Past productions

PERSUASION

29 June – 8 July 2023

By Jane Austen, adapted by Tim Luscombe

Anne Elliot fell deeply in love with a handsome young naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, at the age of nineteen. But because he had neither fortune nor rank to recommend him, Anne’s mentor and friend, Lady Russell, persuaded her to break off the engagement. Eight years later, Anne has lived to regret her decision. She never stopped loving Frederick – and when he returns from sea a Captain, she can only watch as every eligible young woman falls at his feet. Can the pair rekindle a love that was lost but not forgotten? This new adaptation was commissioned and first produced by Salisbury Playhouse in 2011.


Cast

Anne Elliot | Lucinda Banton
Frederick Wentworth | Alistair Kerr
Sir Walter Elliot | Mark Hardy
Elizabeth Elliot | Gail Bishop
Mary Musgrove | Celeste Narywonczyk
Charles Musgrove | Jay Rolfe
Louisa Musgrove | Fiona McNevin
Lady Russell | Helen Cheales
Mr William Elliot | Matt Stone
Admiral Croft | Keith Miller
Mrs Croft | Sally Bosman
Mrs Clay | Catherine Elliott
Mr Harville | Peter Brown
Mrs Harville | Janet Edden
Mr Benwick | Joseph Dillon
Mrs Smith | Abigail Waterfield
Lady Dalrymple | Anne Gregory
Jemima | Denise Scales
Croft’s Maid | Suzi Whittle

Directed by Sheila Carr

Photography by Keith Orton


Review – July 2023 | Theo Spring

In these days of any number of outside attractions, to be able to cast a play requiring at least 19 actors and for an amateur drama company not only to find them but achieve such a high-quality cast is remarkable. However, Director Sheila Carr seemed to have a magnetic knack of enticing people to fill all the different sized roles. The title of Jane Austen’s Persuasion tells of a love between Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth that Anne was persuaded, by her much-respected mentor Lady Russell, to give up, due to Lady Russell’s belief that he was unsuitable. Just over eight years later, the couple meet again and through a series of events, the error – for that is what Anne’s deep feelings tell her it was – is finally put right. 

Obviously, being Austen, a number of side stories flow in and out of these events and her characters roam the gamut of the way life was conducted by the genteel classes in the early 1800s.

The curtains opened onto a compelling and exciting naval battle scene with the revolve playing a major role creating a stormy sea. It was due to his success in the Napoleonic War that Wentworth was able to rise from an impecunious very young man to a wealthy Captain for whom, of course, a wife would now be sought. 

With a requirement to present 24 scenes, and again, with the help of the revolve, the scenes flowed seamlessly, with cast members setting furniture and props as required. 

Lucinda Banton created an Anne imbued with common sense and unflappability as well as conveying, so well, Anne’s realisation of her love for Wentworth, which she grew visibly as the play progressed. Alistair Kerr was the wronged Captain Wentworth who, for all his naval triumphs could not see how his polite, but regular attentions to Luisa Musgrove, could be misconstrued as courting. 

Fiona McNevin made a lively and obviously hopeful Louisa managing, believably, her fall from the steps on the Cobb at Lyme.

Persuasion is peopled with excellent characters, each with their story to fit into the jigsaw that creates the whole. There’s the bombastic Sir Walter Elliot, Anne’s father, with Mark Hardy, resplendent in a purple suit, telling anyone who would listen how wonderful he was. Anne’s younger sister Mary, who married Charles Musgrove after Anne had refused him, is prone to the vapours. Celeste Narywonczyk gave her flutter and angst with the occasional try at putting her foot down when considered ill-used. Elizabeth is Anne’s older sister and more like her father. Here Gail Bishop oozed charm and determination – with an ability to determine plans for how her life should progress. 

Charles Musgrove is Mary’s long-suffering husband with Jay Rolfe a good deal better at selling bread, playing a different character, than he was at commanding his wife, as Charles. Matt Stone, as the unlikeable distant cousin William Elliot, overflowed with courtesy – only showing his flawed side when denouncing his suspected intentions of Mrs Clay – Elizabeth’s companion. As a quiet visitor within the Elliot household, Catherine Elliott’s Mrs Clay simpered beautifully at Sir Walter’s boastings and later showed her mettle in the forceful challenge from William.

It is Admiral and Mrs Croft who rent the Elliot home of Kellynch Hall when family funds run low and the Elliots rent a cheaper home in Bath. Keith Miller and Sally Bosman make an endearing and kind couple as the Crofts, but Wentworth is Mrs Croft’s brother, so Anne is uncomfortable on a return visit to her old home for fear of meeting Wentworth. Central to the recovery of Luisa after her fall on the Cobb, and cosily and comfortingly played by Peter Brown and Janet Edden, Lyme-dwellers Mr and Mrs Harville, Wentworth’s friends, provide care for her. Also a guest is Mr Benwick, once engaged to Mr Harville’s sister but who has died, leaving him forlorn. Joseph Dillon in the role exuded sadness, but happily Benwick helps resolve the problem of Louisa’s cap, set at Wentworth, by getting engaged to her.  

As well as Mrs Clay, two other widowed ladies have an impact on the tale. Lady Russell whom Helen Cheales made a believable substitute mother for Anne and Mrs Smith, Anne’s old friend, with Abigail Waterfield making her mark in a very short time on stage. Anne Gregory was the ebullient Lady Dalrymple and the two efficient maids were Denise Scales and Suzi Whittle.

Keith Orton designed a set able to be whatever the audience visualised, and the superb costumes were by Elizabeth Callow with assistance from Berry Butler and Nigel Kemp. Penny Parker added choreography for the variety of dances which were presented throughout, and hair consultant Morven Rae oversaw that the era’s dressing of hair was elegant and accurate. 

Charming musical choices added enjoyment and the audience were cleverly informed of the placing of the scenes through captioned projected black and white drawings. As well as a little difficulty hearing everyone’s words, I was a little disappointed that the picture of Lyme, which, through generations of my family I know inordinately well, did not show the Cobb – the beautiful historic harbour sea wall, so intrinsic to this story.

Congratulations are, however, due in fine array to everyone involved in this production which was a huge achievement by both those on stage and those involved in the large and talented production team. But holding the strings and gathering it all together, the highest plaudits go to Sheila Carr, for whose achievement here a mere “well done” seems wholly inadequate.