For One Night Only at the Theatre in the Dockyard
 |
|
SHIRLEY VALENTINE An unpredictable, wisecracking but bored English housewife accepts an invitation from a friend to vacation in Greece
and rediscovers her zest for life and love.
Inside Mrs Joe Bradshaw - 42 year-old mother of two grown children - is the former Shirley Valentine longing to get out. Her hope and self-confidence badly shattered by school, marriage and life, she is reduced to talking to the kitchen wall whilst preparing her husband's evening meal - to be on the table as he opens the front door every night. As she sips a glass of wine she dreams of drinking in a country where the grape is grown. Her feminist friend offers her a holiday in Greece and, with great trepidation and a lot of forward planning, Shirley seizes the opportunity and goes, to encounter a totally different lifestyle. Shirley, breaking out of the mold cast for her by society, is brilliantly shown with humour, warm sympathy and human insight by the author of Educating Rita, Breezeblock Park and Blood Brothers. The Anchor Players is proud to present the multi talented and extremely well travelled Beverly Charpentier in this modern classic. |
| BEVERLY CHARPENTIER |
|
|
Born in South Africa, Beverly began her acting career in Johannesburg in 1967. After many
years as a freelance performer in theatre and in the radio and television studios of
Johannesburg, she began working as a writer. Her South African career was cut short by a
move to Mexico where she continued acting for ACT (the American Theatre Company) taking the
lead in such productions as Agnes of God and I do I do.
While in Mexico she wrote and directed The Power of Piaf which played for
two years in South Africa, starring Daniele. From Mexico she moved to Paris
where she collected awards for her French play Le Quart d'Heure de Rabelais
and the short story El Fuego.
Since returning to South Africa she has appeared to acclaim in Educating Rita, Dickens' Women and Shirley Valentine. |
|
|
WILLY RUSSEL Willy Russel was born in 1947 in Liverpool, in a world
where most boys aspired only to a better position on the factory assembly line, Willy's
dream was to become a writer. His mother, believing that writing was not 'a proper job'
found him a position as a lady's hairdresser. He hated it. He went to night school, qualified
as a teacher in 1973 and began writing. In 1977 he was created a Fellow of Creative Writing
at Manchester Polytechnic. He is now known as the acclaimed author of such wonderful comedy
successes as Shirley Valentine and Educating Rita.
|
