Shrubs of broom grow black and twisted As if by Devil’s fingers And the wind that never ceases Like a chorus from the dead. Those who lived here it’s for certain Would grow dark and tortured too. In Jamaica Inn, at the heart of the bleak Bodmin Moor, young Mary Yellan arrives to stay with her Aunt Patience and Uncle Joss after her mother’s death. However, she quickly senses the inn’s dark unwelcoming power and discovers her Uncle involved in mysterious goings-on in the dead of night. Never did Mary dream that she would become hopelessly ensnared in the villainous schemes being hatched within the inn’s crumbling walls - or that a handsome, mysterious stranger would so incite her passions, tempting her to love a man she dares not trust. For no one stops at Jamaica Inn. This version of Jamaica Inn, first performed by Salisbury Playhouse, published by Oberon Books. Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor Acts of the Play The play is set around Bodmin Moor in Cornwall in the winter of 1816. Act 1 Act 2 Scene 1 Arriving at Jamaica Inn Scene 8 Mary meets Jem Merlyn Scene 1 Marys Future Scene 7 The Kitchen Scene 2 Mary meets Joss Merlyn Scene 9 Squire Bassat Arrives Scene 2 The Moors on Christmas Eve Scene 8 Squire Bassats House Scene 3 The Moors Scene 10 The Kitchen Scene 3 Launceston Scene 9 Outside Jamaica Inn Scene 4 The Kitchen Scene 11 The Moors Scene 4 Wreckers on the Beach Scene 10 The Vicarage Scene 5 In the Bar Scene 12 The Vicarage Scene 5 The Kitchen Scene 6 Something strange at the Inn Scene 13 The Kitchen Scene 6 Locked in Scene 11 Mary and Davey on the Moors Scene 7 Merlyn, The Pedlar and the Stranger Scene 14 Mary & Jem on the Moors Scene 15 Joss’s Secrets Scene 12 New Life Begins
Lisa Evans Dame Daphne Du Maurier was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her notable works include Jamaica Inn (1936), Rebecca (1938), The Frenchman’s Creek (1941) and The Birds and Other Stories (1952). Lisa Evans Is an award-winning playwright who also writes for television and radio. Her plays and adaptations include Jamaica Inn, Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Cold Calling, Rise Up and Crime of the Century. Born in London in 1907, her father was actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and her mother was actress Muriel Beaumont. Her Grandfather was writer and cartoonist George du Maurier. Du Maurier’s work has always been classed as a romantic novelist, but her stories have been described as “moody and resonant” with some hints of the paranormal. Evans started out as an actress, training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and then working in both the UK and the USA before becoming a playwright. Evans has written for television series such as Casualty, Holby City, EastEnders, The Bill and Peak Practice. Radio plays include Hanging Fire, Women Can Fly and Thin Ice. Lisa has also been a writer-in-residence at Theatre Centre and the Temba Theatre Company and was an associated writer for Theatre by the Lake in Keswick. Lisa runs creative-writing workshops at theatres and writers’ groups around the UK and is currently a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at UCLH. The inspiration for Jamaica Inn came from a visit to The Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor in November 1930. One day she went horse riding with a friend when a mist suddenly materialised and they found themselves lost as darkness descended. They saved themselves by dismounting from their horses and allowing the animals to lead them back to the safety of the inn. Daphne would spend a few nights recovering in Jamaica Inn, whilst learning about its legendary history of smuggling activities. The brooding atmosphere of the hostelry and the wild moors inspired her to write this famous novel. Daphne Du Maurier died in 1989 at her home in Par, Cornwall, which had been the setting of many of her books. Directors Notes Yes, Directors’ as opposed to Director’s on this occasion. Almost a novelty for me as, in 40plus