Hello SMP people, it’s Paul Adam Levy here to give you an update on the festival plays. We have two entered in the Welwyn Drama Festival this year, House Proud and An Order of Lunacy (previously known as Rumour of Husband Murder until it was pointed out to me that might be a terrible thing to call a play).
House Proud is comedy about the mess of both the leave and remain Brexit campaigns. It features people yelling, standing on chairs, fictitious energy drinks, voting, an axe, and the Union Jack, all of which are enjoyable on their own or collectively, so there’s something for everyone there – why not bring your nan?
I’ll be appearing in House Proud, which breaks my oath about never getting on stage again since my time playing trees, woodland creatures, and generic town children when my parents made me be in the chorus of SMP. But I’ll be dead with a newspaper over me so I won’t be inflicting my acting talent or face on all who care to come and see it.
We have a very talented cast who have been working very hard to make this happen, and David Bowman, who is directing, has been driving the force with his passion for the play. This is the second time David has directed one my plays, his first being Career Day, and I’m learning a lot from him. Plus he genuinely knows the script better than me, evident when he pointed out that I had bought the entirely wrong prop for a key scene.
An Order of Lunacy is my first drama set in Victorian England, three years before the lunacy reform bill. It follows two mad doctors investigating a double case of female insanity at a manor house, but it soon becomes clear that these cases are not as straight forward as they first appear.
I wanted to write a play covering the strange laws which granted mad-doctors so much power in the 1800’s, and how these laws left ordinary citizens at the mercy of corrupt asylum owners and the examining doctor’s moral standards.
As I have been busy playing a corpse, I haven’t had a much of chance to sit in on rehearsals which take place at the same time as House Proud. This is a shame as Rebecca Gediking is directing and I learned a lot from watching her direct Rally Cry, I play I wrote for the Welwyn festival last year.
Also a massive thank you to Ruth Wall who is stage managing both plays.
Both casts and crew of House Proud and An Order of Lunacy have been working extremely hard, many of who are also in Spamalot and other plays. It would be fantastic if you could come along to the Barn Theatre and see one or both (I personally recommend both).
Order of Lunacy – 21st May 07:30
House Proud – 24th May 07:30
Barn Theatre – Barn Close, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6ST
You can get your tickets over the interweb here: https://welwyndramafestival.com/tickets/
Or order direct from a person sat in a box office here: 01707 324300
Some tickets might still be available on the night for walk ins.