The Accrington Pals – Cast and Crew – The Marlow Players

The Crew

Director	Jimmy Keene
Stage Manager	Tony Bew
Set construction	Tony Bew Brian Plested
Prompt	Elena Stokes
Lighting	Graham Everitt Pip Stacey
Sound	Rod Paterson
Properties	Elena Stokes
Front of house	Olive Smith
Assistant Stage Manager	Brian Plested
Posters	Brian Couling
Telephone bookings	Olive Smith
Advertising	Brian Couling Maura Ross Olive Smith Brian Plested
Programme	Tony Bew
Transport	Alan Samson
Costumes	Iris Plested

	Stage manager Tony Bew Tony is the current chairman of the players and has been in many productions as bit part, lead, sound engineer, stage manager, set builder and director. He last directed “Will you still love me in the morning?”.
	Assistant Stage Manager Brian Plested Brian has been with the Players since 2002 building sets and working backstage as stage manager and assistant stage manager. He is somewhat camera shy and this is his first mugshot.
	Prompt and Props Elena Stokes Elena first appeared for the players in “A Murder is Announced” in 2003. Since then she has found she enjoys working backstage rather than onstage.
	Lighting Graham Everitt Graham has been the main lighting man since 2001 and this production will test abilities to their limits. This is also the first time we’ve managed to get a photo of him.
	Sound Rod Paterson Rod has been parked backstage for 7 years playing with his laptop (usually solitaire) to produce sounds and music for the Players. Now he gets to play with every schoolboy’s dream, gunfire and explosions.
	Assistant Lighting Pip Stacey Pip first appeared in “A Murder is Announced” in 2003 and last played Celia Winthrop in “Will you still love me in the morning?”. She has decided to extend her stagecraft to the technical side.
	Front of House Olive Smith Olive, our previous President, continues to help the players in many ways and continues to organise advertising and run the front of house. There is no real need for a photo because you all get to see her at the door.

The Cast

In order of Appearance

	May Hassal *Jennifer Major* This is Jennifer’s third outing with the Players having first played the part of Maggie Hobson in the “Hobson’s Choice”. She has moved just down the road from Salford to Accrington for this performance, but still plays a formidably independent woman, although with a somewhat more vulnerable heart than Maggie.
	Tom Hackford *Mark Rees* This is Mark’s first time with the Players and he plays the part of the idealistic Tom opposite the individualistic May. Mark’s main motivation for joining the Players was drinking in the Carpenter’s Arms with Chris Richards, the lead of our previous play, “Will you still love me in the morning?”. He’s not so sure now that Chris was telling the complete truth about the amount of work needed for a performance.
	Eva Mason *Sara Vaz* After an absence of four years, Sara has been in the last three productions in wildly differing roles: a schoolgirl, a middle aged vamp and now the innocent farm girl, Eva. Once more, she has drawn the short straw and has the privilege of again being groped onstage by James Taylor. I guess that some people are just born lucky
	Ralph Catterall James Taylor This is James’ second performance with the Players having first played Peregrine Ward in “Will you still love me in the morning?”. James has an overdeveloped chuckle muscle that is ideal for the “boistrous labrador” role of Ralph, which complements the characters of the other three leading parts.
SONY DSC	Sarah Harding *Suze Ward* This is Suze’s third production with the Players, having played Alice Hobson in “Hobson’s Choice”, and the reptilian Monica Smithers in “Daisy Pulls it Off”. Owing to work commitments, she missed a part in the last production but stepped in to act as prompt. As Sarah, she plays a down to earth mill girl that calls a spade a spade, not a self-powered, rock-tolerant soil extraction implement.
	Bertha Treecott *Laura Goodband* Laura has not performed onstage since 2002 when she played Zelda Fenwick in “Waiting in the Wings”. She has been our stalwart treasurer in between, but we welcome her back as she plays the somewhat simple-minded Bertha, sidekick of the rumbustious Sarah.
	Annie Boggis *Hilary Cox* A longstanding member and officer of the Marlow Players, Hilary’s involvement has spanned roles, serious and comic, leading and supporting, as well as backstage. She last played the part of Miss Gibson, the formal Headmistress of Grangewood in “Daisy Pulls it off”. As Annie Boggis she loses the “loco” from Miss Gibson’s “in loco Parentis “ but goes “loco” as she believes she loses her husband of convenience, Arthur.
	Arthur Boggis *Tony Konieczny* Tony has been more of a regular performer for the Players recently although he joined us over 20 years ago. He last played Mr Thompson, Daisy’s father in “Daisy Pulls it off”, who disappeared in the first World War only to reappear later. He does not get to repeat the same trick in this play
	Reggie Boggis *Simon Couling* This is Simon’s first outing with the players although we have all known him since he was a toddler. Now he has come of age, he has decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and tread the boards. As “Son of Brian” he has a lot to live up to, so it is fitting that his first play he has to try out a northern accent, something that has eluded his father for years.
	CSM Rivers *Brian Couling* Brian is in his 14^th year with the Players and last appeared in “Will you still love me in the morning?” as Humphrey Jessel, the “Swiss Tony” of the legal profession. As the Company Sergeant Major, Rivers (obviously he has been in the army so long he has lost his Christian name) is responsible for recruiting “The Pals”. Brian is a former chairman of the Players and has had many roles over the years, the majority of which have been as leads.