productions I’ve directed, this is only the second time that I’ve had a co-Director alongside to share the project. It’s been a really exciting experience too. Of course, Ed and I haven’t always agreed, but I’m relieved to say we have in everything of any importance and have needed to compromise in approximately 1% of everything else! I confess that I’m a bit of an interloper this time as Eddie had already had a successful production of this version of Jamaica Inn at The Electric Theatre. On that occasion, in 2015, I was his Movement and Chorus Director. This time our roles are more inter-connected and this is a very different production in many respects: there are more songs now and only two of that cast are on stage this time. I believe, in addition, that this is a much more ‘hard nosed’ production with our smuggler/wreckers rightly being far less sympathetic and more brutal. It’s a cliched tradition for ‘Director’s Notes’ to conclude by saying that it’s been enjoyable to direct and that one hopes the audience will enjoy the show. Of course, it has and I do, but this time I want to conclude by thanking the many behind the scenes in whatever capacity who, with little kudos, make this production tick like the Jammy Inn tavern clock! May you tick and tock for our Company for years to come! Thank you. Ian Nichols I first came across Jamaica Inn back at school, not having heard of Daphne Du Maurier; it was not a book I was particularly looking forward to reading. However once I started I could not stop, talk about a page turner! It must have been the first time any novel has had this effect on me, with all its twists and turns and skullduggery. Moving on many years later I directed Lisa Evan’s adaptation at The Electric Theatre and it is a production I particularly enjoyed directing, so this year we have decided to give it another go with a new cast and in tandem with my co-director Ian. The beauty of this theatrical lark is that every show is completely different, even if it is the same play. Fresh ideas come into the mix and things you previously had never thought of come into show and the production goes in a different but exciting direction. Taking the play to an open air environment will also give it another perspective. So hold onto your hats for this roller coaster ride of a thriller. Eddie Woolrich
Cast Mary Yellan Rachel Mawditt Woman Caroline Whillans Joss Merlyn Tim Brown Aunt Patience Claire Racklyeft Jem Merlyn Joe Hall Francis Davey Neil James Squire Bassat Mike Pennick Mrs Bassat Tessa Duggleby Harry the Pedlar Graham Russell-Price Richards Jonathan Constant Idiot of Dozmary Jeremy Gooding Stranger Tom Charlton Gypsy Pam Hemelryk Chorus/Ensemble Rosemary Chapman Richard Copperwaite Debby Dean Olivia Hogan-Gates Claire Howes Joanne Stephenson +Members of the Cast Creative Directors Ian Nichols & Eddie Woolrich Set Construction Stage Manager Tina Wareham Set Design Ian Nichols Set Design Realisation Graham Russell-Price Costumes Diane Nichols Lighting Kevin Malam Singing Coach Gabi King Sound Phil Vale Fight Choreographer Tom Levermore Properties Cris Wakeham & Alistair Williamson Dialect Coach Jenny Tullett Prompt Catherine Smart Lighting Consultant Gary Malam Stage Crew David Hemsley-Brown & Cheryl Malam Marketing/Graphic Design Gilly Fick Hair & Make-up Debby Dean, Sienna Metcalfe, Programme Tom Charlton & Cheryl Malam Michael Burne, Mike Dean, David Hemsley-Brown & Graham Russell-Price Seamstresses Rosemary Chapman, Pam Hemelryk, Diane Nichols, Catherine Smart & Barbara Tresidder Esme Spary & Lily Toghill Transport Michael Burne Music Composer Charlie Lester Front of House Diana Dean & Mike Dean Production Manager Cheryl Malam Photography Jonathan Constant & Kevin Malam Digital Image Design Jonathan Constant
1907-1989
