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Penalty / A Candle on the Table

by

Stephen Smith / Patricia Clapp

May

2014

Nov2019_ZCC_SearchingForDoctorBranovic_4

SYNOPSIS

Penalty:
In a hotel room in Azerbaijan, Howard wakes up with a monster hangover. Proffering English tea and sympathy is ministry official, Yellena. Slowly, it emerges that Howard, who is to referee an important international football, has disgraced himself the previous evening at a dinner to welcome the UEFA officials. Or has he ? Yellena plays Howard like a fish, first cajoling then trying to blackmail him into agreeing to award a penalty to the Azerbaijan team at the evening`s match. And just when Howard thinks he`s in control, Yellena springs another surprise...

Award winning two hander in which the author played the role of Howard in the premiere. Inspired by his five year stint as a football referee. Two very strong and satisfying acting roles that keep the audience`s attention right up to the shock ending. In 2012 translated into Romanian and performed by the National Theatre of Bucharest.

A Candle on the Table:
Three elderly women meet at a lunch table on their first day in a home for senior citizens. A candle placed there by the matron awakens different memories in each. To the frivolous, friendly ex-actress Maribeth Garrity, candles belong with champagne and flowers. To Miss Tolliver, a children's nursemaid, they speak of childhood poverty when candles gave the only light. To the aristocratic Mrs. Bramson, they mean the formal meals which only emphasized the emptiness of her life. The lunchtime conversation reveals some surprising aspects of the lives and personalities of the three women, and culminates in a friendship and an affirmative decision. Sensitively drawn characters, gentle humor, and a generous dash of truth.

DIRECTOR

Dustin Rees (Penalty)
Steven Brindley (A Candle on the Table)

CAST

Penalty:

Yellena

Joëlle Stocker

Howard

Martin Russell

A Candle on the Table:

Mrs Bramson

Anne Jiricny

Mrs Hodges

Stephanie Sorgo

Miss Tolliver

Chris Eusebio

Mrs Garrity

Pat Peggs

PRODUCTION PHOTOS

BEHIND THE SCENES

Production Coordinator

Carolina Diaz Quijano

Set Designers

Andreas Stahl, Tiina Palojärvi, Tim Purdue

Stage Managers

Paul Bilton, Claudia Wicki

Props Crew Head

Vicki Ball

Props Crew

Crew Cleo Blass, Renee Müller, Joy Schneider, Jamie Langridge, Daniele Dagani

Lighting Design

Andreas Stahl

Lighting and Sound Crews

Susan De Paul, Deborah Somers, Luke Walker, Jan Sinstadt, Phil Margolis

Sound Design

Terry Menard

Prompters

Beatrice Hungerbühler, Irene Lautenbach

Make-up, Hair and Costumes

Bettina Psora, Valery Niggli with Maureen Grimm, Ariane Wildberger, Anouscha Schodjai

Front of House

Nicholas MacCabe, Members of the Club

Block Bookings

Phil Margolis

Publicity

Stephanie Sorgo

Box Office

Phil Margolis

Programme Editors

David Roscoe, Stephanie Sorgo

Flyer and Programme Cover

Dustin Rees

Programme layout

Nadja Füchslin, Spillmann Druck AG

Photography

Daniele Dagani, Tiina Palojärvi

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