Hoipolloi and the Theatre
Royal Plymouth in association with English Touring Theatre
and Watford Palace Theatre present
The Doubtful Guest
New Wolsey Theatre - Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 April
Over the past two years Hoipolloi have had huge success
producing the work of Hugh Hughes, winning a Total Theatre
Award for Floating and, together with the New Wolsey Theatre,
a Fringe First for Story of a Rabbit. With Hugh busy in
Wales they return to the New Wolsey in April without him
with a brand new show, The Doubtful Guest.
The Doubtful Guest is inspired by the book of the same name
by American author/illustrator Edward Gorey. By the time
he died in 2000, Gorey had left behind a legacy of nonsensical
creatures, ridiculous rhymes and stories that have delighted
readers across the world. When a seemingly normal household
discover a mysterious creature roaming the house they have
no idea how to react. Soon he is wreaking havoc and challenging
their peaceful existence. The show is fun and absurd, brimful
with the comedy and chaos caused by this uninvited guest.
Audiences who enjoyed the clever humour and inventive style
of Floating, or the darkly comic and meaningful Story of
a Rabbit will love the macabre wit of Edward Gorey whose
work combines all of these elements and more.
Writer and director Shôn Dale-Jones (Artistic Director
Hoipolloi Theatre) explains why he wanted to create a show
inspired by Gorey’s book:
“When Hoipolloi toured My Uncle Arly to the USA in
March 2005 I was interested to find out how popular Edward
Lear was over there. I went into a children’s bookstore
to look for one of his titles, but couldn’t find one,
so I asked the shop attendant whether or not they stocked
any Edward Lear.
She said, “Is he the guy Edward Gorey did some illustrations
for? I think he is”, and walked towards one of the
bookshelves in the corner of the shop. She handed me a collection
of Edward Gorey’s illustrations – which included
one for Edward Lear’s, The Jumblies.
Before I knew it I had looked through the whole book and
was asking the shop attendant for more Edward Gorey. She
found five or six of his titles and I spent the next hour
immersed in his work.
By the time I left the USA later that month I’d bought
every title I could find in every bookstore I walked into.
On the plane journey home I kept returning to The Doubtful
Guest and got hooked on the world of this illustrated story.
Edward Gorey’s fantastical imagination and creation
of unusual and biologically questionable creatures are perfect
inspiration for the theatrical world of Hoipolloi.
We are approaching the tone of the illustrations, the world
of the family and their house and the magical nature of
the doubtful guest itself. The more we work on it the more
we find. We are continually surprised how much there is
to discover through this story.
We feel privileged to be working with such powerful and
fantastic source material.”
Engaging the audience’s imaginations from the start,
Hoipolloi will take you on an exciting journey, exploring
this macabre story of mischief and disruption. For exclusive
previews on the show and to read Hoipolloi’s production
blog, visit www.hoipolloi.org.uk
Book your tickets now by calling the Box Office on 01473
295900 or book online at www.wolseytheatre.co.uk
Who is Edward Gorey?
Born in 1925, American cult icon Edward Gorey was famous
for his dark and sinister books and intricately drawn accompanying
illustrations. He died in 2000.
A self-confessed misfit, Gorey was obsessed with ballet
(seeing every performance of the New York Ballet for 17
years!) and had a great fondness for cats, both of which
feature heavily in his work. He can often be spotted in
his own books, a bearded figure clad in a fur coat and sneakers.
It is the macabre subject matter, creepy drawings and humorous
rhymes which make Gorey’s work unique. It appeals
as much to adults as it does to children and its distinctively
English style is ironic considering that his only visit
to the UK was on a trip to some very remote Scottish islands!
His fondness for playing with words even spread into using
a range of anargramatical pseudonyms for publishing his
work, including Ogdread Weary, E G Deadworry and Mrs Regera
Dowdy.
Tickets can be booked by calling the New Wolsey Theatre
Box Office on 01473 295900 or online at www.wolseytheatre.co.uk