“Something for nothing” During the 17th and 18th centuries in Southern England smuggling became part of everyday life, and was indeed more profitable than fishing. Cornwall in particular, with its rugged coastline, has a rich history of smuggling and wrecking. The county was a hub for illegal contraband such as brandy and gin. Smugglers used hidden coves and secret tunnels to transport their goods, and legends abound about their daring escapades. One Cornish man, John Carter from Breage, known as the “King of Prussia,” ran a successful smuggling ring along the west Cornwall coast. Cannons protected the small inlets of his base near Lands End. To this day the secret harbour he used is known as Prussia Cove. During the long period of the 18th century Continental Wars, the shortage of able-bodied men for home service, coupled with official corruption, allowed smugglers to do very much as they liked, and so they carried on their job in open defiance of the law. However one precaution they did take was to make villagers face the wall when they approached with their contraband. Then if an individual smuggler was arrested later, the villagers could truthfully swear that they had seen nothing, for hearing was not evidence. Shipwrecks were also common, and locals would quickly descend upon wrecked vessels to claim any goods that washed ashore as these were regarded as common property. The sight of a ship foundering, would bring the nearby population to the beach with pick-axes and hatchets. Swiftly the ship would be dismembered and the goods on it carried away. The local clergy were not exempt from these illicit activities. Clergymen such as the Rev Richard Dodge of Talland were involved in smuggling and he is reputed to have even spread stories of ghosts, supernatural phenomena and demons in the village to keep observers unaware of his involvement. One vicar whose Sunday service was interrupted by the announcement of a wreck on nearby rocks is said to have reacted by asking the congregation to remain seated until he had removed his cassock “so that we can all start fair”. By law, in those days, it was deemed illegal to claim salvage from a wrecked ship if anyone was alive on it. Therefore, the law virtually condemned any survivors found to death! Beacons were deliberately lit on the shore to lure ships towards the rocks where hopefully they would founder. The word “wrecking” became part of Cornish folklore. Today, Cornwall pays homage to its smuggling past through tourism, with restaurants and pubs bearing names that echo those daring days. Modern visitors to the Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor can relive the smugglers’ experience, as the inn has extensive collections of smuggling artefacts, alongside a display of various items owned by Daphne du Maurier, including her writing desk and typewriter. Adaptations Jamaica Inn (1939), Mayflower Productions Jamaica Inn (1983), ITV Jamaica Inn (2014), BBC Jamaica Inn has been adapted for the big screen only once. In 1939 Alfred Hitchcock directed the film adaptation, which starred Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara. However this version of the classic story differs from the book with the character Francis Davey being replaced with Charles Laughton’s character Sir Humphrey Pengallan. Du Maurier, was reported, to not be particularly enamoured of the film. Hitchcock would go onto direct two more Du Maurier stories with Rebecca in 1940 and the Birds in 1963. Jamaica Inn has been made for television three times; in 1983 an ITV mini series starring Jane Seymour, in 1995 as L’auberge de la Jamaïque, a French TV movie and in 2014 the BBC miniseries starring Jessica Brown Findlay. Several radio dramas have been adapted from 1939-2015, including serialised solo readings. Audiobooks have adapted the story from 1983-2004 with notable actors Trevor Eve, Tony Britton, Josie Lawrence and Samantha Bond narrating. The first known stage adaption of Jamaica Inn was scripted by Trevor Hedden and performed on tour by the Orchard Theatre Company in 1985. The second adaptation was by David Horlock and was performed at the Salisbury Playhouse in 1990. Lisa Evans wrote the 2004 adaptation of Jamaica Inn and this was also performed in 2007 and 2017.
