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Wimborne Drama Tivoli Theatre Wimborne October 2002 A DAZZLING RAZZLE OF A COMEDY ANYONE straying unawares into the Tivoli these past few days might have been forgiven for thinking the silly season had come early, given the presence of a talking parrot, a pantomime horse, and a girl playing the part of a boy. 
However, this was Tom Stoppard's superb comedy, performed to near perfection by a first-class cast under the excellent direction of Richard Neal.The story, which follows the events that occur when shop clerks Weinberl (Mark Ellen) and Christopher (Yvonne Henley) decide to have an illicit afternoon of freedom in Vienna, is brilliantly written. The Spoonerisms that trip so easily from shop owner Zangler's mouth are hilarious - and would have been even more so had Dave Williams blustering delivery not occasionally muffled his words. There were strong characterisations all round, not least from Paul Dodman (Sonders), Tracey Nicholls (Marie), Jan Stevenson (Gertrude), Colin Pile (Melchior), Carolyn Hewitt (Frau Fischer), Chrissie Neal (Madame Knorr) and Jan Bursby (Fraulein Blumenblatt), while Barry Baynton brought the house down as a wonderfully lascivious whip-wielding coachman. Full marks too for an ingenious set, excellent costumes and fine lighting. A dazzling razzle, without a doubt. Linda Kirkman, Courtesy of the Bournemouth Daily Echo 
NO EASY OPTIONS HEREWIMBORNE Drama is a theatre group that doesn't go for the easy options as their recent productions such as The Crucible, The Madness of George III and David Copperfield bear witness. On the Razzle - based on a 19th century comedy which in turn was drawn from earlier works - is not, as its title suggests, a simple knock-about comedy. It is a wordy play, with the comedy coming thick and fast, and it was easy to miss a gem. In fact, I felt that I ought to have seen it a second time in order fully to appreciate Tom Stoppard's clever script. The part of shop owner Zangler, played by Dave Williains, was the toughest, requiring an ability to get the tongue around Spoonerisms without it appearing that lines had been misinterpreted or misquoted. Dave Williains did a good job, but a slower delivery would have ensured that humour wasn't lost. However, he, along with the rest of the cast, relaxed into their parts in the second scene. And talking of scenery, huge credit must go to set designer Amanda Brown, who masterminded innovative scene changes, which although visible to the audience, didn't impinge on our enjoyment. 
For entertaining it certainly was. The audience clearly appreciated the humour, although I suspect the appearance of the pantomime horse created more guffaws than intended, as Yvonne Henley, playing the part of Christopher, clung on to its hind quarters for dear life. Wimbome Drama draw from a very experienced pool of actors, and their productions always throw up some excellent cameo parts. Barry Baynton was delightful as the coachman, and Jan Stevenson, who has been with the group since 1979, stole a few scenes with her portrayal of the servant Gertrude. Marilyn Ayres, Courtesy of Wimborne Community Magazine FULL CAST ON THE RAZZLE by Tom Stoppard 16-19 October 2002 Weinberl - Mark Ellen  
Christopher - Yvonne HenleyMarie - Tracey Nicholls Sonders - Paul Dodman Zangler - Dave Williams Melchior - Colin Pile Gertrude - Jan Stevenson Foreigner/Waiter - Simon Jackson Hupfer/Scotsman - David Pile Philippine - Vicki Ballard Madame Knorr - Chrissie Neal Frau Fischer - Carolyn Hewitt Coachman - Barry Baynton German Man - Russ Guillaume German Woman - Carole Courtenay Coles Scottish Woman - Donna Crane Waiter/Constable - Peter Brooks Fraulein Blumenblatt - Jan Bursby Lisette - Maria Turner Busboys - Alfie Tyson-Brown & Luke Hawkins Ragamuffin - Oliver Chapman Lightning - Les Longworth & Michael Routledge Piper - Richard Rowland Director/Designer Richard Neal Set Amanda Brown Company Stage Manager - Jackson Kingham Lighting & Sound - Tivoli Theatre (Russell Parker & Don Sherry) Costumes - Eclectia Costumes Theatre Stage Manager - Ashley Thorne The photographs of some of the cast are: 1 - Zanglar (Dave Williams), Melchior (Colin Pile) and the Waiter (Simon Jackson) at the Imperial Gardens Cafe. 2 - Zangler and Weinberl (Mark Ellen) 3 - Marie (Tracy Nicholls) and Sonders (Paul Dodman) 4 - Weinberl, Fraulein Blumenblatt (Jan Bursby) and Christopher (Yvonne Henley) 5 - Frau Fischer (Carolyn Hewitt) and Madame Knorr (Chrissie Neal) |
