Downing Dramatic Society

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Tuesday 20th - Thursday 22nd June 2006, 3pm, East Lodge Garden, Downing

Plot outline:
Mary Lennox, a young English girl awakens one morning in colonial India to find her parents and all the house servants dead from a cholera epidemic. She is sent back to England to live with a cold, grieving, and self-preoccupied uncle. In her aloneness she discovers a secret garden and becomes totally possessed of the idea that Colin - the crippled son of her uncle, can walk if he too can share the Magic of the secret garden. Adapted from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this is a truly beautiful and moving play adaptation that upholds, in every way, the purity and intent of the author.

Cast:
Mary Lennox - Josie Price
Martha - Claire Wilson
Colin - John Hall
Dickon - Tom Ash
Mrs. Medlock - Lowri Aimes
Archibald Craven - John Mifsud
Rose Lennox - Lowri Aimes
John Lennox - Tom Frater
Lily Craven - Nina Chang
Lieutenant - John Mifsud
Ayah - Nina Chang

The Crew:
Director - Oliver Fielding
Producer - Nilufer Bulut
Technical Director - Fiona Truscott
Stage Manager - Anita Young
Head of Publicity - Charlotte Pursey
Publicity - Tia Ward, Em Stevens, Dan Jackson
Set designer - Livvy Brinson
Props - Victoria Butler, Ellen Anderson
Costume - Louise Barker

The Master of the Thing by Shamini Bundell

For more photos of Master of The Thing please see Luke Church Photography

12th, 13th, 15th and 16th March 2005

Plot outline:
a brand new comedy musical, put together entirely from Downing talent and featuring our hallowed gravel paths, the beloved plodge, a nefarious Master, a brave Natsci, and students from minority subjects finally finding love.

Cast:
RICK - Anton Eriera
DANNI - Lucy Cheke
GEORGE - Chris Stevenson
ALEXIA - Emily Stevens
MASTER - Tom Ash
HENCHMAN - James Reynolds
WEZ - Ian Cullen
SPS CHAIR - Paul Hunt
SPS1 - George Blessley
SPS2 - Andy Panton
SPS3 - Dunni Alao
HISTORIAN1 - Paul Hunt
HIST2 - Andy Panton
HIST3 - Chima Anyadyke Danes
IT TECHNICIAN - Daniel Jackson
NEUROLOGIST - George Blessley
MATHMO1 - Andy Panton
MATHMO2 - Chima Anyadyke Danes
LAWYER - Chima Anyadyke Danes

The Crew:
PRODUCER - Sonya Pemberton
MUSICAL DIRECTOR - Joanna Cohen
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - Fiona Truscott
COSTUME - Catherine Melvin, Jenna Waugh
SET AND PROPS - Nilufer Bulut, Nicole Reed, Victoria Butler
SOUND - James Holloway
PUBLICITY - Daniel Jackson, Charlotte Pursey
TEMPORARY SOUND OPERATOR - Adam Lucy
BAR - Daniel Jackson
SCRIPT EDITOR - Tom Ash
MUSIC RECORDING - Kevan Bundell
WRITER - Shamini Bundell
DIRECTOR - Shamini Bundell
SCORE - Shamini Bundell
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - Oliver Fielding
CHOREOGRAPHER - Oliver Fielding
STAGE MANAGER - Oliver Fielding

Annual Cabaret 2005 - Great Hall

For photos of the Cabaret please take a look at Luke Church Photography

"The Clouds" by Aristophanes

A brilliant Ancient Greek comedy, written by the best in Ancient Greek Satire, none other than Mr. Aristophanes. Despite being written almost 2500 years ago, this play remains at the height of humour and will have you laughing out loud.

22/23/24th June 2005: East Lodge Garden, Downing College

Plot outline:
Strepsiades an Athenian, has a son, Pheidippides, who is very keen on horse-racing and has run up large debts. In aim to relieve the debt Strepsiades asks his son to study at Socrates' Thinkery to learn how to argue himself out of the debts, Pheidippides refuses to go and Strepsiades goes himself. Being utterly confused and ridiculed by Socrates, Strepsiades goes back and forces his son to go to the Thinkery. On arrival they witness to figures having an argument, one is the stronger argument and the other the weaker, the weaker argument is seen to defeat the stronger. Pheidippides agrees to study at the school and learns how to evade the debts, however, he also exposes how the arguments can be used to defeat morals.

Cast:
Strepsiades: Nathan Bowler
Pheidippides: Oliver Fielding
Xanthias: Rebecca Thomas
Socrates: James Reynolds
Chorus of Clouds: Eleanor Earl and Sophia Furber
The Better Arguement: Ed Bolton
The Worse Argument: Alex Wilkinson
Pasias: Rebecca Thomas
Amynias: Charlotte Blackett

The Crew:
Director - Oliver Fielding
Producer - Jospeh Dance and Oliver Fielding
Stage Manager - Shamini Bundell
Technical Diretor - Pete O'Brien
Assistant to Producer/Director: Ruth Collins Costumes - Jenna Waugh and Sachi Findlater Set - Daniel Jackson, Jonathon Green and Paul Hunt Backstage - Sonya Pemberton, Fiona Truscott

Blues in the Night

23/24/25th June 2005: Downing East Lodge Garden

Dave and the Beanstalk - Freshers' Play 2004 - Upper Howard Building, Sunday 28th and Monday 29th November 2004

