| final_programme_notes_for_puckoon___2__3__4__5_sara__duncan.doc |
PROGRAMME NOTES FOR PUCKOON
Audio described performance will take place at The MAC, Belfast on Saturday 30 April.
This comic play is set in Puckoon, a small town in Ireland, in 1922. The newly established border has cut Puckoon in half, dividing church from cemetery, house from outhouse, and pub from customers.
Spike Milligan’s classic story is a hilarious and irreverent look at rural community life.
Big Telly’s production is directed by Zoe Seaton.
Costumes are by Melanie Carmichael, Lighting by Kevin Smyth, Music and Songs by Paul Boyd, and Dramatization by Vincent Higgins.
THE SET
The set is very simple. A complete black-out surrounds the four players who sit to the left of the stage, in a tight group, with their musical instruments. In the centre of the group, sitting behind a key board and facing the audience, is THE WRITER.
Just visible behind the musicians are a clothes rail, and a wooden coat stand, on which various costumes, hats and props hang.
Centre stage when the play opens and later, moved to the right, is a freestanding door frame with a door set in it. The top half of the door opens independently from the bottom half, so it is possible to open either the top half or the whole door. Behind this door is a space, and people walking through the door are visible emerging on the other side.
A rectangle of green astro-turf is spread on the floor in front of this door, when the play begins.
Three head stones are brought on from time to time. These are cleverly constructed so that when turned round they are functional chairs.
There is also a counter which serves as the bar and various shops, and a tilted stand on which to rest a large map, which later becomes a hospital bed, and a table.
A galvanised bucket, a huge red and white pen, beer tankards, mugs and plates on a tray also feature, while a soft dummy makes a dramatic appearance with green wellington boots peeping out from a bed cover.
A tiny union flag also appears.
A number of musical instruments are an important feature of this play. An accordion, a ukulele, a flute, tin whistle, drums, cymbals, kazoo, and key board are played at various times.
THE CAST
The cast of six men perform a variety of parts, as well as playing the music. Often a character change is represented by just a change of hat or the addition of a scarf. The cast double up on parts to such an extent that frequently they end up playing two different people who are talking to one another. So, hats and voices have to be changed very quickly as the same person addresses and responds to himself. This adds greatly to the comic effect.
THE WRITER, played by PAUL BOYD, has dark hair swept back from his oval face, with shaved sides, and neatly trimmed grey beard. Slim and tall, he wears a
black tail coat, black trousers, waistcoat, white shirt, with a huge, floppy purple bow tie, and smokes a large, Meerschaum pipe.
With the addition of a private’s side cap, he becomes a sentry, and with a top hat, Circus Master Gulio Caesar.
DAN MILLIGAN, played by PADDY JENKINS is small and slight, with short dark hair, and grey beard and moustache. He always wears a battered felt hat, grey tweed jacket, brown cord trousers, v-neck sleeveless pullover, under which is a white long sleeved vest, and shabby black boots. He also appears in white long johns.
FATHER RUDDEN is played by JOHN O’MAHONY. In his fifties, he is of medium height, broad shouldered, with close cropped white hair. He wears a white clerical collar, and a long black cassock, with black trousers, and shiny black shoes. As BLIND GEORGE, in a shabby black suit, he has dark glasses and carries a white cane. For PEARCE, he adds a black beret and long beige raincoat. As MRS DOONAN, he wears a black headscarf and long black skirt. He also uses the head scarf as a MOURNER. A cream broad brimmed hat, black triangular scarf, and black trousers are worn when he is a SCOUT. As Mr TWICK, the solicitor, he wears a sleeveless pullover and small glasses. Fr. Rudden pulls on a tattered blonde curly wig to become MRS BRIDIE CHANDLER. As MR WRETCH, from the RSPCA he wears an old-fashioned night cap.
PETER O’REILLY first plays the part of Mrs MILLIGAN, by adding a head scarf and apron to his main outfit which is a white shirt, dark waistcoat worn unbuttoned, a red tie, and black trousers. He is young, slim and has dark blond hair and fine features. As the VERGER he has a grey wig, as O’BRIEN he dons a grey felt hat, As FOGGERTY, he carries a balloon, and wears a brown felt hat, and short gabardine coat, tied round the waist with a rope. He wears a long black cloak, black net skirt, and circle of black feathers around his head, long black gloves and carries a cigarette in a long black holder and black handbag when playing MRS EELS. As AH PONG he wears a black police helmet, and later as AH PONG he appears in a red and white striped waistcoat and straw boater hat trimmed with red ribbon and carries 2 red Chinese fans. As the BOND GIRL, he appears in a long curly red wig, tight red dress and black high heels. As LENNY, an Irish revolutionary he appears in a white shirt, dark waistcoat worn unbuttoned, a red tie, and black trousers and flat cap.
