Old Spot Theatre Home Page
Masks John Broadbent, Ninian Kinnear-Wilson, Olly Crick, Michael Pitthan
  
Props   Hotch Potch Props

Wooden Swords Clive Buckle

Armour   The Armchair Armoury

Period Shoes  Sarah Juniper

Costumes    Debra Ford, costume maker and designer
                   Ruth Sabin, costume maker and designer
                   Velvet Glove Costumes
                    Sally Green, historical costumes

Stage Manager Corin Hayes, of The Cheltenham Everyman

Supporters                  Sue Colverd,former artistic director, Cheltenham Everyman
Ed O’Driscoll of “Air in G” touring circuit, supported the 2004 tour of “Hot Crackling”, Mel from Arts Alive, Arts for All, Arts Council SW, The Summerfield Trust, Janine from Razzle, Peter Gregory from Night Out, Trish and Michael from The Festival Players

Musical Directors Shirley Pegna,Paul Southcott,Ellie Holliday

Actors                          Kate Abraham , Murray Andrews,Harriet Banks  
Maureen Bennet John Broadbent, Steven Deproost,
Eley Furrell ,Dan Gregory ,Mike Greenman
Elise Heaven,Elaine Herraghty ,Ellie Holliday,
Chloe Lucas,Sally Lomax,
                                   Rose Mason, Rob Merchill
                                    John Mead,Michael Pitthan,Richard Mowbray
                                   Paul Southcott ,Nick Wikes ,Shazz Wells

Abroad                         Markos Bale of Snatch Impro Company, Cork, Eire
                                    La Fenice, Austin  Texas, John Rudlin, Centre Selavy, France

Advice and Guidance Jo Bousfield and Sarah Bond of the Gloucestershire Theatre Production Office
                                   Barbara Pond, for initial enthusiasm
                                   Gloucester Rural Community Council, for mailouts and advice
                                   Kim Tilbrook and Prema Arts Centre
                                   Keith Rog, Southcot Web hosting

HEROINES AND HEROs
Jack and Florence : The story so far… (for them as cares, our gloucestershire soap opera, a trology in four acts)
Hot Crackling(2004)
In which our hero and heroine are introduced: Jack is forced to flee his home in the woods, after his mother, the village herbalist is murdered. Taking her stock of potions and lotions he sets forth to seek his fortune and arrives at (insert name of your village here.). Here he demonstrates his wares on a dowdy farmer’s daughter Florence and falls in love. The Farmer refuses to let them get married unless Jack slays the Beast of (name of local beauty spot). Eventually Jack succeeds, but the Farmer takes the credit and before all is resolved Jack is revealed as the Farmer’s son, and Florence as a foundling of mysterious birth. A confused but happy ending

Pirates of The River Severn (2005)
Jack and Florence return from and unsuccessful and unconsummated honeymoon to find that Farmer Dallymore has sold the ancestral pile and is investing in a dodgy river insurance deal. Florence, in disguise as a cabin boy, saves their ship from an attack first from false pirates and then from real pirates. The pirate chief is identical to her wimpier husband Jack and Florence believes it is he, making an attempt to make up for the rotten honeymoon. However things are even more complicated than they appeared at first as the Pirate king is revealed to be her husband’s great great grandfather, doomed to forever haunt the river because of hideous crimes he committed by burning (local neighbouring village) to the ground. Eventually the real Jack arrives to save the day and a duel between her two identical maybe-husbands (played by the same actor) takes place.

A Gloucester Scaramouche(2006)
Farmer Dallymore dies, leaving Jack and Florence his inheritance, but where has he hidden it? Florence thinks he took the money with him and a family fight of epic proportions starts round the graveside. Meanwhile the Prince of Wales and his bodyguard are recruiting for the army and Jack is arrested and conscripted: to be sent to Egypt to help the Prince’s attack on the Pyramids. Florence escapes and joins a troop of travelling actors, finding fame and fortune as the cross dressing hero/heroine Scaramouche, who eventually gets forced to become the Prince’s bodyguard because of his/her martial prowess. Add a plot against his Majesty’s life by the Count of (Insert rival village’s name), the hideous truth inside the Pyramid of Itchi-Towi, help from the Mullah Nasruddin himself and things can lead only to multiple tragedy. Luckily all is resolved in a curiously Egyptian way. Florence is revealed to be the Prince of Wales’ illegitimate half sister and all ends happily with a planned tea party at Highgrove.


The King of Spain’s Daughter(2008)
Florence gives birth and realises that it may mean the end of all her adventuring. As an answer to her prayers, she is called upon to play the role of the Queen of England to avoid an International war.Jack stays at home with the baby and becomes a target for assassination. The Spanish Armada is wrecked and a baby is washed ashore, to be looked after by Jack. It is none other than the heir to the Spanish throne.With the English spies after this baby, and the Spanish after the supposed heir to the English throne, Jack flees into the Forest of Dean and receives supernatural help from Puck. Fighting of all attackers (and inventing the game of rugby on the way) Jack and Florence eventually make up, make peace with the Spanish and settle down happily to make more babies. Will they return ?