The Doubtful Guest

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The competitions for free tickets are now closed.

Thanks to all those who entered.and congratulations to the winners. Hope you enjoyed the show.

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...........presents as part of the

Watford..Palace..Centenary..Season

Hoipolloi and the Theatre Royal, Plymouth in association with English Touring Theatre

The Doubtful Guest

13th - 22nd March 2008

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_{It came seventeen years ago - and to this day}

_{....It has shown no intention of going away...!}

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Inspired by Edward Gorey's book

Written and directed by Shôn Dale-Jones

Designed by Stefanie Müller

Composer/Sound Designer: Alex Rudd

Lighting Designer: Peter Harrison

On a wild winter night, a seemingly normal household hears the door bell ring. They look outside but at first see no-one. Then they spot a fantastical creature “whose peculiar appearance gives them quite a turn”. It’s not cute but it is strangely appealing. Despite being unannounced and unwelcome, it decides to move in!

The creature seems simple and innocuous, but it shows itself to be surprisingly sophisticated as it wreaks havoc in the family and reveals a far-from-ordinary household. Combining elements of pantomime and farce, the story also has a deeper message as an allegory of deceptive simplicity.

This whimsical tale was written in 1957 by Edward Gorey, an eccentric artist and writer known for the decidedly macabre overtones of his drawings and stories. He was also a successful set and costume designer, earning a ‘Tony’ for his Broadway production of "Edward Gorey's Dracula." A mysterious and insular man, he loved the ballet, lived with numerous cats and produced work that cleverly balances dark atmospheric mystery with a captivating humour. He died in 2000 at the age of 75. While none of his work has yet reached the silver screen, The Doubtful Guest is now being made into a film directed by Brad Peyton with a script from the pen of Matthew Huffman, It's due for release in 2009.

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What flea thought of it

.....by our performing arts reporter

What an extraordinary 90 minutes I spent at the Watford Palace Theatre this evening. The Doubtful Guest is a short play without interval.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect and I’m not even sure where to start but in keeping with the humour of the evening, I’ll start at the beginning.

We’re introduced to a funny and eccentric family of 5 who sing, dance and have plenty to share with us. Their most pressing story is the one concerning their unexpected guest. We are treated to many instalments of story-telling from the night their guest arrives unexpectedly at the front door to their current situation.

I don’t want to give too much away but I would have preferred their surprise guest to make more appearances than offered to us, just for the sheer comedy factor. We did have to let our imagination work for us initially but it was well worth the wait towards the end.

Each cast member gave his/her portrayal of the family with memorable gusto. There were lots of children in the audience whose laughter infected the adults and this could be heard throughout the performance. My favourite character was Charlie Junior, played by Ben Frimston. He was the serious joker (if there can be such a thing) and it worked. Though the set was simple, it was well suited to the story being told and made it believable.

I loved the ending and can safely say I’ll never open my door on a wintry evening for fear that a doubtful guest may be hovering on my doorstep, well ok then, maybe if they’re not such an unruly one!!.

Well done to all those involved in the performance, you deserved the rapturous applause you received from your delighted audience.

Another FLEA recommend - especially for the whole family, suitable for all ages from 8+.
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Information about this Production

Watford Palace Theatre is pleased to welcome Hoipolloi’s brand new production of The Doubtful Guest inspired by the book by Edward Gorey, which previews 13-22 March. It is the company’s first ensemble piece since their incredible success with comic creation Hugh Hughes in the production Floating which won a Fringe First 07, and a Total Theatre Award 06 and was nominated for The Stage Award for Acting Excellence in 06.

Born in 1925 (d. 2000), American cult icon Edward Gorey was famous for his dark, sneakily sinister books and intricately drawn accompanying illustrations. He was a self-confessed misfit whose peculiar output appealed to both children and adults alike. The Doubtful Guest (published in 1957), about a fantastical creature who arrives at a seemingly normal household to disrupt their ordered lives, is one of Gorey’s most popular tales in the USA with a film version by Jim Henson due to be released in 2009. Edward Gorey has influenced a generation of creative iconoclasts such as award-winning director Tim Burton and gothic band the Tigerlillies,

The Doubtful Guest’s macabre subject matter, creepy drawings and humorous rhymes are ideal for a Hoipolloi production. Using their visually dynamic, accessible approach to theatre, Hoipolloi explore the book’s themes of individual identity and the family unit and play with audiences’ sense of reality. It is suitable for anyone aged 8 and upwards.

The Doubtful Guest is written and directed by Shôn Dale-Jones, better known as Hugh Hughes, who is excited about creating this new production.

Dale-Jones comments: ‘We feel privileged to be the first theatre company in the UK to stage the book, which is such powerful and fantastic source material. And we’re grateful for the support of the Theatre Royal Plymouth, English Touring Theatre and Watford Palace Theatre in being able to realise our vision for the production. I hope the show will be a perfect Easter treat for our audiences.’

The cast and creative team includes: Ben Frimston, Stefanie Müller, Jill Norman, Andrew Pembrooke and Trond-Erik Vassdal.

The Doubtful Guest is produced by arrangement with The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust and supported by Arts Council England with thanks to the Meridian Theatre Awards in association with Interact. ………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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