Mr FRIGG?
THE MAJOR is played by GILES STOAKLEY, a tall well-built man with very dark hair, bald on top, who wears a red military jacket trimmed with gold, with medals and a red hat with a black peak. As CAPTAIN CLARK he wears a three-quarter length green buttoned Irish Army jacket with silver buttons, black trousers and stiff peaked cap. He marches stiffly.
As GRAND FATHER, he puts on a mask with white hair, eyebrows and beard, As DR GOLDSTEIN he wears a black wide brimmed hat and has long dark side locks. In the part of ARTHUR FADDIGAN he wears braces with his black trousers and white
shirt, and later a red scarf wrapped round his neck. He adds a tall black top hat as REUBEN CROUCHER the undertaker. For SHORTY he has a wide brimmed scout
hat, scout neck scarf, black trousers, and moves on his padded knees. In his brief appearance as POPE he dons a gold bishop’s mitre, and as BEHAN, a policeman he wears a black policeman’s helmet.
KEITH SINGLETON, a young man with a thick mop of dark curly hair, plays the part of SERGEANT MACGILLIIKUDIE, wearing a long black overcoat and black helmet, As SEAMUS, an Irish Revolutionary he wears black trousers and waistcoat with white shirt and green tweed cap. He whips on a short red wig and scarf to become as MRS O’TOOLE. As MULDOON a policeman, he wears a small black policeman’s helmet. Playing a boy scout he wears short trousers, scout scarf, wide brimmed hat and knee protectors. He is draped in a sheet as a toga for JULIUS CAESAR, wears a head scarf as a second mourner, dark glasses as the MANAGER, a black bowler hat and orange sash as MEREDITH the Orangeman, with ill fitting dentures.
The programme notes and audio description have been prepared and will be delivered by Sara Duncan and Marie Abbott of the Sightlines organization. If you would like to refresh your memory by hearing them read aloud, please be in your seats 10 minutes before the play begins we hope you enjoy the show.
Audio described performance will take place at The MAC, Belfast on Saturday 30 April.
This comic play is set in Puckoon, a small town in Ireland, in 1922. The newly established border has cut Puckoon in half, dividing church from cemetery, house from outhouse, and pub from customers.
Spike Milligan’s classic story is a hilarious and irreverent look at rural community life.
Big Telly’s production is directed by Zoe Seaton.
Costumes are by Melanie Carmichael, Lighting by Kevin Smyth, Music and Songs by Paul Boyd, and Dramatization by Vincent Higgins.
THE SET
The set is very simple. A complete black-out surrounds the four players who sit to the left of the stage, in a tight group, with their musical instruments. In the centre of the group, sitting behind a key board and facing the audience, is THE WRITER.
Just visible behind the musicians are a clothes rail, and a wooden coat stand, on which various costumes, hats and props hang.
Centre stage when the play opens and later, moved to the right, is a freestanding door frame with a door set in it. The top half of the door opens independently from the bottom half, so it is possible to open either the top half or the whole door. Behind this door is a space, and people walking through the door are visible emerging on the other side.
A rectangle of green astro-turf is spread on the floor in front of this door, when the play begins.
Three head stones are brought on from time to time. These are cleverly constructed so that when turned round they are functional chairs.
There is also a counter which serves as the bar and various shops, and a tilted stand on which to rest a large map, which later becomes a hospital bed, and a table.
A galvanised bucket, a huge red and white pen, beer tankards, mugs and plates on a tray also feature, while a soft dummy makes a dramatic appearance with green wellington boots peeping out from a bed cover.
A tiny union flag also appears.
A number of musical instruments are an important feature of this play. An accordion, a ukulele, a flute, tin whistle, drums, cymbals, kazoo, and key board are played at various times.
THE CAST
The cast of six men perform a variety of parts, as well as playing the music. Often a character change is represented by just a change of hat or the addition of a scarf. The cast double up on parts to such an extent that frequently they end up playing two different people who are talking to one another. So, hats and voices have to be changed very quickly as the same person addresses and responds to himself. This adds greatly to the comic effect.
