Precious Bane
by Mary Webb
dramatised by Bryony Lavery
directed by Theresa Heskins
designed by Kate Bunce
original music by Mary Keith
Performers (main characters in order of appearance)
Prudence Sarn Jaimi Barbakoff Tivvy Sexton Ali Carney Gideon Sarn Gwilym Havard-Davies Mother Sarn Julia Munrow Jancis Beguildy Kirsty Wood Missis Beguildy Karren Winchester Wizard Beguildy Alex Jones Kester Woodseaves Charlie McCarthy
The Mere Singers
All actors except Prue Sarn play crowd members and other parts.
Director Theresa Heskins
Designer Kate Bunce
Composer/MD Mary Keith
Lighting (03) Charles Balfour
Asst. Director Jo Cattell
Rehearsal MDs Sue Harris, Toby Belfield (Sing Out Group)
Dialect Coach Richard Beaumond
Voice Work Caroline Clegg
Production Manager Tim Brierley
Asst. Production Mgr. James Lewis
Deputy Stage Mgr. Michelle Booth
Asst. Stage Mgrs. Lydia Hampson, Joanne Murphy
Prop Maker (03) Louise Jones
Head of Costume Kay Wilton
Costume Makers (03) Tresi Hall, Helen Flower, Judith Longridge, Nadine Davies, Catherine Bleasdale
Wardrobe Mgr. Sue Hall
Wardrobe Asst. Emma Newell
Producer John Moreton
Administrator Pat Price
Admin. Assts. Katie Bevan, Hanna Akerfelt
PR/Marketing Louise Chantal (Chantal Arts + Theatre 07976 418232)
Graphic Design Huw Jenkins for Sauce
Website Arnim at Pixelbox Ltd
Photography (03) Geraint Lewis
*(03) indicates contribution to the original production in 2003.
With special thanks to: Chris Eldon Lee at the Shrewsbury Summer Season; Lezley Picton at the Music Hall and Dominic Wallis at the Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council.
The company would like to thank: Mike Barr at Acton Scott Working Farm, Mark Evans, Mel Harvey (consultant magician); Nick Nichols; Plymouth Estates; Cerin Richardson and Sue Barber at Belmont Arts Centre; Steve and Lisette Wright, and everyone who was involved in the production last year.
The Company
Charles Balfour Lighting Designer Since 1987 Charles has lit over 100 theatre, dance and opera productions. Recent theatre includes: Country Music (Royal Court), Ghost City (Sgript Cymru), Cake (BAC), Through the Leaves (Duchess, West End and Southwark Playhouse); Bash (Citizens, Glasgow); Silent Engine for Pentabus; Witness (The Gate, Notting Hill); Victory Over the Sun (The Pit); TakeAway (Lyric); and Grace (Jade Theatre). He has been resident lighting designer for the Richard Alston Dance Company since 1996 producing 16 ballets: other work in dance include numerous collaborations with Matthew Hawkins, Aletta Collins, Rosemary Butcher and Rambert. Music includes: Writing to Vermeer (London Sinfonietta/QEH); Thimble Rigging (Scott Walker/QEH) and The Rakes Progress (Aldeburgh).
Jaimi Barbakoff Prue Jaimi graduated from LAMDA in 2003, having previously studied Psychology at Birmingham University. Parts played at LAMDA include Shen Te/Shui Ta in The Good Woman of Setzuan and Irina in Three Sisters. Since leaving she won the BBC Radio Carlton Hobbs Award and spent 6 months with the Radio Drama Company, during which roles included Lady Violet Effingham in The Pallisers, Joanna in From A to B and Marian in Auroura Leigh. She has also performed at the Gate Theatre as Marie in Pains of Youth.
Kate Bunce Designer Graduated from Birmingham UCE with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Design and an MA in Scenography. Kate also designed Smashed Eggs and Silent Engine for Pentabus. Other productions include Where’s The Bear? for Northampton Theatres (in collaboration with Pentabus);Transmissions and Caribbean Kitchen (Birmingham Rep); Four Seasons (mac) and The Score (BAC). Kate’s other work includes prop-making and assistant design for the National Theatre, Birmingham Rep, RSC, Young Vic, Oily Cart, the Almeida and the BBC.
Alison Carney Tivvy Theatre credits include The Absence of War, Murmuring Judges, The Ugly Eagle and The Gingerbread Pig, all for Birmingham Rep; Death of a Salesman (Leicester Haymarket); Macbeth (Salisbury Playhouse); The Gingerbread Pig (Lyric Hammersmith); Thicker Than Water and The Kitchen Floor (Southampton Nuffield); End Of Season (Red Ladder/Theatre Direct Canada); The Bad One and Touch Wood (Women and Theatre). On TV, she has appeared in Dalziel and Pascoe, Dangerfield, Out of Hours, and Crimewatch Solved, all for BBC1; Think About It (BBC2) and Noah’s Ark (Carlton). Alison has worked extensively in radio including BBC Radio 4 plays Beneath Dry Land, Live Alone and Like It, Angel of New Street, Skeggy and As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning. She also makes regular appearances on the Asian Network’s new radio soap Silver Street.
Jo Cattell Assistant Director Trained at Birmingham University. Wrote, directed and produced Dingo Queen (Camden People’s Theatre). Directed the first digital art installation for Canterbury Cathedral, 18: 1- 7, produced by C2atelyst Productions. Assistant directed a staged reading of Calculus (Royal Institute, London) and An Immaculate Misconception (Bridewell Theatre, London) for Andy Jordan Productions. Assistant Director for the BBC Talent Sketch Show initiative, developing a new sketch show at the Tabernacle Theatre, and directed and co-wrote a new show with the Sketch team for Radio l’s On the Road. Directed Skyscraping (Soho Theatre studio), which transferred to Southwark Playhouse.
Gwilym Havard-Davis Gideon Trained at Durham University and the Oxford School of Drama, where productions included After the
