Programme for Taunton Thespians' production of Agatha Christie's Black Coffee

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"Black Coffee, I'm in trouble.
Black Coffee, I see double.
How'm I going to get home?
Black Coffee, I'm so dizzy.
Black Coffee, please get busy.
Help me so I can get home.
Had a little too much hoopy soup.
All I meant to take was one.
Now my head is going loopy-loop.
Good stuff, eh kid, what fun".
Al Goodhart/ Maurice Sigler/ Al Hoffman (1935)
Last September, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to direct Alan Bennett’s Lady Of Letters at the
Tacchi Morris theatre. This was a funny, moving, though provoking forty minute piece with just one actress.
So why did I volunteer to direct a three act play with a cast of thirteen?
Because I like Agatha Christie's stories: I enjoy the familiar characters, the period settings, the gentle comedy
and the lovely frocks. I take pleasure in spotting the red herrings and solving the puzzles. Black Coffee, writ-
ten in 1930, is very seldom performed. I'm not sure why as it has a great group of characters and features the
incomparable Hercule Poirot.
This production has been great fun to rehearse. The cast is an exciting mix of experienced players and fresh
new faces. And the crew have enjoyed immersing themselves in the atmosphere of the early 1930s, those
unfamiliar days of loud music, when the older generation did not understand the young generation; when the
international situation was tense; when the world was gripped by the beginnings of an economic downturn….
I started my dramatic activities with a village hall pantomime group and joined the Thespians in 1994. One of
the attractions of the society was the fact that they got to play in a real, live, proper theatre. I am saddened
that circumstances mean that this may be the last Thespians’ production in the Brewhouse for the foreseeable
future. But the Thespians are no strangers to touring and have performed in barns, churches, village halls,
abbeys, schools, restaurants, tents, gardens, Bath Place, a ﬁeld near Burrowbridge etc so I’m optimistic that
the future will bring new opportunities to take productions anywhere we can reach with the van.
So what has been the biggest challenge with Black Coffee: after years of organising improvised “who-dun-it”
evenings, I’ve had to resist the temptation to keep the cast on their toes by changing the guilty party for every
performance.

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CALVERTSOF TAUNTON
FURNISHING SPECIALISTS
for
Quality and Service
94-108 STATION ROAD,TAUNTON
Telephone: (01823) 335823
www.calvertsfurniture.co.uk
TauntonThespians are grateful to Calverts for the loan of furniture
for this and many other productions
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This production isThis production is
entered forentered for
The Phoebe Rees AwardsThe Phoebe Rees AwardsFounded by Phoebe Rees and run by the Somerset Fellowship of Dra-
ma, the competition is open to amateur drama societies and groups
in Somerset. Plays are adjudicated by members of the Fellowship’s
committee who also run an annual Original Playwriting Festival
and the county’s ﬁrst round of the All England Theatre Festival, and
organise drama training.
The Rose BowlThe Rose Bowl
AwardsAwards
Founded by the families of Walter Hawk-
ins and John Coe, this is now funded
through the Quartet Community Founda-
tion, with individual awards sponsored
by the Bristol Evening Post.
Amateur operatic and dramatic produc-
tions throughout former Avon, Glouces-
ter and Somerset are assessed by GODA
qualiﬁed adjudicators.
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er
a
live
Court Envoy in Genet s The Balcony; (direct-
ing) Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy and my own
20-minute reduction of Macbeth; (name-drop-
ping) working with Edward Bond and Howard
Barker, and nearly hitting Tom Sharpe on the
head with a Frisbee.
Also ran my own small company in Essex for a
while, and helped run the Brewhouse new writ-
ing lunchtime seasons in 1993-5. One previous
be asked to play "Captain Arthur Hast-
admired
ard, honest and thoroughly decent
have some sympathy for his not quite being
rey cells.
ird crime mystery play, having appeared
mpkins" in "Murdered to Death" and as
Sherlock's Excellent Adventure". For some
as the less clever half of each crime busting
small role, it is great fun to play. It is also
ince many of you will have seen Hugh
astings" in the popular TV series.