THE WRITER, played by PAUL BOYD, has dark hair swept back from his oval face, with shaved sides, and neatly trimmed grey beard. Slim and tall, he wears a
black tail coat, black trousers, waistcoat, white shirt, with a huge, floppy purple bow tie, and smokes a large, Meerschaum pipe.
With the addition of a private’s side cap, he becomes a sentry, and with a top hat, Circus Master Gulio Caesar.
DAN MILLIGAN, played by PADDY JENKINS is small and slight, with short dark hair, and grey beard and moustache. He always wears a battered felt hat, grey tweed jacket, brown cord trousers, v-neck sleeveless pullover, under which is a white long sleeved vest, and shabby black boots. He also appears in white long johns.
FATHER RUDDEN is played by JOHN O’MAHONY. In his fifties, he is of medium height, broad shouldered, with close cropped white hair. He wears a white clerical collar, and a long black cassock, with black trousers, and shiny black shoes. As BLIND GEORGE, in a shabby black suit, he has dark glasses and carries a white cane. For PEARCE, he adds a black beret and long beige raincoat. As MRS DOONAN, he wears a black headscarf and long black skirt. He also uses the head scarf as a MOURNER. A cream broad brimmed hat, black triangular scarf, and black trousers are worn when he is a SCOUT. As Mr TWICK, the solicitor, he wears a sleeveless pullover and small glasses. Fr. Rudden pulls on a tattered blonde curly wig to become MRS BRIDIE CHANDLER. As MR WRETCH, from the RSPCA he wears an old-fashioned night cap.
PETER O’REILLY first plays the part of Mrs MILLIGAN, by adding a head scarf and apron to his main outfit which is a white shirt, dark waistcoat worn unbuttoned, a red tie, and black trousers. He is young, slim and has dark blond hair and fine features. As the VERGER he has a grey wig, as O’BRIEN he dons a grey felt hat, As FOGGERTY, he carries a balloon, and wears a brown felt hat, and short gabardine coat, tied round the waist with a rope. He wears a long black cloak, black net skirt, and circle of black feathers around his head, long black gloves and carries a cigarette in a long black holder and black handbag when playing MRS EELS. As AH PONG he wears a black police helmet, and later as AH PONG he appears in a red and white striped waistcoat and straw boater hat trimmed with red ribbon and carries 2 red Chinese fans. As the BOND GIRL, he appears in a long curly red wig, tight red dress and black high heels. As LENNY, an Irish revolutionary he appears in a white shirt, dark waistcoat worn unbuttoned, a red tie, and black trousers and flat cap.
Mr FRIGG?
THE MAJOR is played by GILES STOAKLEY, a tall well-built man with very dark hair, bald on top, who wears a red military jacket trimmed with gold, with medals and a red hat with a black peak. As CAPTAIN CLARK he wears a three-quarter length green buttoned Irish Army jacket with silver buttons, black trousers and stiff peaked cap. He marches stiffly.
As GRAND FATHER, he puts on a mask with white hair, eyebrows and beard, As DR GOLDSTEIN he wears a black wide brimmed hat and has long dark side locks. In the part of ARTHUR FADDIGAN he wears braces with his black trousers and white
shirt, and later a red scarf wrapped round his neck. He adds a tall black top hat as REUBEN CROUCHER the undertaker. For SHORTY he has a wide brimmed scout
hat, scout neck scarf, black trousers, and moves on his padded knees. In his brief appearance as POPE he dons a gold bishop’s mitre, and as BEHAN, a policeman he wears a black policeman’s helmet.
KEITH SINGLETON, a young man with a thick mop of dark curly hair, plays the part of SERGEANT MACGILLIIKUDIE, wearing a long black overcoat and black helmet, As SEAMUS, an Irish Revolutionary he wears black trousers and waistcoat with white shirt and green tweed cap. He whips on a short red wig and scarf to become as MRS O’TOOLE. As MULDOON a policeman, he wears a small black policeman’s helmet. Playing a boy scout he wears short trousers, scout scarf, wide brimmed hat and knee protectors. He is draped in a sheet as a toga for JULIUS CAESAR, wears a head scarf as a second mourner, dark glasses as the MANAGER, a black bowler hat and orange sash as MEREDITH the Orangeman, with ill fitting dentures.
The programme notes and audio description have been prepared and will be delivered by Sara Duncan and Marie Abbott of the Sightlines organization. If you would like to refresh your memory by hearing them read aloud, please be in your seats 10 minutes before the play begins we hope you enjoy the show.
