"A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM"

SSAOS 2001 production

Take a helping of the ancient Roman writer Plautus whose writing output included 56 comedies, one of which Shakespeare turned into the "COMEDY OF ERRORS", mix in a bit of Terrence Rattigan's 1936 "FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS" and produce it in the style of a Whitehall farce and you'll have some idea of the plot.

As happened in those ancient Roman plays, the central character is a wily servant, the subject is love (or in this case, sex), add money and you have what seems to be an insoluble number of situations developing in the plot. The slave Pseudolus attempts to earn his freedom by satisfying the wants of his pubescent master and his lecherous dad who both have their eyes on the same virgin, ....... but it so happens that she's already promised to a jealous warrior. Life's never easy for a slave who needs to please everyone at once!

The excellent writing of the plot doesn't overpower the songs and the opening 'Comedy Tonight', the dirty old 'Everybody Ought to Have a Maid' and the heroine's admission that her only attribute is that she is 'Lovely' all add to the fun.

Cast

Anthony Smith, Delia McNally, David Bruce, Peter Skevington, Lyndsay Marsden, Helen Embleton, Alison Stidoph, Laurence Scott, Steven Rae, Gerry Troughton, Jayne Welch, Gemma Gandy, Christina Storek, Steve Buxton.

Producer : Musical Director : Choreographer :
Fred Wharton George Hetherington Kathleen Knox

Rob Lawson, Editor of the Shields Gazette, wrote, as theatre critic,  this Review after the opening night.

" Forty years after it first appeared, this show is obviously not in the first blush of youth. The original [production] spawned Frankie Howerd's TV series "Up Pompeii" and probably inspired a couple of Carry On films as well. That said the Amateurs have tackled it with such gusto that it feels quite fresh.

"The main reason for this is an amazing performance by Anthony Smith, who plays Pseudolus. The pace that he gives the show is vital to its success and the energy he brings to the part is quite breathtaking.............He's rarely off stage, is responsible for most of the laughs and the success or failure of the show rests firmly on his shoulders - he and the show succeed.

".............Laurence Scott is super as Senex, as is David Bruce as chief slave Hysterium. Steve Rae is the square -jawed hero Hero, and young Jayne Welch takes a good part as the object of his desires, Philia.

"Any fault lies with the show itself, not the performers. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics are clever, but the score is somewhat disappointing"
 

Pseudolus - 
Anthony Smith
Lycus - 
Gerry Troughton



Philia - 
Jayne Welch
Hero - 
Steven Rae









Domina - Delia McNally

Senex - Laurence Scott

Hero - Steven Rae




Vibrata - 
Helen Embleton
Boobiana -
Christina Storek

Erotica -
Alison Stidolph
Pseudolus -
AntHony Smith
Tintinabula -
Lindsay Marsden 

Gymnasia -
Gemma Gandy

  

 

                 Pseudolus withTHE COURTESANS 

Senex - Laurence Scott

Philia - Jayne Welch

Erronious - Peter Skevington

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