Production Details:Title: Pickwick's Christmas Capers
being adapted extracts from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Adaptation by Circle 67
Directed by Sue Trovell
Performed at Bramfield Village Hall on 13 December & The Cut Halesworth on 14 & (twice on) 15 December 2012.
Gallery (to follow).
Items held in the digital archive: [post][flyer1][flyer2][prog1][prog2][pics] (see key)
It was during the last Shakespearean tour when I was deciding how to stage the ‘Pickwick Papers’ that Nev offered to adapt the book for a Christmas production marking Dickens' bi-centennial year.
We met to decide a rough format and then both went our separate ways for the summer holidays; Nev to write the script and me to arrange music and design the sets.
I wanted to involve local primary schools and a community choir as well as Circle 67’s own band of musicians and singers, but knew that all would have to rehearse at different times and venues from the cast of actors.
I hoped that there would be time to do this as I was booked to fly to Germany at the end of November for the birth of a second grandchild; long-suffering Grandpa stayed at home to learn his lines!
I needn’t have worried because the 'team' managed superbly in my absence and when I returned I found that Nev, as locum director, had exceeded his remit and the actors, at least were ready to go!
In spite of this good news I found that managing this production was like sketching a picture and gradually colouring in random sections or completing a jigsaw with the pieces scattered all over the room. However, in spite of a few challenging moments it WAS the build up to Christmas (Dickens and I share our love for the season); it WAS exciting; it WAS great fun and Nev’s script in the hands, voices and feet, (thank you, Luke for donning the roller skates), of the cast became deliciously alive.
George created a jolly poster resembling a bottle of Port and we sent the design as a Christmas card to all our friends and the potential audience inviting them to the performance.
I had a wonderful time on my weekly day off, visiting Peasenhall with Middleton and Bramfield primary schools to watch rehearsals for the Mummers play set for the last scene and spent a few delightful evenings in the home of our musical director, Bernard Fox, enjoying the carol singing.
Jan, Sophie and myself worked on the three-sided flats stored in our house listening to festive CDs and keeping our hands warm with hot soup and coffee!
Gradually all the strings pulled together but then, oh horrors, the week before the production came and I still had to complete my promised costume for the Christmas Goose. Helen and Jane were busy dressing the rest of the cast and I really had no idea how to proceed!
Fortunately Erica took pity on me and created a wonderful plumage for Duncan whose character unfortunately ended up on a plate transformed into a paper—mache stuffed bird (so realistic that the mice attacked it one night between performances)!
No- we weren’t without our traumas but in spite of some body stealing Mother Wardle’s wheelchair and the scenery being rather too ambitious for Bramfield Village Hall, sorry Chris, by the time we arrived at The Cut the production was underway.
I THINK everyone enjoyed themselves - we had positive feedback from the pupils of the primary schools who sang their songs and performed their play to tumultuous applause from both the audience and adult members of the cast.
(I have heard rumours that some were stage—struck and we hope to see them back with Circle 67 at a not too distant date).
My vision was to emphasise the Christmas spirit of hospitality so beloved of Dickens by welcoming the community to share in the fun. Thank you, merry gentlemen and gentle women because that is exactly what you did!
