Rookery Nook

Rookery Nook is a farce by the English playwright Ben Travers (1886-1980) [1]. It was first performed at the Aldwych Theatre, London in 1926, the third in the series of twelve Aldwych farces [2] presented by the actor-manager Tom Walls at the theatre between 1923 and 1933. The action takes place on a summer night in the lounge-hall of "Rookery Nook", a house at Chumpton-on-Sea, Somerset.

The original text

Based on the playwright's 1923 novel of the same name.

Performance history in South Africa

1960: Directed by Nigel Hawthorne and Aubrey Louw for the Cockpit Players at the Hofmeyr Theatre in December, starring Joyce Bradley, Nigel Hawthorne, Estelle Kohler, Aubrey Louw, Reinet Maasdorp, Michael McGovern, Flora McKenna, Siegfried Mynhardt and Nanette Rennie. Decor by Pamela Lewis and Giuseppe Cappon.

1963/4: Presented by PACT at the Intimate Theatre, Johannesburg and the National Theatre, Pretoria and taken on tour in the Transvaal and the Free State. It was directed by Siegfried Mynhardt and the cast included Patricia Sanders (Mrs Leverett), George Lane (Admiral Juddy), Arthur Hall (Clive Popkiss), Reinet Maasdorp (Rhoda Marley) , Fiona Fraser (Poppy Dickey), Roslyn Ellis (Clara Popkiss), Marjorie Gordon (Gertrude Twine), Ronald Wallace (Gerald Popkiss), Siegfried Mynhardt (Harold Twine) and Kenneth Baker (Putz). Set and costumes designed by Bruce Palmer.

1975: Presented by CAPAB English Drama Company (in association with PACOFS and NAPAC) under the direction of Roger Dwyer opening at the Nico Malan Theatre on 10 May, starring Lois Butlin, John Whiteley, Colin Duell, Paddy Canavan, David Crichton, Pamela Buchner, Mary Dreyer, Patti Canning, Simon Swindell and Bill Jervis. Sets designed by Roy Cooke, costumes by Penny Simpson, lighting by Malcolm Hurrell. Senior stage manager Brian Kennedy. This production was subsequently presented at the H.B. Thom Theatre 4-7 June and at the Bloemfontein Civic Theatre.

1980: Staged by PACT, directed by John Hussey, with Janice Honeyman (Gertrude Twine), Patricia Sanders (Mrs Leverett), Andre Jacobs (Harold Twine), Bobby Heaney (Clive Popkiss), Michael Richard (Gerald Popkiss), Sybel Coetzee (Rhoda Marley), George Korelin (Putz), Kenneth Baker (Adml. Juddy), Tina Witkowska (Poppy Dickey) and Pamela Gien (Clara Popkiss). Production designed by Chris van den Berg and lighting by Jannie Swanepoel.

Sources

Wikipedia [3]

PACT report 1963/64

Inskip, 1977. p 123

Press clippngs (relating to CAPAB production) held by NELM [Collection: DICKERSON, Beth]: 2009. 118. 6. 3.

Rookery Nook theatre programmes (PACT) 1963-4 and 1980; (CAPAB) 1975.

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