Dave - Becky Thomas
Bedder Fairy - Marianne Crowder
Dame Bursar / Manchester - Oliver Fielding
Master - Chima Anyadyke-Danes
Dean - Ravi Gogna
Head Porter - Daniel Jackson
Daisy - Patrick McGregor
Student 1 / Drunk Footballer / Stunt Double / Boatie 2 - Amy Russell
Student 2 / Boatie 3 - Kirstin Black
Boatie 1 - Matt Ackers-Johnson
Bionatsci / Old man - Shamini Bundell
Girl in Dungeon - Anna Smyth
Clever Girl in Dungeon - Clare Turner
Mr. Whippy - David Wotherspoon

Director and Producer - Shamini Bundell
Assistant Director - Amy Russell
Sound and Lighting - Peter O'Brien
Props Manager and Set Design - Angela Goode
Set Painting - Katie Irgin, Georgie Vallance, James Holloway
Costume Design - Fiona Truscott
Costume Assistant / Steward - Sonya Pemberton
Steward - Adam Lucy
Publiciy - Oliver Fielding, Daniel Jackson
Written by Jamie A, James R, Priyan, Ravi, David, Chima and Shamini, with assistance from Alex Wilkinson and Dunni Alao, from an adaptation by Jim Moran

Annual Cabaret 2004 - Great Hall

The Brothers Menachmus- Upper Howard Building, 21st-23rd April 2004

Abigail's Party - Freshers' Play 2003 - Upper Howard Building, Tuesday 18th November 2003

Annual Cabaret 2003 - Great Hall

Sleep With Me - Downing College Fellows' Garden

Pride and Prejudice - Downing College Fellows' Garden

Stags and Hens - Upper Howard Building

Aristophanes The Frogs - Downing College Fellows' Garden - 17th-20th June 2002

Dionysus - Marcus Stockwell
Xanthias - Catriona Mackay
Heracles - Ben McClelland
Corpse - Alex Stevenson
Leader of the Chorus (chief Frog) - Eve Jacques
Chorus (Frogs) - Liz Cruse, Kat Dorrell, Claire Hart
Aeacus - Tim West
Maid - Liz Cruse
Landlady: Eve Jacques
Plathane: Kat Dorrell
Euripides - Ben McClelland
Aesculus - Tim West
Pluto - Alex Stevenson
Director - Ros Pyne
Producer - Emily Hill
Technical Director - Peter Ashcroft
Choreographer - Helen Gaw
Poster Design - Katrina Ramsay
Assistant Producer - Caroline Sharpe

Twelfth Night - Downing College Paddock - 17th-20th June 2002

"If you like your common denominators low then this is the May Week show for you" - Varsity

"Hannah Boyde as Viola was a lantern of calm, though the serious aspects of this play were, admittedly, not taken too seriously. - TCS.

Rosencrantz & Guildernstern Are Dead

Directed by Lawrence White, this play explores the fates and feelings of two of the lesser known characters in Hamlet, whose apparent fate is simply to die in order that Hamlet himself lives. Set in the college chapel and involving many of the main characters of Hamlet in minor roles it delves deeply into philosophy and the chaos in which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find themselves.

Rosencrantz - George Sandison
Guildernstern - Joe Sullivan
Claudius- Niko Downie
Gertrude - Emily Spencer
Ophelia - Liz Wallin
Hamlet - Alex Green
Polonius - Lawrence Sheppard
Horatio - Oliver Rawkins
Player - Lawrence White
Players - Will Davies, Anna af Hallstrom, Mathilde Dratwa, Dom Savage, Colin Dowse
Pirate - Pete Davenport
Attendants - Jack Martin, Simon Darroch

Death By Mirror - Howard Building, Downing College - 6th-8th March 2002

Death By Mirror is a new play written by one of Trinity Hall's finest 3rd year playwrights. Being new, it was at once an easy and difficult play to direct. Easy because no-one really knows what to expect from it and people are generally focussed on the quality of the writing. Difficult because there is no precedent, all I have to go on are my instincts. - Helen Boobis, Director.

Marcus Watson - Nick Long
Sandra Mills - Andrea Hunt
Patrick Jeffries - Adrian Hadad
Charlie Hawkes - Beth Norton
Martin Butler - Marcus Ramshaw
Katherine Butler - Kat Shaw
Nadia LeFae - Melissa Baugh
Stephen Harris - Chris Shortall
Director - Helen Boobis
Writer - Honn Elledge
Producer - Chris Shortall
Assistant Producer - Helen Boobis
Sound - Ed Morgan
Lighting - Tom White
Set design - Helen Boobis
Props - Helen Boobis and Chris Shortall
Make-up - Laura Brodie

"The cast excels; that all appear completely committed to their roles." - Varsity

"...and entertaining production with inspired direction and strong performances from the cast, in particular Andrea Hunt (who evoked memories of Joy from Drop the Dead Donkey)." - TCS.

Cold Comfort Farm - Howard Building, Downing College - 26th-27th February 2002

"...an excellent attempt at staging a novel and also proved that a Home Counties accent can solve any problem." - TCS

The Company of Wolves - Howard Building, Downing College - 21st-22nd November 2001

Black Comedy

The name says it all, a comedy from beginning to end and set in the dark flat of an aspiring artist as he attempts to impress his girlfriend's father, an art critic and several neighbours all with a blown fuse. His progress is varied to say the least and spanners are thrown in to the works with the arrival of his ex-fiancee and a strange German electrician. One of Shaffer's most memorable works.

Brindsley - Joe Sullivan
Carol - Alex Johnson
Miss Furnival - Anna af Hallstrom
Colonel Melkett - Dom Savage
Harold Gorringe - Colin Dowse
Clea - Liz Wallin
Schuppanzigh - Lawrence White
Bamberger - Alex Green
Written by Peter Shaffer
Director - Lawrence White
Producer - Liz Wallin
Lighting - Tom White
Technical Director - Ed Morgan
Props - Alex Green