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The Play

One of Shakespeare's least performed pieces, "All's Well That Ends Well" is a wintry play that follows a group of young people growing into an adult world, with all the attendant lessons of love and life that it brings. Its central character is the anti-hero Bertram, who rejects the young Helena because of her lack of noble birth. The irony of the play is that she has a nobility of character and attitude that marks the moral core of the piece. The play also looks closely at gender differences, the women bringing self-knowledge and understanding of the world they live in and the men escaping to play their games of plotting and war.

Cast

Countess of Rousillion (Rebecca Fardoe), Bertram (Freddie Mills), Helena (Cheryl Larsen), Parolles (Mathew Thomas), Lavatch (Joe Martin), King of France (Gareth John Bale), Lafew (Rhian Checkland), The Brothers Dumaine (Stuart Broad, Simon Lucas), Lords (Nick Richards, Trystan Wyn), Interpreter (Joe Martin), Duke of Florence (Leon Davies), The Widow Capilet (Ann-Marie Richards), Diana (Alison John), Mariana (Gemma Rowlands), Violenta (Lowri O'Connor), Servants, Soldiers, Citizens of Florence (Suzanne Alcarnaz, Richard Burkinshaw, Becky Cole, Ruth Davies, Leon Davies, Adele Eades, Abigail Ede, Caitlin Evans, Rebecca Fardoe, Emma Griffiths, Amy Howerska, Ben Jenkins, Sophie Lewis, Elin Leyshon, Kirsten McTernan, Gina Mobbs, Lowri O'Connor, Lisa Pedrick, Vikki Perry, Owen Pillai, Matt Rees, Rebecca Snary, Rachel Thomas, Bethan Walker, Ffion Williams).

Production Team

Gemma Rogers (Company Manager), Chloe Morgan (Stage Manager), Ben Austin, Menna Beynon, Hedydd Coventry, Tom James, James Tamlin.

Musicians - Kathryn Bromham, Michael Phillips.

Staff

Direction - Derek Cobley, Alison O'Connor.
Incidental Music - John Quirk
Acting - Robert Barton, Alison O'Connor, Kevin Matherick
Production - Mary Pugh, Mark Heycock, Rhian Davies-Jones, Adrian Hocking, Jeff Lewis.

Course Notes

Unusually for a "Christmas Course", this was one of two full plays performed by the company in the same week, the other being "Under the Moon" by writer Vivian French. All Well was the ninth Shakespearian text to be staged by the company, and the third under the direction of Derek Cobley.