Retreat to the quiet of the Western Lakes
Time and place : Loweswater Village Hall, Thurs. Fri. and Sat, 27/28/29th November 2003. Occasion : An humorous theatrical romp, with the Tethera Valley Players drawn from the three valleys of Loweswater, Buttermere and Lorton. Details : The play is set in a London Hospital, a few days before Christmas. The story so far . . . . |
" It Runs in the Family " a comedy by Ray Cooney performed by The Tethera Valley Players |
David has to give an important speech to visiting Consultants and politicians but at the last minute learns of the existence of an illegitimate son born 18 years ago as a result of a liaison with himself and one of the nursing staff.
Unable to deal with the problem at this time he press gangs one of his colleagues into pretending to be the boy's father, promising to tell the truth as soon as the important Ponsonby Lecture is delivered.
Unfortunately the lad (Leslie) is in trouble with the law for driving to the hospital to find his long lost dad. He is also not sure which of the doctors is his dad anyway, which makes things easier / more complicated.
To cut a long story short, an over excited Leslie shut up in the bathroom, ends up on a window ledge tranquillising the matron (instead of the other way round) She lapses into semi-conciousness, and falls from the window ledge . . . don't ask its a long story . . but is saved one floor below by Doctor Bonney . . . who therefore adopts the status of hero.
Unfortunately the Sergeant saw the whole incident and is asking questions.
The Sergeant want to interview Matron, but she is not well disposed to Leslie, so a substitute must be found.
Right on cue enter Dr Conolly rehearsing for the hospital panto . . . .
But Doctor Conolly was known to Sergeant CONNOLLY (clue here)
so David is called from his lecture and has to impersonate her instead . . . .
only to find Doctor Bonney has done the same.
("Are those balloons on top?" asks Bill )
Confusion increases when the real Matron turns up after all.
However Leslie feels Br Bonney is his real dad, "'cos his dad is bound to be a hero"'. Dr Bonney had secretly admired Nurse Tate and Nurse Tate returns the compliment by agreeing to marry him.
David who tried to admit being the real dad, but was not believed, ends up as agreeing to be an "uncle" to the boy, and David's wife who secretly knew of his "sluice room liaisons" all those years ago, has her own bombshell to drop in the plays closing line . . . .!!
The Cast
David - Ian Mitchell Matron - Laura Todd Bill Leslie - Ron Dickens |
Rosemary - Betty Smith Nurse Tate - Ann Beebe Gran - Ann Dickens |
Dr Bonney - John Thomson Sergeant - John Hudson Ward sister - Penny Leck |
Dr Conolly- Laurence Braithwaite Leslie - Jonathan Meadley Sir W.Drake - Doug Beebe |
Producer - Ron Dickens
Stage Manager - Charles Crane
Stage assistant and sound effects - Roger Hiley
Lighting Janet Shepherd
Make up, Props and Costumes:
Sandra Crane - Barbara Ibberson - Betty Coulthard
With thanks to all those who helped decorate the set, find the props, sold tickets, and all the one hundred and one other things that made the production possible.
Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon IXUS 400 Digital camera.
Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.
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