The Twenty Five

Jun 11 2019 | By More

Full cast of Knives in Hens announced

The full cast of 25 actresses taking on the role of Young Woman in the concert reading of David Harrower’s Knives in Hens at the Lyceum on Tuesday 11 June 2019 has been revealed.

The production is being staged by theatre company Pearlfisher as a memorial to actress Pauline Knowles who originated the role in 1995, with all proceeds from the evening going towards a scholarship fund in her name at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Pauline Knowles, Margaret Bennett and Martyn Bennett

The cast of “friends and admirers” as director Philip Howard describes it will include Nicola Roy and Helen MacKay who performed with Pauline in The Belle’s Stratagem in 2018, and Shyvonne Ahmmad and Natalie Mitson who are currently studying at the RCS.

Also performing as the Young Woman, in “varying combinations and accumulations”, will be Mirren Wilson, Gemma McElhinney, Kate Dickie, Emma Jayne Park, Molly Innes, Muireann Kelly and Lesley Hart

This, if you are wondering, is the order that they will be appearing on stage and continues with Neshla Caplan, Jamie Marie Leary, Vari Sylvester, Annie George, Maureen Beattie and Sarah MacGillivary.

Some of the cast who will be playing Young Woman in Knives in Hens at the Lyceum in the memorial to Pauline Knowles: Shyvonne Ahmmad, Mirren Wilson, Gemma McElhinney and Kate Dickie; Natalie Mitson, Emma Jayne Park, Molly Innes and Nicola Roy.

Shyvonne Ahmmad, Mirren Wilson, Gemma McElhinney and Kate Dickie
Natalie Mitson, Emma Jayne Park, Molly Innes and Nicola Roy.

Speaking order continues with Fiona Bell, Sally Reid, Louise Ludgate, Victoria Liddelle, Elaine C. Smith, Ros Steen, Rebecca Elise and Margaret Bennett.

Opposite them, and returning to the roles they originated in the 1995 production, will be Lewis Howden as Pony William and Michael Nardone as Gilbert Horn.

The evening will also be something of a memorial to Martyn Bennett, who wrote and performed music for the original production at the Traverse and then on tour in 1995, and whose mother Margaret will be one of the actresses performing.

Some of the cast who will be playing Young Woman in Knives in Hens at the Lyceum in the memorial to Pauline Knowles: Muireann Kelly, Lesley Hart, Neshla Caplan and Jamie Marie Leary; Vari Sylvester, Annie George, Maureen Beattie and Sarah MacGillivary

Muireann Kelly, Lesley Hart, Neshla Caplan and Jamie Marie Leary.
Vari Sylvester, Annie George, Maureen Beattie and Sarah MacGillivary.

Following Martyn’s death in 2005, sketches for the original music were passed on to Robert McFall who arranged them for Mr McFall’s Chamber and they were included on the album Birds and Beasts.

Now, for the first time, those arrangements are being used in a production of the play, performed by a Mr McFall’s Chamber comprising Fraser Fifield, Gordon Bragg, Robert McFall, Brian Schiele, Su-a Lee, Rick Standley, James Macintosh and Phil Alexander.

The programme for the evening is being designed by David Shrigley, who collaborated with Magnetic North and designed the extra-ordinary Pass The Spoon, a “sort of opera” in which Pauline starred as June Spoon.

Some of the cast who will be playing Young Woman in Knives in Hens at the Lyceum in the memorial to Pauline Knowles.: Fiona Bell, Sally Reid, Louise Ludgate and Victoria Liddelle; Elaine C. Smith, Ros Steen, Rebecca Elise and Helen MacKay

Fiona Bell, Sally Reid, Louise Ludgate and Victoria Liddelle
Elaine C. Smith, Ros Steen, Rebecca Elise and Helen MacKay

Shrigley’s original artwork is due to be auctioned through eBay, starting at 8am on Wednesday 12 June under the title “David Shrigley Knives in Hens Original Artwork”, with all proceeds to the Scholarship Fund.

Information on donating to the Pauline Knowles Scholarship Fund is available at: www.rcs.ac.uk/paulineknowles.

Listing

Knives in Hens
Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, EH3 9AX Box Office: 0131 248 4848
Tuesday 11 June 2018
One performance: 7.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.

* The image of Martyn Bennett is from the cover of his album, Grit. Pauline Knowles’ image is of her in the original production of Knives in Hens and is credited to The Traverse Theatre. All other images are supplied headshots.

Knives in Hens and Birds & Beasts are available on Amazon. Click for details:

ENDS

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  1. Knives in Hens : All Edinburgh Theatre.com | Jun 12 2019