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Oops! BARRY KIRK on the first law of journalism - never assume!
Let me share with you one of the funny things that can happen in this game.
On the press night of Shakespeare�s Midsummer Night�s Dream, showing at The Queen�s Theatre, Hornchurch, an emotional Bob Carlton told me how pleased he was with the cast and that there were three Ariels on stage � meaning three actors who had played the robot in his own smash hit, Return to the Forbidden Planet.
Having duly made a note of the fact, the following morning, after all the effects of the wine had gone, I looked at the photographs and thought that can�t be.
I knew Fredrick Ruth had the role on the last tour, and, according to the programme notes, Kraig Thornber had been the first but the only remaining actor was Jonathon Markwood who (I hope he will forgive me), did not seem as tall as the other two, a noted requirement to play Ariel.
So unable to get confirmation, I took the fact out of last weeks review, where he played Demetrius, but also took out his name by mistake.
Being missed out was a disappointing start to Jonathon�s first spell at the Queen�s, and I do apologise, I should have listened to Bob, because Jonathon did in fact play the robot, at the New Victoria Theatre, in Stoke. He chuckled when I told him by reason for questioning my own notes.
�Well I did play it without skates,� he said. �It was a fantastic musical but as I can�t skate to save my life, I did it with my feet firmly on the ground. To make up for my lack of skates I added lots of impressions as if the robot was picking up radio programmes.�
Jonathon�s role as Demetrius in �Dream� had him vaulting over the stage with Philip Reed, another �Planet� actor, as the vied for the favours of Celia White and Helen Anderson-Lee.
�We really had to put a lot into the routines, as they had to be so precise and fast,� Jonathon said.
And the effort they put in was well worth it as, like all complicated theatre, the slick end performance belied the huge amount of practice.
As well as an actor, he is also an accomplished singer/musician in his own right. The founder of Last Man Standing, a popular indi-garage band, he brings almost an orchestra of instruments to the Cut to the Chase company of actor/musicians based at the Queen�s.
He is playing in the next production, Brief Encounter, which is under rehearsal now.
Midsummer Night�s Dream runs until Saturday 5th April and Brief Encounter starts on Friday April 25 for a three week run. Tickets between �8 and �15 are available from the box office on 01708 443333.
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