The Beggar’s Opera
The Beggar’s Opera is a ballad opera, a satiric play using some of the conventions of opera, but without the recitative.
It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama. The lyrics of the airs in the play are set to popular broadsheet ballads, opera arias, church hymns, and folk tunes of the time.
The original run of The Beggar’s Opera, of 62 successive performances, was the longest run in the theatre up to that time.
This production won huge critical acclaim both for its performances and the clever staging & production values.
Sponsored by Young & Co’s Brewery plc
Cast & Creative
Cast List
| Character | Actor |
| The Beggar | Mark Holliday |
| Mr Peachum | Bob Salter |
| Mrs Peachum | Marion McLaren |
| Polly Peachum | Lesley Cox |
| Filch | Paul Viney |
| Captain Macheath | Andrew Macbean |
| Matt of the Mint | Richard Matthaie |
| Nimming Ned | Douglas Roberts |
| Jeremy Twitcher | Stan Brown |
| Cross-fingered jack | John Powter |
| Wat Dreary | Peter Vaughan |
| Robin of Bagshot | Iain Calder |
| Jenny Diver | Angela Sturgeon |
| Mrs Coaxer | Merian Ganjou |
| Dolly Trull | Marion Alais |
| Mrs Vixen | Claire Walker |
| Betty Doxy | Sonya Raymond |
| Mrs Slammekin | Terry Parsons |
| Suky Tawdry | Frances Warhurst |
| Molly Brazen | Margaret Boughton |
| Servant | Janet Turner |
| Drawers | Tim Marks |
| Constables | David Sewell |
| Clergyman | Clive Tibbitts |
| Mr Lockit | Roger Roseboom |
| Lucy Lockit | Mandy Stenhouse |
| Mrs Di Trapes | Patricia Vandepeer |
| Wench | Mary Fraser |
| Wench | Ellen Harvey-Smart |
| Wench | Louise Stevenson |
Creative Team
| Role | Name |
| Producer | Jessica Joyce |
| Musical Director | Mike Carver |
| Designer | David Casey |
| Production Manager | Julie Thomas |
| Stage Manager | John Mitchell |
| Deputy Stage Manager | Barbara Mitchell |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Trevor Marland |
| Costume Coordinator | Pauline Kendrick |
| Prompt | Patricia Vandepeer |
| Props | Peter Sporle |
| Costumes | Spectrum Theatre Productions |
| Sets construction | The Brew Crew |
| Lighting | Paul Viney |
| Lighting | Andy Collier |
| Lighting | Peter Willis |
| Box Office | Claire Walker |
| Front of House | John Boult |
| Front of House | Margaret Collier |
| Flute | Stephen O'Regan |
| Clarinet | Mary Scolding |
| Percussion | Mike Perry |
| Piano | Mike Carver |
| Bass | Martin Wilcox |
Show Date: November 1986
Venue: York House Twickenham
Rehearsal & Show Highlights
