Birds
1995

The BIRDS was performed at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, 22-25 Feb 1995, 2.30 / 8pm. The production then went on tour to Greece as part of the “Britain in Greece” festival.

Reviews appeared in the Times Literary Supplement (17/3/95, p.16, Edith Hall), and the Times (24/2/95). Reviews by Warwick students can be read here: http://www.didaskalia.net/issues/vol2no2/greekplay.html

Cast 

  • Peisetairos: Jon Skeet
  • Euelpides: Khevyn Raj Limbajee
  • Slave: Peter de Verneuil Smith
  • Hoopoe/Slave Bird: Edward J. Black
  • Nightingale: Lara Carim
  • Head Chicken: Constanze Guthenke
  • Raven Emcee: Robert Shorrock
  • Sparrows: Michael Brunstrom, Lara Carim
  • Owl: Philip Fairweather
  • Cock: Nicholas Goode
  • Ravens: Tayfun Kadioglu, Caroline Pressdee
  • Stork: Lucy Nicholas
  • Seagull: Nicola Van Rijsbergen
  • Imprisoned Bird: Elizabeth Marlowe
  • Balcony Birds: Ruth Banforth, Jenny Buckle, Norma Burke, Charlotte Ensor, Louise Ferguson, Katrina McLeay, Emma Stokes, Emily Thomas, Daniel Vyleta, Holly Webb
  • Solo Birds: Katy Craik, Lizzie Bell
  • Heckler Birds: Emma Gervasio, Becky Jones
  • Prison Bird: Elizabeth Marlowe
  • Flute: Sarah Aitkin
  • Trombone: Andrew Goldston

Production team

  • Director: Dictynna Hood
  • Designer: Lorna Marshall
  • Composer: Andrew Lovatt
  • Musical Director: Mark Etherington
  • Producer: Emma Price
  • Co-producers: Maddy Chester, Charlotte Barry, Rosie Philips
  • Movement Director: Christian Darley
  • Language Coaching: Anthony Bowen
  • Lighting Designer: Matt Atwood
  • Lightin: Melissa Farbon
  • Commedia Masks: Ninian Kinnier-Wilson
  • Bird Masks: Clare Nias
  • Props: Clare Nias, Clare Pitcher
  • Props Assistants: Esther Dermott, Rebecca Hunt
  • Puppetry workshop: Luis Boy
  • Voice workshop: Janine Clements
  • Masks worskhop: Alisdair Macmillan
  • Technicians: Elaine Barber, Sarah Brierley, Rebecca Hunt, Charlotte Laing, Alex Nesbitt, Heather Noble, Hannah Saward, Kathryn Tomlinson, Holly Webb
  • Publicity: Julie Lewis, Tom ap Rhys Pryce
  • Programme Designer: Steven Mathieson
  • Stage Manager: Kiran Modha
  • Graphic Design: Ray Mullan

This year’s Birds is an ambitious and innovative production… The enthusiastic response of the capacity audience could refute the gloomy prophecy of the 1890 reviewer in the Daily Chronicle: “Greek plays are a fashion not likely to last.”

Edith Hall, Times Literary Supplement