Ruddigore

Our show for 2001 was Ruddigore, which ran from November 14th to the17th including a matinee on the Saturday.  The programme notes explain:

A GENUINE VICTORIAN MELODRAMA

Hundreds of melodramatic theatrical pieces were written during the nineteenth century [we all remember Maria Marten, a Suffolk girl who was villainously murdered in a red barn] but none are as well remembered as Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Ruddigore', an all-traditional Victorian entertainment written immediately after the crowning success of 'The Mikado'.

THE LEGEND

Once upon a time, in a remote village somewhere on the English coast, there lived a very bad nobleman by the name of Sir Rupert Murgatroyd, First Baronet of Ruddigore. So bad was he that his only enjoyment in life was the persecution of witches. This self-appointed Witchfinder General regularly had these wretched women burnt at the stake. One day, in her agony, amidst the flames of torture, a witch yelled forth a curse:

'Each lord of Ruddigore, despite his best endeavour,
Shall do one crime, or more, once every day, for ever!
This doom he can't defy, however he may try,
For should he stay his hand, that day
In torture he too shall die!'

The House. of Murgatroyd lived with this curse for many, many years and generations of Baronets of Ruddigore, trying to live blameless lives, perished in excruciating agony! But that was not all - the curse affected the lives of the whole community. Most of the inhabitants were either a little odd or else completely mad - after all, they sang choruses in public! It was the only village ever to possess a corps of professional bridesmaids always in readiness, waiting for a wedding - but no-one ever got married! And then there was the picture gallery at the manor house where, every now and then, the portraits would come alive!

THE OPERA

By the middle of the nineteenth century and the time of our opera, the affairs of the House of Ruddigore are getting a little complicated. Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, in order to avoid inheriting the hideous title, and with it, the curse, has feigned death, fled the ancestral home and disguised himself as a simple farmer - Robin Oakapple by name. On the death of his uncle, Sir Roderick Murgatroyd, his younger brother Despard has become the Twenty-second Baronet of Ruddigore. Robin might have got away with this deception had his childhood friend, Richard, not come home after many years at sea to inform Despard that his elder brother is still alive. This betrayal is not so surprising since both men are rivals for the affections of Rose Maybud, and Richard wants Robin out of the way. Despard immediately hands over the accursed title to his elder brother and devotes his life to good works! Robin, once again Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, takes up residence as Lord of the Manor; a problem for Richard, who requires his Lordship's permission to marry Rose Maybud! To make matters worse, Sir Ruthven, having committed one of his daily crimes, has the unenviable task of confronting the wrath of his ghostly ancestors since the lady he has 'carried off' turns out to have been, many years ago, engaged to his deceased uncle!

The Show

Looked like this:

Julian Illman as Robin Oakapple (really Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd)	Sir Ruthven and the hunting party
Jane Carpenter as Rose Maybud	Robin embraces Rose as the Bridesmaids rejoice
Phil Holmes as Sir Despard	The Ghosts

The Cast

Other parts taken by members of the cast

Production Director: Bernard Reader
Producer: Sheila Potter