Enchanted April by Matthew Barber May 2006
Directed by Phil Fitzpatrick
| Lotty Wilton | Julie Mullin |
| Rose Arnott | Nell Brady |
| Lady Caroline Bramble | Susan Buggle |
| Mrs Graves | Una Rooney |
| Costanza | Sheila O’Kelly |
| Mellersh Wilton | Michael Crawford |
| Mr. Arnott | Peter Hassett |
| Anthony Wilding | Paul Cusack |
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Director’s Note
On behalf of the Rathfarnham Theatre Group, I am delighted to welcome you to our production of “Enchanted April” by Matthew Barber.
This is my first time to direct a full-length production for Rathfarnham Theatre Group, and I do hope you enjoy it. Congratulations to the cast and crew — some experienced and some newcomers — I’m sure there will be great performances all round!
As we enter our 15th year in existence, we have much to celebrate: our first time on the festival circuit produced a number of awards, and our successes included Overall Winners in two out of four festivals entered. We are also very proud of our affiliation with the new Mill Theatre in Dundrum, where we will be performing later this year.
We are thrilled to stage this production in Rathfarnham Castle, where we presented an Oscar Wilde night over five years ago. Our heartfelt thanks go to Catherine and Melissa from the Office of Public Works for allowing us to use this wonderful venue, and also to the security staff of Rathfarnham Castle for their advice and help.
As always, I must thank Tom Mullins and the Board of Management and staff of St Mary’s Boys National School, Rathfarnham for providing us with a rehearsal venue, and for their continuing support.
I would also like to thank our wonderful patrons, and everyone who supports us by attending our performances, be they Workshops or full-length productions. Having a loyal and supportive audience allows our members to develop as performers, and also encourages new members to join the Group.
Finally, thank you all for coming, and I hope you enjoy this light and charming romantic comedy.
Phil Fitzpatrick, Director
The Play
This play is set in two very different locations: Act 1 takes place in London, England; Act 2 in Mezzago, Italy. It is four years after the Great War, which took the lives of one million British soldiers.
Two proper London housewives decide to rent a villa in Italy for a holiday from their bleak marriages. They recruit two other very different English women to share the cost and the experience.
During their enchanted month in the Italian villa, the women fall under the spell of their idyllic surroundings. Amid the wisteria blossoms, they re-discover laughter, learn new truths about themselves and find just the romance they need, though maybe not the romance they expect to find ...