for the fearless Neal Flux, as pompous Pauson, who dared to bare his all (well almost) for the sake of the play and could certainly have taught Gypsy Rose Lee a few things about stripping...and hereby wins the title of 'Fastest Draw in Bexley with a Fruit Basket'.

E J

Bexley Times | 3 February 1983

Programme

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