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I performed as a child in Kent, where I was brought up, but have lived here-
abouts since 1986 and have taken various roles with Wellington Arts As-
sociation, notably tap-dancing as Dahomie in Showboat, Pantomime Dame
(twice) and my favourite: Muriel in Alan Bennett’s Habeus Corpus.
I now have the honour of treading the boards for the first time with Taunton
Thespians in my first show at the Brewhouse. I’m not sure if having worked
as a nurse at MPH qualifies me to play Dr Graham: a formidable, authori-
tative, clever and efficient woman, she is not to be trifled with. This is a lot
to convey in my five minute début. Blink and you’ll miss my maiden perfor-
mance...
I originally joined the Taunton Thespians in 1970 when I played a small role in
“The Lion in Winter”. I re-joined the company in 1981 and have been an active membe
ever since having appeared in over 40 full length plays presented here at the
Brewhouse Theatre as well as a number of one act plays entered in the County Drama
Festival.
Among my favorite roles have been Joe Gargery in ‘Great Expectations’, The Ghost
of Christmas Past in ‘A Christmas Carol’, Organ Morgan in ‘Under Milk Wood’ and Cl
Patel the Pakistani milkman in ‘Keeping Down With the Joneses’.
Playing Sir Claude Amory in Black Coffee is a part to die for!
I was delighted to
ings". I've always
his straight forwa
approach. And I h
able to keep
up with Poirot's g
This will be my th
as "Constable Tom
"Dr Watson" in "S
reason
I am always cast
duo!
Although this is a
a little daunting si
Fraser's
quintessential "Ha
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In January I was on this stage singing
and dancing as a would-be ‘Baddie’
with an Italian accent in The Way-
farer’s pantomime ‘Pinocchio’. The day
after our last performance I started
‘Black Coffee’ rehearsals, playing a
rather drab, insigniﬁcant secretary!
One of the delights of such a role is that
being quietly in the background you
can watch the play unfolding around
you. I am always less comfortable
playing a character which is close to
my real self as I would prefer to play
a character which I can hide behind.
However I love all theatre and relish
the challenge which any role brings.

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I am always happy to be cast in parts unlike me
and this time is no exception. Several of my previ-
ous parts have been forceful rather formidable
women, and I had great fun playing a ghost in
“The Haunting of Harold” and a vamp in “Love
Begins at Fifty”! Miss Caroline Amory is a genteel,
rather eccentric elderly lady and although kind,
has little understanding of the younger generation.
It is said that unlike men women can multi task,
but I questioned this in rehearsals because I have
some business with knitting wool at the same time
as speaking lines!
I was born in April 1985 in Warwickshire, before grow-
ing up in Somerset. After finishing Uni last year at Oxford
Brookes, I worked for a Birmingham Television company
presenting some sports broadcasts shows for them, before
coming home and joining Taunton Thesps. My first love
was dressage, although I love the Arts and performing,
always getting involved with school dramatics societies.
RAY COURT
Character – Tredwell the butler & Johnson a
policeman
As the Assistant Director I am able to play a
couple of small roles in this play. So here I go
again playing the butler. This is the third time
that I have played this role recently, having
had parts in The Hollow and Jekyll & Hyde.
The one good thing about it is that my costume
is still hanging in the wardrobe. Surprisingly
it still fits, This is more than I can say for the
policeman’s costume, which I wear as Johnson.
The costume is somewhat tight, but this does
mean that I am obliged to stand up straight.
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CAST
Tredwell. . . . . . . . . . . . Ray Court
Lucy Amory . . . . . . .Kate Hinckley
Miss Caroline Amory . .Cynthia Jones
Richard Amory. . . . . . . Tony Leach
Barbara Amory . . . . . Anne Dowsey
Edwina (Edie) Raynor . . Nikki Court
Dr Carelli . . . . . . . . . . Mike Leach
Sir Claude Amory . . . . John Burbery
Hercule Poirot . . . . . David Goodall
Capt. Arthur Hastings . . . Rob Smith
Dr Georgina Graham . . . Susan Swan
Inspector Japp . . . . . Martin Jevons
Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . Ray Court
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CREW
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicola Dawson
Asst Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ray Court
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sylvia Fellgett
Stage Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tony Venn
DSM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keith Gibbons
Set Design/builder. . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Webber
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Graham Reeks
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pam Fleming
Wardrobe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rose Humphreys
Asst Wardrobe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sue Shaxon
Props . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Marshall
Asst Props. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sue Shaxon
Prompt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rene Kilner
Front of House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jane Edwards
Publicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Gilbert

Programme for Taunton Thespians' production of Agatha Christie's Black Coffee

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Programme for Taunton Thespians' production of Agatha Christie's Black Coffee