Lady Chatterley's Lover

Thursday 8 March to Saturday 10 March, 2012
To be presented at the Playhouse Theatre, Whitstable.

Synopsis:

This is the tempestuous tale of wheel-chair bound Sir Clifford Chatterley (disabled in The Great War), his devoted but lonely wife, Connie, his enigmatic gardener Oliver Mellors, and his scheming housekeeper, Mrs Bolton.

Although they form the core of the story, there are many other characters, including Connie's father, Sir Malcolm Reid, her sister, Hilda, Clifford' s intellectual friends, and two Italian gigolos! Set in the mining area of Derbyshire, with industrialisation threatening traditional county society, this is a story of class divisions and emotional manipulation, with the infamous, tempestuous love-affair between Connie and Mellors at its thematic heart.

An ensemble of 10 performers is needed to bring this controversial and dramatic story to life. With 30 scenes – ranging from the Chatterley home to Wragby woods, from Venice to inside Tevershall pit, this production will be highly theatrical in style, aiming for an excitingly visual as well as dramatically hard-hitting impact. As for the notorious sex scenes, this is theatre, not film, and the symbolic power of suggestion is the key.

Auditions to the ensemble will take the form of two linked workshops, to introduce potential cast-members to the play and to Huw' s style of working. Individual roles will be cast once the acting-company has been established.

Director:

Huw Jones

Huw Jones Assistant Director: Barefoot in the Park. Huw is an experienced theatre professional who has directed over 200 productions, many with non-professionals. Trained at Central School of Speech and Drama, he has taught drama in schools and colleges, been Portsmouth’s drama advisory teacher, and for 15 years was Director of Portsmouth Arts Centre. Before moving to Kent, he ran his own company, Mansel Productions, undertaking a variety of projects in Hampshire and abroad, in Warsaw, Poland. Currently Head of Drama at Kent College, Canterbury. Huw has recently joined the Players, becoming Assistant Director for Barefoot in the Park. He will be directing Lady Chatterley’s Lover in Spring 2012

HUW JONES' REVIEWS.

"Every actor in this production demonstrated both comedic and dramatic qualities in a play impeccably directed by Ian Burroughs, assisted by Huw Jones."
(Barefoot In the Park.)