A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum!

THE curtain goes up tonight (Thursday, March 27, 2014) for the opening performance of Chard Light Operatic Society’s latest production – A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.

CLOS will be staging the Rome-based production tonight, tomorrow (Friday, March 28) and Saturday (March 29) at 7.30pm with a matinee show on the Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and based on a book by Burt Shedlove and Larry Gelbart , this hilarious musical comedy was the inspiration for ‘Up Pompeii’, the hit 70s TV comedy series starring Frankie Howerd.

PHOTO - TOP: The Chard Light Operatic Society cast of A Funny Thing Happpened On The Way To The Forum.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Adam Chudley as Hero and Silvey Webber as Philia.

Set in ancient Rome, it tells the bawdy story of the lying, cheating slave Pseudolus (played by Neil Wells) and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master, Hero (Adam Chudley) to woo Philia, the girl next door, charmingly portrayed by Silvey Webber. Only one problem: the virgin Philia has already been sold to Miles Gloriosus (Ian Crew) - a far more powerful man!

With a plot that includes all the elements of the classic farce there is something for everyone; audiences can look forward to serious satire, outrageous puns and unbelievable cases of mistaken identity as well as voluptuous courtesans, uproarious funerals and, of course, lots of chases.

The opening number, Comedy Tonight, is among the most well-known songs from any musical and there are plenty of others to make you laugh (and cry) including the heartfelt Everybody Ought To Have A Maid, performed by the hen-pecked Senex (Greg Groves),

Pseudolus, chief slave Hystericum (Andy Treble) and ‘purveyor of the courtesans’ (or pimp!) Marcus Lycus (Ian Craig), the rousing Bring Me My Bride, featuring Ian Crew as the boastful Roman captain Miles Gloriosus and the intriguingly titled That Dirty Old Man, sung by Senex’s wife Domina (Marjie Dorling).

Tickets for the show are on sale at Barron’s in Holyrood Street, Chard.

For more photos from the show - click on the link: http://www.yeovilpress.co.uk/blog/2014/03/27/clos-and-a-funny-thing-etc-march-2014/

PHOTO - ABOVE: Gymnasia played by Vanessa Cross.

Tags:
Leisure.