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http://members.aol.com/patkelman/CornishTheatreCollective/CornishTC.html
PROGRAMME
[POSTER Graphic] Helen Speed as Lizzie Siddal
Finborough Theatre
July 20-25 1999
Fanny Cornforth as Bocca Baciata (The Mouth That Has Been Kissed) -(painting by Rossetti)
The Pre-Raphaelites in Cornwall Although there is little evidence to suggest that the Pre-Raphaelites visited Cornwall, some of their work can be found here, most notably, in the De Pass Collection at Falmouth's Art Gallery.
De Pass collected many romantic works, and the Pre-Raphaelite items in his collection are concerned with love. There are three drawings by Burne-Jones: The Car of Love, Study for the Mask of Cupid and Study for a Knight. Also to be found is Britomart by Frederick Watts, an experiment in fresco technique, originally entered into a competition to decorate the Houses of Parliament in the 1860's.
By far the most striking piece in a Pre-Raphaelite style is Waterhouse's large oil study for The Lady of Shalott. It is a haunting, disturbing painting; the subject coyly peering out of the uncompleted background.
As for William Morris, there are stained glass designs provided by Morris and Co. in the parish churches of Flushing, Hayle, Ladock, St Germains and St Michel Penkivel. Morris used some of the members of the PRB to design, and model for, his windows, including, of course, Rossetti. According to Rossetti: "For glass, anything will do." He spent the commission money, nevertheless.
the cornish theatre collective presents
clever as paint: the rossettis in love
by kim morrissey
music by elizabeth parker
(and the company)
The Crew
Director Rosie Hughes
Stage Manager/Design/Lighting Jack Morrison
Costumes Suki Haughton
Publicity/Poster Pat Kelman
Producer Dominic Knutton
The Cast
Elizabeth Siddal Helen Speed
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Dominic Knutton
William Morris Phil Innes
The action of the play takes place between the years 1860 and 1869 in London.
There will be one interval.
The Company
The Cornish Theatre Collective was formed in 1988 and since then has produced text-based work in both Cornwall and the London Fringe. In 1994-1995 Helen, Dominic and Phil workshopped the early drafts of Clever As Paint with Kim before its production at Barry Shannon's Hen & Chickens Theatre. For the last three years we have been actively working with and encouraging new writers. Thanks to generous grants, 1999 will see an explosion of our work, producing this play as well as two other projects. Visit our website: http://www.patkelman.com
The Cornish Theatre Collective is a Guest Company at the Finborough Theatre.
Biographies
Kim Morrissey was born in Canada. Her black comedy about Freud, Dora: a Case of Hysteria (Nick Hern Books) is a suggested text for the Open University. She has published two books of poetry: Batoche (Coteau Books) is taught in schools and universities, and five poems from Poems For Men Who Dream of Lolita (Coteau Books) will be reprinted in the Faber & Faber anthology Mythic Women/Real Women. She is currently working on a new translation of Ibsen's Doll's House for the Collective.
Elizabeth Parker is a well known and respected composer for BBC Radio and Television.
Rosie Hughes was born and grew up in Cornwall. She left in 1995 to study film and drama at the University of Reading, where she specialised in directing. Since graduating in 1998, she returned to work with Miracle Theatre playing Russell the Manicurist in their recent winter tour of Sleeping Beauty. This is the first time she has worked with the Collective and the first time she has directed professionally.
Jack Morrison was born in Redruth and lived most of his life in Helston. After training at Coleg Cerdd a Drama Cymru he worked with various companies including Mappa Mundi, Theatr y Byd, Spectacle, Outlaws and Sherman Theatre, with Northern Stage before finally moving to London to work with the Michael Clark Company, The Young Vic, and Shakespeare's Globe. Jack has toured England, Wales, Scotland, Germany, France, Brittany, Italy, Holland, Japan, and the USA . Despite his long involvement with the Collective, this is his first professional theatre engagement in Cornwall. Jack lives in St Just and loves Chinese food.
Suki Haughton is from Penryn. Her past work in costume-design (and making) for theatre, opera and pageant include: Human Bananas, camels, elephants, horses, bees, bears, rats, cats, bats and caterpillars. In the service of Penryn she has made giant puppets, restored civic robes, made a new gown for the mayor as well as dressing Lady Jane Killigrew and her entourage. For the Collective, she and Barbara Toyne performed the miracle of creating the entire wardrobe of 17th century costumes for Bohelland on a budget of about 10p. For Judas Worm, Suki produced a new-born baby of such authenticity that it could not be included in the production for fear that suspicions would be aroused.
Biographies
Dominic Knutton founded the Collective in 1988. For the company he performed in Accidental Death of an Anarchist, The Elephant Man, Bloody Poetry and The Nettley Abbey Mummers Play and directed The Elephant Man, Christie in Love, Bohelland and Judas Worm. After training at Rose Bruford College in London and the School of Commedia dell Arte in Italy, he worked in TV (Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Wycliffe, The Bill), Film, (Shadow of a Kiss, Chasing Dreams, Hard Edge, Understanding Jane) and numerous fringe productions in theatre as well as a very nasty villain in Miracle's recent Sleeping Beauty.
