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Yeomen Cast

Synopsis

YEOMEN 1996 CAST

SIR RICHARD CHOLMONDELEY Lieutenant of the Tower DAVID LOVELL
COLONEL FAIRFAX under sentence of death MICHAEL ABBS
SERGEANT MERYLL of the Yeomen of the Guard CHARLES POLE
LEONARD MERYLL his son ROGER FRY
JACK POINT a Strolling Jester CLIVE HAWLEY
WILFRED SHADBOLT Head Jailor & Assistant Tormentor DAVID MONK
FIRST YEOMAN DAVID GILBERT
SECOND YEOMAN RALPH FOGGIN

ELSIE MAYNARD a Strolling Singer LYNDA SMART
PHOEBE MERYLL Sergeant Meryll's daughter VIVIENNE WARD
DAME CARRUTHERS Housekeeper to the Tower JOYCE ELLIOTT
KATE her niece NICOLA HARRIS
FIRST CITIZEN JOHN GOW
SECOND CITIZEN RICHARD McKEOWN

YEOMEN 1996 CHORUS
CITIZENS ETC; STEPHANIE BATCHELOR, DOREEN BEVAN, KATH CARTER, TRACIE FLAXMAN, ELIZABETH FOX, ZENA GRADY, MARCIA HARRIS, JO HAYES, JENNIFER HAWLEY, CHRISTINE HERRICK, PAT HUMPHREYS, HELEN HURST, MELINDA JOHNSON, DEBBIE LEE, CLAIRE REYNOLDS, PAM SPOKES, RUTH STEVENS, SARAH TAYLOR, BETTY WHALLEY. TOM ALLEN, ADRIAN BALE, MIKE BEVAN, ERIC BLOWER, JOHN BOOTH, GRAHAM FROST, BARRY HODBY, RICHARD HOPWOOD, IAN JOHNSON, DON JONES, ROBERT KEMP, ANDREW LARKIN, FRED ROWE, ALAN STEWART, MIKE WHITLOCK

THE STORY OF THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD 1996

THE STORY OF THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD ACT I Wilfred Shadbolt (Head Jailer and Assistant Tormentor) loves Phoebe Meryll, but she loves Colonel Fairfax, an innocent prisoner in the Tower, sentenced to die.

Dame Carruthers tells of the history of the Tower. The Meryll family hatch a plan of escape for Fairfax - he will assume the identity of Leonard (Phoebe's brother).

Unaware of this plan, Fairfax makes a last request of the Lieutenant of the Tower - that he be married before he dies, to anyone who is willing, in order to outwit an evil cousin. The reward will be one hundred crowns.

The crowd rushes in, pursuing Jack Point and Elsie Maynard, two strolling players. On hearing of Elsie's need for money for her sick mother, the Lieutenant suggests that Elsie marries Fairfax to earn the reward. Jack Point (the Jester) loves Elsie and is reluctant but the wedding takes place.

Sergeant Meryll releases Fairfax who becomes Leonard as planned. The crowd gathers for the execution but the prisoner has escaped and all is confusion.

ACT II Two days have passed and the prisoner is still missing. Point offers to teach Shadbolt the art of jesting if, in return, he will claim to have shot and killed Fairfax while he tried to escape. This would leave the way clear for Point to continue his courtship of Elsie.

Dame Carruthers reveals to Fairfax the identity of his unknown bride. As Leonard, he proceeds to woo her but although attracted to him, she rejects his advances because she is married.

Shadbolt claims to have killed Fairfax. Elsie, believing herself to be a widow, reveals her deep love for Leonard and the two go off happily together leaving a distraught jester and a sorrowing Phoebe.

Shadbolt discovers that Leonard Meryll is really Colonel Fairfax and Phoebe is forced to buy his silence by offering to marry him. Sergeant Meryll covers his part in the escape by offering to marry Dame Carruthers.

A reprieve arrives for Fairfax and he and Elsie are happily united to the delight of all save the broken hearted jester.

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