His Dark Materials (2018)

Poster by Bryon Fear

by Philip Pullman adapted by Nicholas Wright

Directed by Peter Stevens and Siobhan Campbell

Performances: Tue 20th – Sat 24th March 2018, the Old Fire Station

• Part 1 – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday matinee
• Part 2 – Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening

Introduction

His Dark Materials was the first show to take place in the Old Fire Station theatre space after the renovation works, produced by SLT Youth Theatre.

Synopsis

In a parallel world, much like our own, a young girl called Lyra lives in an Oxford college. In her world, every human has a daemon or animal companion. Lyra doesn’t know her parents, but she can look after herself with her fists if necessary, and has a reputation for telling tales.

Lyra’s uncle, the explorer Lord Asriel, reports on his most recent expedition to the Arctic. His photographs, taken using a special lens, reveal the presence of particles known as ‘dust’ and when the lens is trained on the Aurora Borealis, a city is revealed, suggesting that dust flows from world to another. This causes arguments between scholars who support the Church and those who believe in multiple worlds.

Meanwhile, all over the country, children are going missing, rumoured to be kidnapped by a group known as the Gobblers. Lyra is put into the care of Mrs Coulter, but not before her friend Roger goes missing.

Armed with her alethiometer – a rare truth-telling device – Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon set off to rescue Roger. Along the way, Lyra meets a boy from our universe, Will Parry, who has somehow managed to travel through a window between worlds.

Cast

Part 1

• Older Lyra – Kelly-Kim Cranstoun
• Older Will – David Clements
• Pantalaimon – Pavel Blawat
• Lyra Belacqua – Maddie Adderley
• Will Parry – Luke Suthren
• Master of Jordan College / Farder Coram – Jack Hall
• Lord Asriel – Gerard Johnson
• Stelmaria – Olivia O’Donnell
• Thorold – Amelie Gaynair
• Mrs Coulter – Jenny McLaughlin
• Golden Monkey – Leonardo Miller
• Fra Pavel – Anya Bedford
• Cawson – Abrianna Pryce
• Mrs Lonsdale / Tortured Witch – Tabby McLachlan
• Roger Parslow – Alec O’Sullivan
• Salcilia – Tala Stewart Khan
• Billy Costa – Jake Neale
• Tony Costa / Tullio – Theo Burman
• Lord Boreal – Simon Gleisner
• Ben – Oliver Ridgeway
• Iorek Byrnison – voiced by Bryon Fear and Bob Callender
• Lee Scoresby – Stefan Trout
• Hester – Megan le Maréchal
• Iofur Raknison – voiced by Charles Doyle
• President of the Consistorial Court – Alan Taylor
• Brother Jasper / John Faa – Louie Chapman
• Serafina Pekkala – Catherine Raku-Evans
• Kaisa – Jaeden Brock
• Ruta Skadi – Samantha Moore Verity
• Witches – Iris Payne, Arabella Ferrante-Keable, Charlotte Hodgson-Roch
• Jopari – Matthew Davies
• Giacomo Paradisi – David Clements
• Scholars / Egyptians / Gobbler Victims / Doctors and Nurses of Bolvanger / Bear Patrol / Children of Cittàgazze / Tartar Guards / Librarians / Officers / Puppeteers – Isha Bah, Jaeden Brock, Jaryd Brock, Magnus Burgess Pritchard, Isabella Croaker, Arabella Ferrante-Keable, Jack Hall, Charlotte Hodgson-Roch, Carys le Maréchal, Megan le Maréchal, Raphaella Louks-Kirwan, Tabby McLachlan, Olivia O’Donnell, Iris Payne, Abrianna Pryce, Sylvie Quick, Anset Riley, Rose Sharville, Tala Stewart Khan, Luke Suthren, Abbie Tolman

Part 2

• Older Lyra – Kelly-Kim Cranstoun
• Older Will – David Clements
• Lyra Belacqua – Alessandra Rey
• Pantalaimon – Rory Gibson
• Will Parry – Charlie Anderson
• President of the Consistorial Court – Alan Taylor
• Brother Jasper – Louie Chapman
• Lord Boreal – Simon Gleisner
• Mrs Coulter – Jenny McLaughlin
• The Golden Monkey – Jonah Snowdon
• Serafina Pekkala – Catherine Raku-Evans
• Kaisa – Isaac Timms Hardy
• Witches – Cici Fisk, Nelly Fisk, Edie Lyons, Sylvie Strong
• Giacomo Paradisi – David Clements
• Lord Asriel – Gerard Johnson
• Stelmaria – Eleanor Walker
• Ruta Skadi – Samantha Moore Verity
• Jopari – Matthew Davies
• Balthamos – Libby Hole
• Baruch – Pharell Rowland-Osborne
• Iorek Byrnison – voiced by Bryon Fear / Bob Callender
• Mr Perkins – Finley Robertson
• Jeptha Jones – Linus Francis
• Hannah Jones – Bessie Rafferty
• Boatman – Sufyan Samar
• No-Name – Bea Butler
• Roger Parslow – Robert Shepherd
• Kirjava – Eleanor Walker
• Land of the Dead / Clerics / Children of Cittàgazze / Bear Patrol / Officers / Cliff-ghasts: Cici Fisk, Nelly Fisk, Elia Gasparini, Rory Hacker, Libby Hole, Edie Lyons, Iris Mercer, Martha Moody, Zenna Motl, Joyce Mukoko-Kunda, Hugo Patron Mowat, Bessie Rafferty, Lola Rafferty, Pharell Rowland-Osborne, Alana Street, Sylvie Strong, Eleanor Walker.

Crew

• Producer – Dave Hollander
• Assistant directors – Stefan Trout, David Clements, Louie Chapman
• Stage manager – Graham Clements
• Assistant stage manager – Max Moore
• Lighting – Peter Stevens, Charles Doyle
• Music and sound design – Peter Stevens, Gerard Johnson
• Projections – Dave Hollander
• Costume – Jess Osorio, Jenny Bennett, Sere Ogunsanya, Jenny McLaughlin
• Props / puppets – Anna Rubincam, Sarah Webster, Bex Law, Carole Ironside
• Lighting / sound operators – Lee Ridgeway, Rachael Lovegrove
• Make-up – Kelly-Kim Cranstoun, Anna Rubincam, Alastair Moody
• Chaperones – Alice Hole, Charlotte Benstead, Amma Boateng

Thanks

Sarah and Robin at the Hope; Ash Contracting Ltd; Thomas Ford and Partners; Jonny Dixon; Caroline Beckett, Kim Goldsmith and the box office team; Jeanette Hoile and the front of house team; Matthew Lyne and the bar team; Charles Doyle and everyone who volunteered to set up the theatre

Reminiscences and Anecdotes

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See Also

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Or add anything that is related within this site. The author's page for instance or other plays with a similar theme.

External Links

• This play on the web