| by Elizabeth Gaskell, arranged by Martyn Coleman
Directed by Sue Worker
October 7, 8 & 9, 2010
| Mrs Gaskell |
Barbara Williams |
| Miss Matilda Jenkyns |
Valerie Clarke |
| Martha |
Katherine Plummer |
| Mary Smith |
Emma Kimsey |
| Miss Pole |
Bieneke Barwick |
| Miss Barker |
Alison Marshall |
| Mrs Forrester |
Estelle Dunham |
| The Hon. Mrs Jamieson |
Angela Charles |
| Mr Hoggins |
Ritchard Tysoe |
| Lady Glenmire |
Jo Williams |
| Jem Hearn |
David Bowers |
| Coachman |
Tag |
Programme Notes
[Photographs]
The entire action takes place in Miss Matty's parlour in the village of Cranford.
ACT I
Scene 1: Noon, a sunny day in autumn 1830
Scene 2: Late afternoon, the following day
Scene 3: Late afternoon, some months later
ACT II
Scene 1: Evening, a week later
Scene 2: Two days later
Scene 3: Several months later
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
who was born on the 29th September 1810, in Chelsea, was often referred to as simply
Mrs Gaskell. She was a British novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era.
Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including
the very poor, and as such, are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature.
Cranford
is the best known of her novels. It was first published in 1851 as a serial in the magazine
Household Worlds, which was edited by Charles Dickens.
The fictional town of Cranford is closely modelled on Knutsford in Cheshire, which Mrs Gaskell
knew well. The book has little in the way of plot and is more a series of episodes in the
lives of Mary Smith and her friends, Miss Matty and Miss Deborah, two spinster sisters. The
"major" event in the story is the return to Cranford of their long-lost brother, Peter, which
in itself is only a minor portion of the work, leaving the rest of the novel at a low-key tone.
Even though her writing conforms to Victorian conventions (including signing her name
"Mrs. Gaskell"), Gaskell usually frames her stories as critiques of contemporary attitudes:
her early works focused on factory work in the Midlands. She always emphasized the role of
women, with complex narratives and dynamic female characters.
In addition to her fiction, Gaskell also wrote the first biography of Charlotte Brontë,
which played a significant role in developing her fellow writer's reputation.
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