Our rehearsals for the play Quinneys continue apace – with Dr George Rodosthenous leading the direction of the performances. This week George assembled the whole team, including Professor Jonathan Pitches, who is taking the lead on the ‘Dealing with Authenticity’ workshop which takes place at The Bowes Museum on the day following the restaging of Quinneys at the Witham in Barnard Castle. Here’s the whole team at the rehearsals –
The Quinneys team – back (Annabel, Mark, Fergus), middle (Stephenson, Hannah, Samuel), Front (George, Jonathan, India, Morgan).
George (centre) directing India (sitting) and Morgan (back) and Fergus (right) in rehearsals for Quinneys.
George had the cast reading sections of the play, revealing insights into the characterisations, and drawing out some great performances from the actors.
Annabel and Fergus reading for ‘Posy’ and ‘James’.
Here’s (left) Annabel and Fergus taking on the character of ‘Posy’ (Quinneys’ daughter) and ‘James Miggot’ (Quinney’s workshop foreman). And (right), George, directing India (seated), playing ‘Mable Dredge’ (Quinney’s typist), and Morgan (background) playing ‘Cyrus P. Hunsaker’ the American millionaire collector, with Fergus as ‘James’.
And another few photos of the cast getting into character – with (left to right) India, Samuel (as the eponymous Joseph Quinney), Morgan, Annabel and Fergus, rehearsing a scene set in ‘Quinney’s sanctuary’ – Quinney’s collector’s paradise, full of extraordinary antiques.
Quinneys actors – (left to right) India, Samuel, Morgan, Annabel, Fergus.
We are working with The Bowes Museum and local antique dealers in Barnard Castle to source the antiques for the stage set. In 1915, when the play was first performed, several well-known London antique dealers loaned antiques for the set, including Walter and Ernest Thornton-Smith, who, co-incidently (or maybe not) traded in Soho Square, London, which was also the fictional location of Quinney’s antique shop in the novel ‘Quinneys’ (1915). Indeed, one of the aspects we are thinking through in the restaging of Quinneys is the notion of authenticity – Jonathan Pitches will be working with the actors, reflecting on authenticity of performance and authenticity of character in acting, alongside me (Mark) working on authenticity of objects (antiques) and authenticity of identity (of antique dealers), in the ‘Dealing with Authenticity’ workshop on the day following the performance at The Bowes Museum.
To that end, George got me to work with an imaginary ‘antique chair’, examining it as if I were an antique dealer, for the student actors – (that’s as much acting as I am going to do!) –
Mark, explaining how an antique dealer examines an ‘antique’ chair……
Hannah, another of the student actors, also joined in the rehearsals, playing the part of Susan Quinney, Quinney’s wife – here’s Annabel (left) as ‘Posy’, with Hannah (right) as ‘Susan’, reading from a scene in Act 1.
Annabel (left) and Hannah (right) rehearsing for Quinneys.
George and the actors are certainly creating a fantastic atmosphere, and I am sure that when Quinneys is eventually performed on Saturday 28th March at The Witham, is will be a brilliant production! Here’s a final few photos of George and the team.
George (centre) with the student actors at the rehearsals for Quinneys.
And a final, much more professional photograph, of Stephenson, India and Samuel (back row), with Annabel and Fergus (front).
part of the cast for Quinneys – Stephenson, India, Samuel (back) with Annabel and Fergus (front)
Don’t forget to book your tickets for Quinneys – you can book your seat HERE
Mark
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