THE DOWAGER'S OYSTER

A new operetta after a short story by the composer

WORDS JACK CHERRY

MUSIC LOUIS MANDER

CAST

THE DOWAGER FRANCES McCAFFERTY

CYNTHIA STEPHANIE EDWARDS

GENEVIEVE CAROLINE KENNEDY

MARTA CLAIRE BARNETT-JONES

KARL CASPAR JAMES

FREDDY AIDAN COBURN

CHRISTOPHER GUY ELLIOTT

DR. GIBAUD DAVID JONES

MUSICAL DIRECTOR LOUIS MANDER

REPETITEUR NICOLE JOHNSON

SYNOPSIS

England/France/Morocco. 1924

Cynthia and her aged mother Lady Tindale (the Dowager) are about to embark on a summer holiday to the French island of Oleron. Freddy, Cynthia's fiancé cannot join them as he will be summering in Morocco, (unbeknownst only to her) with his gay lover Christopher. On their journey (accompanied by her recalcitrant handmaiden Genevieve) by ferry to France, the Dowager and Cynthia happen to bump into two old friends, Marta and Karl Grinzig, who are the cause for much gossip and speculation. The universally despised Dowager comes to a sticky end at lunch and the holidaymakers are all considered suspects in the eyes of the pompous and astute Dr. Gibaud, whose services are called upon to solve the murder. Farce, intrigue and suspects abound...But whodunnit?

Our kind thanks to Jules and Cheryl Burns and for their generosity and use of their beautiful music room which hosts this workshop.

Please contact mander.louis@googlemail.com if you would be able to sponsor the full production at the Grimeborn festival at the Arcola Theatre this summer.