Mixed Doubles

Year
1988 - 1989

Creatives
Director: Chris Deen

Production Leaders: Arnold Keizer, Ingrid van Tuinen

Writer
Alan Ayckbourn

John Bowen

George Melly

James Saunders

Fay Weldon

Synopsis
Mixed Doubles was first performed on 6 February 1969 in the Hampstead Theatre Club under the title We Who Are About To... The play consists of short scenes written by various English actors. The main theme in the dialogues is marriage. The scenes give an image of marriage from the moment of blessing up until the silver wedding anniversary. In between the dialogues, a large number of people is being put on stage in various professional capacities. The people in Mixed Doubles are plagued by everyday trivialities, their past, their job, and their marital problems. Even though marriage is presented as some kind of wrestling, the subtitle "an entertainment on marriage" can provide one with the information that many scenes have been given an ironical touch by both the authors and the actors. The play consists of The Vicar (George Melly), A Man's Best Friend (James Saunders), The Bank Manager (George Melly), Score (Lyndon Brook), The Lawyer (George Melly), Norma (Alun Owen), The Nannie (George Melly), Night (Harold Pinter), The Advertising Man (George Melly), Permanence (Fay Weldon), The Headmaster (George Melly), Countdown (Alan Ayckbourn), The Union Official (George Melly), and The Silver Wedding (John Bowen).

Cast
Paul Hulsman: in The Bank Manager, The Advertising Man and Silver Wedding.

Elke Meiborg: in A Man's Best Friend, Score, Norma and Countdown.

Martin Noorda: in A Man's Best Friend and The Headmaster.

Hans Veenkamp: in Score and Permanence.

Wynzen de Vries: in The Lawyer, Night, and Countdown.

Trudie Wierts: in The Nannie, Night, Permanence, and Silver Wedding.

Ben Zuidema: in The Vicar, Norma, and The Union Official.

Crew
Greta van Dijk (Make-Up)

Mary Fennema (Prompter)

Ria Heijmer (Make-up)

Ad Kasse (Set)

Arnold Keizer (Set, Lighting)

Gerard Kingma (Set, Lighting)

Ineke Sterringa (Stage Management)

Performances
April 17th 1989: Kruithuis

April 18th 1989: Kruithuis

April 21st 1989: Prinsentheater

Sponsors
Antiquarian Books Timbuctoo Groningen

Athena's Boekhandel

Behrens & Van Londen Coöperatieve Boekhandel Groningen

Boekhandel Scholtens Groningen

Culinair Café "de Benjamin" Groningen

Frans Koopal Haarwerken & Theatershop Groningen

Henk Carlier Computers & Computer equipment Groningen

Jan Rooken "Vakmensen in Muziekweergave" Groningen

Special Thanks
Alexandra Gaylord (Pronunciation consultant)

Dhr. Keizer (Set building)

Wim Tommassen (Director support)

Frank Volmerink (Poster design)

Primafoon Groningen