Serjeant Musgrave's Dance (1986)

Author:
New Play:

Venue:
Location:
Staging:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
John Arden
No

Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round
Main house (Round)
Round

12 November 1986
12 November 1986
6 December 1986
Director:
Lighting:
Design:
Costumes:
Music:

Stage Manager:
Deputy Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Robin Herford
Mick Thomas
Clare Bracewell
Lynn Aitken
Paul Todd

Duncan Lewis
Pat Fawcett
David Parker
Jan Dawson
Character
Private Sparky
Bludgeon
Private Hurst
Serjeant Musgrave
Mrs Hitchcock
Private Attercliffe
The Parson
Annie
The Constable
The Mayor
A slow collier
A pugnacious collier
Walsh
A trooper of Dragoons
An officer of Dragoons
Actor
Nigel Cooke
Stanley Page
Lennox Greaves
Edward Peel
Jan Bashford
Ric Morgan
Daniel Collings
Sharon Akerboom
Terence Booth
Randal Herley
Martin Barrass
Stephen Jacobs
Dominic Letts
James Beresford
Stephen Mallatratt

Why is this play significant?

Between 1986 and 1988, Alan Ayckbourn took a sabbatical from Scarborough to become a Company Director at the National Theatre. During this period, the company was run on a day-to-day basis by Robin Herford and this was his first production as co-Artistic Director. Alan Ayckbourn would later stage he would never have thought or attempted to have staged this play in Scarborough, but was delighted to hear it was a great success.

Notes

○ The production featured one of the company’s more challenging prop requirements with the need for a vintage Gatling Gun (a machine gun with a cluster of revolving barrels). The prop was finally sourced from the National Theatre’s armoury.
○ The second night of the play’s run was a fund-raising event for the charity Amnesty International.
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.