Helen Speed is originally from the industrial heartland of Middlesborough. Her training at Rose Bruford College was followed by three years work on stage, screen, and cocktail shakers. She moved to Cornwall three years ago and toured extensively with Theatre Rotto for a year-and-a-half. She is more widely known as half (the better half) of the musical duo Elgin, with whom she continues to tour south west England. From her base in West Penwith, she splits her time between singing, teaching at Stagecoach Drama School and leading a local community choir.
Phil Innes was a founder member of the Collective, appearing in Accidental Death of an Anarchist, The Elephant Man, Bloody Poetry and The Nettley Abbey Mummers Play. He first came to the Cornish public's attention as guitarist in Tanj, before moving to London, where he worked with producer Mike Jones, playing guitar in The Hungry Freaks and Inhaler. On returning to Cornwall he toured with Rotto as a performer and stage manager. He is the other half of Elgin. Phil also works with young people at The Nancherrow Centre, and helps organise the Lafrowda Day Festival.
Pat Kelman has had a long association with the Collective, directing the first production, Accidental Death of an Anarchist. He led workshops for The Elephant Man and directed Bloody Poetry. As a performer for the Collective, he appeared in The Nettley Abbey Mummer's Plays and played Matthew Tremaine in Bohelland. He was the publicist for Judas Worm, and designed the Collective's award-winning website. He will be seen on cinema screens later this year in the new British Thriller, Lighthouse.
How is it in the unknown land?
Do the dead walk hand in hand
God give me trust in thee.Do we clasp dead hands and quiver
With an endless joy forever?
Do tall white angels gaze and wend
Along the banks where lilies bend?
Lord we know not how this may be:
Good Lord we put our faith in thee –
O God, remember me
SIDDAL (sings) ‘Do we clasp dead hands and quiver With an endless joy forever…’
MORRIS: It’s a little morbid.
ROSSETTI: She’s a poet.
The songs in the play are Elizabeth Siddal's poems.or tradtional Ballads (The Ash grove, Early One Morning, Man's Life's a Vapour, The Unquiet Grave) put to music by Elizabeth Parker and the company.
Lizzie Siddal as Beata Beatrix (by Rossetti)
Thanks
A special thanks to all of those who have made this production possible. Harry Edwards (uncle to the company), Jim Eliott for his superb design suggestions, Josie Hughes, Rosina, Ross Williams, Phil Webb, Jonathon Morgan, Katey Rabie, Bert Biscoe, Vivian Eddy, Mike and Yan Knutton, Mary Anne at The Nancherrow Centre, Jackie at The Island Centre, Lindsey and Dave Butterfield at Bottallack, Howard Hoy, Derek Kitto, Simon Hewitt, Paddy Haughton, Mappa Mundi Theatre Company, Theatr West Glamorgan and all of you for coming.
Support
The Cornish Theatre Collective is grateful for the financial assistance provided
by:
SWA Cornwall Theatre Umbrella
Carrick District Council,
Caradon District Council,
Kerrier District Council,
Penwith District Council,
Falmouth Town Council
and our patrons Penryn Town Council.
Future Plans
The company has a very busy schedule over the next two years.
ECLIPSE MANIA: After the London run of Clever As Paint, the company forms part of a larger project to celebrate the Eclipse on August 11th. We have been allowed use of the Plen an Gwary in St. Just to perform a cycle of six short plays based on the Hal-an-Tow and inspired by Cornwall's folklore and history. The Collective will work alongside two other professional companies to bring this exciting echo of the medieval miracle plays to the day.
THE LADY JANE KILLIGREW FESTIVAL (Penryn): Resurrected from the ashes, the festival will be taking place in September 1999. The Collective is delighted to be part of the proceedings, as it has been for the last two years. This year Dominic Knutton will write and direct a community play based on the history of Glasney College.
LADY JANE KILLIGREW will play for one night only at the Finborough Theatre, London, December 13, 1999.
THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND (working title) will be the third play the Collective has produced by award-winning writer Justin Chubb. The company will devise the play with Justin, in a number of workshops before the script is finally toured in Feb/March 2000. It will be a contemporary Cornish comedy.
Comments
Your comments are important to us. Please comment, or join our mailing list by filling in the form on your seat or email us:
ctc@patkelman.com
Clever As Paint is distributed by Nick Hern Books.
The Finborough Theatre is sometimes available for hire for theatre productions, concerts, rehearsals and conferences.
Please contact the General Manager, Neil McPherson, on 0171-244-7439.
All tickets are sold according to the Conditions of sale displayed in the foyer. In accordance with the requirements of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, persons shall not be permitted to stand or sit in any of the gangways intersecting the seating, or sit in any of the other gangways. The Finborough Theatre is managed by the Steam Industry. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 3448268. Registered charity no. 1071304. Registered Office: Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED
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Janey Morris as Proserpina - (by Rossetti) |
front cover ( and poster): Helen Speed as Lizzie Siddal
Kim Morrissey