Guildburys Theatre Company has been staging plays in Surrey since 1963, starting with its inaugural production entitled ’Not Much Cop’. Since those early days, the company has built an enviable reputation for high quality productions and well-crafted live shows. Our repertoire covers the full range; comedy, drama, farce, contemporary and those written some considerable time ago, performed in our regular venue at The Electric Theatre in Guildford, local Drama Festivals, small intimate venues (including at The Edinburgh Fringe) and our annual Picnic Theatre summer production performed open air. Our first outdoor production began with The Merry Wives of Windsor in 1990, staged in the dried up moat of Farnham Castle. Since then we have performed 33 shows in different locations from Farnham Castle, Waverley Abbey House and in recent years in the grounds of Merrist Wood College, Guildford. Our first Minack production began in 1979 with William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and we have been very honoured to perform four more shows. The Merchant of Venice (1979), Minack Theatre The Merry Wives of Windsor (1990) Farnham Castle Twelfth Night (1991) Farnham Castle Tom Jones (1992) Farnham Castle The Last Days of Don Juan (1993) Farnham Castle A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1994) Farnham Castle The Marriage of Figaro (2012) The Country Wife (1995) Farnham Castle The Comedy of Errors (1996) Farnham Castle The Rivals (1997) Farnham Castle As You Like It (1998) Farnham Castle Twelfth Night (1999) Farnham Castle The Merchant of Venice (2000) Farnham Castle The Beggar’s Opera (2001) Farnham Castle Canterbury Tales (2002) Farnham Castle Nell Gwynn (2017) The Merchant of Venice (2003) Farnham Castle Loves Labours Lost (2004) Farnham Castle Deckchairs (2005) Farnham Castle Two Gentlemen of Verona (2006) Farnham Castle Much Ado About Nothing (2007) Farnham Castle The Servant of Two Masters (2008) Farnham Castle The Goverment Inspector (2019) The Comedy of Errors (2009) Farnham Castle The Taming of the Shrew (2010) Farnham Castle As You Like It (2011) Farnham Castle The Marriage of Figaro (2012) Farnham Castle Tartuffe (2013) Farnham Castle & Minack Theatre Macbeth (2014) Waverley Abbey House & Haslemere Museum Twelfth Night (2015) Waverley Abbey House & Haslemere Museum Around the World in 80 Days (2022) The Merry Wives of Windsor (2016) Waverley Abbey House & Minack Theatre Nell Gwynn (2017) Waverley Abbey House Anne Boleyn (2018) Merrist Wood College The Goverment Inspector (2019) Merrist Wood College & Minack Theatre Around the World in 80 Days (2022) Merrist Wood College Cyrano De Bergerac (2023) Merrist Wood College Jamaica Inn (2024) Merrist Wood College & Minack Theatre Cyrano De Bergerac (2023)
Entertaining Angels - Autumn 2024 at The Electric Theatre, Guildford from November 27-30 ‘Richard Everett has written a warm, glowing, serious comedy, like an Ayckbourn play finished by J.M. Barrie.’ THE SUNDAY TIMES As a clergy wife Grace has spent a lifetime on best behaviour. Now, following the death of her husband Bardolph, she is enjoying the new-found freedom of being able to do – and say – exactly as she pleases. But the return of her eccentric missionary sister, Ruth, together with some disturbing revelations, forces Grace to confront the truth of her marriage. Staged in a classic English vicarage garden on a set complete with a grass-banked stream and willow, the play is filled with sharp-edged comedy and probing wit. Entertaining Angels began life by opening the main 2006 season at The Chichester Festival Theatre, playing to a recordbreaking 26,000 people in just over 3 weeks and we are delighted that the author will be joining us following a selected performance for a Q & A. Pride and Prejudice - Summer 2025 at Guildburys Merrist Wood Picnic Theatre from July 1619 “Delightful ... breathes life into the novel, transforming Austen’s wry, verbal humour into lightness and gaiety, while not overlooking the novel’s darker themes.” VANCOUVER COURIER More than 200 years after the novel first appeared in print, Janet Munsil’s witty, romantic, and ingenious adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved tale of the independent-minded Elizabeth Bennet and enigmatic Mr Darcy is remarkable for capturing the tone and compressing the complexity of the story into a fast-paced, funny, and fiercely romantic two hours on stage. Witness the unfolding of love, family dynamics, and the politics of marriage, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Merrist Wood House. Bridgerton with clothes on! Guildburys Theatre Company are proud to be affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (Noda South East) and the Guildford Amateur Theatre Association Follow Us www.guildburys.com
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