Affiliated to the National Operatic
Web Design by Rolling Comet Productions
Act One
During the May Day festival, the May Queen is crowned with "roses white and roses
red ... the flowers of Merrie England". Her two guards are introduced - Long Tom
and Big Ben - who are brothers identical in all but one thing. The "little difference
between them" is that Big Ben (like the other men in Windsor) loves the May Queen,
while Long Tom loves Jill (known as Jill-All-Alone). Jill is accused of being a witch
by the jealous May Queen and is shunned by the townsfolk.
Bessie Throckmorton, one of Queen Elizabeth's Ladies in Waiting, and Sir Walter Raleigh
are in love, but they must keep their love a secret as the Queen is also in love
with Raleigh. Bessie tells of how she carelessly lost a love letter from Raleigh
("She lost the letter from her love"). She worries that the letter may have fallen
into Queen Elizabeth's hands and thus reveal their secret love. The Earl of Essex
(Raleigh's rival for the affection of the Queen) is handed the love letter (an acrostic
on the name Bessie) by Jill-All-Alone and plans to use it to dispose of Raleigh.
Walter Wilkins, a travelling actor, appears and argues that any play can be vastly
improved by the addition of song ("if it's played on a big brass band") and claims
that "that's where [he] and Shakespeare disagree."
Queen Elizabeth then enters with much ceremony. Long Tom pleads for the Queen's protection
of Jill-All-Alone from the townsfolk's persecution. Asking her whether she believes
she is a witch, she replies with the paradox that if she were a witch she must know
more than the townfolk, therefore she can't be a witch as she would know (as the
townsfolk seem to) that she is a witch if she were. She declares that love will pass
the queen by. This insult angers the Queen, and she joins with the villagers in condemning
Jill as a witch, locking her away in the Tower of London for witchcraft. Essex hands
the Queen Raleigh's love letter, which she initially mistakes to be meant for her.
Raleigh gallantly admits that the letter is in fact meant for Bessie Throckmorton.
The Queen is so incensed that she banishes Raleigh from Court and imprisons Bessie
in Windsor Castle.
Act Two
Jill has managed to escape with Bessie using a secret passage out of the tower. The
Queen asks an apothecary (her jester in disguise) to concoct a poison which she will
administer to Bessie.
Wilkins works at length on a stage version of the story of St. George and the Dragon,
and the play is performed for the Queen and Essex. Unfortunately, they dislike the
play.
Eventually the Queen is convinced to allow Raleigh and Bessie to love each other,
choosing Essex instead for herself after seeing an apparition of Herne the Hunter,
who, according to legend, appears only when a sovereign contemplates a crime. Everyone
takes part in a reenactment of Robin Hood's wedding to Maid Marian. Everyone takes
roles closely related to their part in the opera; for example, Raleigh becomes Robin
to Bessie's Marian.
The Earl of Essex
Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Watkins
Silas Simpkins
Long Tom
Big Ben
The
Queen’s Fool
A butcher
A Baker
A Tinker
A Taylor
A Lord
First Royal Page
Second Royal Page
Queen
Elizabeth
Lady in Waiting
Kate
Miss Bessie Throckmorton
“Jill All-Alone”
The May Queen
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Doug Skilton
Philip Evans
Martyn Habberley
David Evans
Philip Watkin
Arwyn Evans
Michael
Rogers
Les Skilton
John Jones
John Gorden
John R Jones
Brian Evans
Ashleigh Jones
Rhys Jones
Sue
Percy
Julie Prince
Pat Burns
Linda Jones
Frances Butler
Jackie Evans
Tegwen Andrew, Matty Brown, Mona Broxton, Megan Evans,
Rhian Evans, Wendy Evans, Audrey
Jones,
Primrose Jones, Sheila Watkin.
Performed at Trewern Community Centre~
November 6th, 7th, 8th & 9th, 2002
Adrian Evans, Brian Evans, Alun Gape, John Gordon, Peter Jackson, Bill Jones, John
Jones, John R Jones, Michael Rogers, Les Skilton
President .......... Gert Blundell
President .......... Mona Broxton
Chairman .......... John Jones Penbelan
Secretary .......... Julie Prince
Treasurer .......... J. R. Jones
Musical Director .......... Joyce Gape
Producer .......... Brian Evans
Ticket Sales .......... Val Jones
Lighting .......... Bob Cannon
Pianist .......... Jenny Gent
Pianist .......... Rachael Whitehouse
Prompt .......... Julia Jackson
Wardrobe .......... Primrose Jones
Wardrobe .......... Linda Jones
Stage Manager .......... Roger Jary
Props .......... Martyn Haberley
Scenery Painter .......... Milton Powell
Scenery Painter .......... John Gorden
Makeup .......... Freda Bumford
Makeup .......... Ann Anderson
