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The most active theatre company in Cheltenham
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THE
GOOD DOCTOR
15th -19th July 2008 The play, by Neil Simon, is a collection of nine scenes based on nine short stories by Anton Chekhov. Each is entirely unlike the others. There is a prologue and epilogue in which the narrator, Chekhov, takes the audience into his confidence in a warm, friendly manner. The stories are set in the late 19th or early 20th century in Czarist Russia There are six scenes in Act 11. The Writer - the Narrator, Chekhov, introduces himself and the first scene. 2. The Sneeze - an aspiring official from the Parks Department accidentally sneezes on his superior while in the audience at a play. He tries desperately to apologize. 2 M one mature and one younger. 2 wives ditto 3. The Governess - a bullying woman reduces her Governess’s pay to near zero by subtracting expenses. But she has a surprise coming. 2 F one mature and one younger 4. Surgery - the village dentist has gone away for a few days leaving his surgery in the hands of his inexperienced but keen assistant. He has to pull the tooth of a nervous Sexton. 2 M one mature and one younger 5.
Too Late for Happiness -
a tender story of two old folk who meet in a park and sing a duet on how
they are secretly attracted to one another.
Poignant. One M and one F both mature 6. The Seduction – a skilled seducer sets out to practice his expertise on the comely wife of an acquaintance - with surprising results. 2 M 1 older and 1 younger. 1 F young. 5 scenes in Act 2. 1. The Drowned Man - by the side of the dock, a sailor accosts a passer-by and offers to drown himself for three roubles. A policeman thinks this is far too much to pay. 3 M 2. The Audition - a young girl, alone on stage, auditions for a part in a play. Chekov, off-stage, interviews her. 1 M 1 F young 3. A Defenceless Creature - a bank manager with his gouty foot encased in bandages is driven to near madness by a female customer who is anything but defenceless. 2 M 1 F mature 4. The Arrangement - a father takes his son to a prostitute for his first sexual encounter, thus entering manhood. The lad is fearful and would sooner grow a moustache. 2 M one young and one not. 1 F young. 5.
The Writer -
Chekov bids farewell to the audience Cast Colin Bennett Narrator, Chekov, Kistunov. Ron Carroll General, Old Man, Policeman. Andy Jones Cherdyakov, The Husband, Pochatkin. Peter Young Sexton, Onlooker (Drowning), Father. Adam Sands Kuryatin, The Boy. Oliver Blake The Sailor. Steve Thomas Semyonych Pam Osborn Mistress, Defenceless Woman. Harriet Tweddle Governess, The Audition, The Whore. Mandy Woodward Cherdyakov’s Wife. Maggie Preston Old Lady Sue Bilbey Madame Brasshilov, The Wife.
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