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1965 - 1966

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

The plot of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum concerns the efforts of a wily slave, Pseudolus, to win his freedom by procuring the beautiful but vapid courtesan Philia (a virgin) for his master, Hero (also a virgin). Only these two walking anachronisms could sing "Lovely" and actually mean it. Pseudolus' plans are hindered somewhat by Hero's father, Senex, who is himself smitten by Philia, but Senex has to admit that with love, at his age, sometimes it's just "Impossible". This sentiment is echoed by his wife Domina in the haunting lovesong "That Dirty Old Man".


As if that weren't enough, Philia is betrothed to Miles Gloriosus, a macho warrior, whose ode to love is "Bring Me My Bride". By the way, Philia was purchased sight unseen from the local dealer in courtesans, Marcus Lycus, who guarantees that she is untouched by human hands (and that includes the eunuchs). Infinitely more accessible are his other courtesans Panacea, Vibrata, Gymnasia, Tintinabula and the Geminae. These lovely ladies are real crowd pleasers and nobody is more pleased than Pseudolus, who dreams of buying one when he is finally "Free". Poor faithful Hero only wants Philia and so the plot continues.


To put Philia out of the running, Pseudolus concocts a plot that she is suffering from the plague, and blackmails Hysterium into aiding and abetting. Macho Miles arrives to claim his bride. Panic, chases and life-threatening situations ensue. The entire fiasco is finally saved by Erronius, a doddering old man who has just walked around the seven hills of Rome seven times, and the evening ends with "something for everyone - a comedy tonight".


Director: Barry Stewart

Musical Director: Berthold Carrière

Choreographer: Richard Jones

Cast

Darrell Mesheau

Miles Gloriosus

Diana Wynne-Jones

Philia

Douglas Blake

A Protean

Fred Solomon

Lycus, a dealer in courtesans

Ian Fellows

Erronius, a citizen of Rome

Jennifer Dickson

Panacea

Jennifer Norton

Gymnasia

Kelly Crichton

Vibrata

Len Morin

A Protean

Linda Scovill

A Gemini

Margaret Mahaffy

A Gemini

Norman Osborne

Senex, a citizen of Rome

Paul Gaffney

Pseudolus, slave to Hero

Paul Gaffney

Prologus

Robert Gardiner

Hysterium, slave to Senex & Domina

Roushell Goldstein

Tintinabula

Tom Born

A Protean

Vi Galvin

Domina, wife of Senex

York Davis

Hero, son of Senex

Production

Christine Mcculloch Allan

Benevolent

Dorothy Gough

Assistant to the Director

Elizabeth C. Knight

Programme

Eugene David

House Manager

Faye Lavell

Ticket Manager

Gerald Browsky

Production Chairman

Jim Marshall

Photography

John Amyot

Set Designer

John Willard

Costume Designer

Ken Meyer

Publicity

Linda Scovill

Dance Captain

Lorna Rice

Accompanist

Marcel Carrière

Assistant to the Production Co-ordinator

Marylin Day

Prompter

Murray Smith

Stage Manager

Nancy Tuner

Lighting Designer

Nancy Turner

Production Co-ordinator

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
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