Scarborough’s Lost and Found Collective will present a unique double bill of rarely seen plays at the Stephen Joseph Theatre on Friday 3 October, marking the venue’s 70th anniversary.
Directed by Paul Elsam, biographer of the theatre’s founder Stephen Joseph, the evening features Alas Poor Fred by James Saunders and The Disguises of Arlecchino by Clifford Williams.
Alas Poor Fred was originally produced in a heavily edited version by Stephen Joseph in 1958. This staging marks the first full production of the uncut play.
Something funny has happened to Fred. Not funny… odd. Quite odd. Will Ernest ever get to the bottom of it? As Ethel knits, the clock ticks… but what day is it? Does November really come before September? And where actually is Fido…?
Rooted in the theatre of the absurd, Alas Poor Fred is a funny and moving piece that nods to Beckett and Ionesco, exploring memory and the echoes of the past.
The Disguises of Arlecchino is the only original play written by Clifford Williams before he became an internationally acclaimed director. It was briefly performed in Scarborough in 1956.
Perhaps you know Harlequin? Or maybe modern anti-hero Harley Quinn is more your style. We present: Arlecchino – the original anarchist! – a savvy Italian manservant with a talent for disguise and an instinct to Get Rich Quick (then promptly lose it all again).
The cast of Alas Poor Fred features Dan Henley and Georgie Samuels. The Disguises of Arlecchino stars Gui Sá Pessoa, David Lomond, Hannah Curtis and Dan Henley. Technical support is provided by Lee Ure, with wardrobe by Ruth Hill-Beeley.
Director Paul Elsam says:
“A digital artist explained to me recently about AI in the Arts. It’s not really artificial and in no real sense intelligent: it simply bottom-trawls the digitised record of human creative achievement, then uses that to predict stuff. Basically, it’s advanced predictive text.
“The thought struck me that only one art form can never be replaced by AI: intimate live theatre. These two little plays are both very human, highly intelligent and entirely unpredictable – unless of course you saw them briefly when, comet-like, they flashed and burned in Scarborough some six decades ago.
“Both come from the forgotten personal archive of Stephen Joseph. Lost for half a century in an attic, this dusty collection of ink-smudged paper is astonishing – featuring some of the most exciting forgotten British stage plays of the post-war years. Both came from the wonky typewriters of soon-to-be stars of the theatre.”
Alas Poor Fred/The Disguises of Arlecchino will be performed at 7pm on Friday 3 October at the Stephen Joseph Theatre.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
