Leonardo's Last Supper & others by Peter Barnes

Northern Theatre Studio2
Feb 28-March 2 1997

Three pirates battle for supremacy in a suburban living room; three sisters share a secret; a Samaritan counsels a would-be suicide on a ledge eight floors up; and as if that isn’t enough, in a medieval Italian mortuary Leonardo da Vinci just won’t stay dead! Four funny and thought provoking one act plays by one of Britain’s most innovative playwrights.

The Real Long John Silver
Henry

Jonathan Preston
Madge

Janette Preston
George

Dave Barber

Sisters
Irene

Ailsa Oliver
Barbara

Jenny Stewart
Katherine

Val Howell

The Right Time And Place
Dr Greenslade

Sharon Burton
Ann Armstrong

Joanne Coates

Leonardo's Last Supper
Angelo Lasca

Ray Rumkee
Maria

Joanne Coates
Alphonso

Neal Coulman
Leonardo

Jonathan Preston

Directed by Ray Rumkee
The Right Time And Place

This replaced another Peter Barnes two-hander about a pair of female wrestlers, also to have featured Joanne and Sharon. They were really up for it, too. Young girls. In spangly leotards. Fighting. We could have attracted a whole new audience. Not to mention the embarrassment potential of the photographs!
Director's Commentary

A bit of a labour of love for me, this, as I put together four short plays by one of my idols Peter Barnes. The first three were intended for radio, so the fact that we pulled off stage versions of them remains a minor miracle.
'The Real Long John Silver' ended up with Dave Barber, Jonathan and Jeanette Preston all hopping about the stage as pirates. 'The Right Time And Place' had Joanne and Sharon both standing on a ledge threatening suicide, and 'Sisters' (about which David is WAY too scathing) had Jenny, Ailsa and Val all playing sisters visiting each other in a hospital ward.
The night finished with 'Leonardo’s Last Supper' in which myself, Neal, Joanne and Jonathan capered around a medieval set, which had been liberally garnished with massive bones supplied by Jenny. Naturally enough for a Barnes play; it all ends up with death and destruction. This was a great experience for me, and gave a huge number of Chameleons some really challenging roles to have a bash at Ray

Angelo Lasca explains his scheme for bottling farts The sisters try to stop each other (and the audience) falling asleep
Ann and Dr Greenslade contemplate their position
Was I In That One?

As this was his last play it is an appropriate place to salute the stalwart efforts and singular talents of Dave Barber. Always reliable and specialising in crusty Colonels and other authority figures who said "Dammit, Sir!" a lot, whenever he forgot a character’s name he would address them as "my dear" or "dear sir".  He was also responsible for the phrases "The audience won't notice" and "Was I in that one?" We still see him in the audience chuckling quietly to himself (and that's during the serious plays). Rehearsals aren't the same without you, Dave.
Aaarh Jim Lad!
Quote, Unquote

Loved the play and enjoyed having blacked out teeth - a change from being a tart Joanne
 The merits of the other pieces were outweighed by the indescribable tedium of 'Sisters' David
If any of you think that Janette and I practised at home for the hopping crutch, aaarh Jim-me-lad 'sketch' well... ok, we did for a bit, until the neighbours called the police out. What can you do with three ranting juvenile geriatrics and a few stuffed parrots except batten down the hatches, splice the mainbrace and hoist the Jolly Roger. And then Leonardo, why didn't anyone tell me to take off that stupid white beard? This was a pythonesque sort of play but I think by the time it came on the audience were either asleep or so bemused they didn't know what to make of it. Nice try but a bit too fringe Jonathan
Peter Barnes is an acquired taste with odd rhythms of speech. A member of the audience was concerned about me losing my shoe (part of the plot) and asked if I got it back okay. Joanne gave excellent performances in two contrasting roles Sharon