Sophia and I saw "Marriage Rites" in the Georgian splendour of the Theatre Royal in Windsor. Whether our holiday mood or the atmosphere within or one or two superb performances was or were influences is lost in the mist of time; this was 1985 or so and everything else is fairly forgotten save that the play hugely impressed us and I bought a pint for the "Bishop" and chatted to him for about an hour.
Practically all of the author's plays hit the West End. This one did not, for reasons unexplained but, in the hope that it would, the agents, and after his death, the author's executors wouldn't release it for amateur performance. We tried on a couple of occasions but it was only last Autumn that persistence paid off.
The play itself, our first drama, is somewhat strange in construction and in subject matter. I know of no other play with a six page speech, nor one in which three characters hog so much of the dialogue. The theme is no longer controlversial - most of us have gay friends or relations - but, in any case it fudges the issue. Yet almost accidentally, it has a relevance today that it didn't have in 1984 with its resolute opposition to an uncontrolled press and media.
We hope that you will give your usual big hand to our new actors. Di is an old friend from the Garrick days. Edward is a school boy from Plumley and has done well to "age up" so well. Jonathan, too, is local and may be seen most afternoons in the post office! Bill and I were contemporaries at the Garrick. He stayed, I left and here we are again.
The title is the one we best know although it has mostly been performed as "David and Jonathan" or "And as for Jonathan"; having three titles is another oddity. You may find it odd that we have chosen to perform it in a church. The production notes suggest a vestry and a pulpit with an off-stage congregation but we know that you will, even if you don't enjoy the play, enjoy taking part. Besides, it saves on scenery costs.
Harry Kenendy.
| ACT ONE | SCENE 1 | Sunday morning matins |
| SCENE 2 | The following day | |
| ACT TWO | SCENE 1 | Next Sunday morning |
| SCENE 2 | Tuesday, a fortnight later | |
| SCENE 3 | Nearly a year later |
(Click any photo to see a larger view)
(Click any photo to see a larger view)
The Cast
| Edward Lawton | Jonathan |
| Jonathan Rees | David |
| Di Boyer | Mary - His Fiancée |
| Roger Barlow | Vicar |
| Bill Platt | Dean |
| Harry Kennedy | Bishop |
| Jon White | Mr Graham - Mary's Father |
| Sophia Kennedy | Mrs Graham - Mary's Mother |
| Caitlin Sherwood | Jeannie - Mary's Sister |
Production Team
| Director and Producer | Sophia Kennedy |
| Stage Manager and Property Master | John Newton |
| Lighting and Sound Engineer | Andrew Poole |
| Front of House and Programme Sales | Tom Lloyd |
| Raffle | Joe Lloyd Cathy Lloyd |
| Bar Managers | George Dutton Noreen Dutton |
| Ticket Sales | Keith Phillips |
Our sincere thanks to Norman Withenshaw, Keith Phillips, Ged Coates, Mike Ashley, Mike Boag-Munro and Terrence Rathbone for their help in transporting and constructing the set and Cynthia Wythenshaw for programme and tickets.
We would also like to thank Lower Peover School for letting us use their school hall for our rehearsals.