Company name: Mouth and Trousers Theatre Company
Founders: Three-person collective consisting of Lesley Ferris: Artistic Director and Administrator, Jan Dalley: Designer and Writer and Brian Rotman: Technician and Writer.
Established: June 1979
Reason: Personally the Founders wanted to see small-scale work being done and it was the height of the pub theatre movement. They wanted to be part of the bigger discussion. In an interview from The Stage on October 25th, 1979 Lesley Ferris said, ‘West End theatre is dying – good pub theatre at one-quarter the price of the West End is what we plan to provide. We will offer more challenging and interesting productions than the large commercial theatres dare attempt. The London Fringe keeps theatre alive by taking risks.’
Current status: Disbanded in late 1983, early 1984, after their venue, the York and Albany pub, closed down.
Area of Work: New writing
Policy: The aims and objectives of the company:
a) to promote theatre experimentation and encourage the use of non-naturalistic acting with masks, puppets and mime alongside written text
b) to encourage new writing for the theatre that attempts to break out of prevailing naturalism
c) to provide workshops for actors, directors and playwrights to discuss and review new material
d) to continue running the present venue, the York and Albany Theatre, in order to (i) support new theatre companies by giving them the opportunity to premiere new work (ii) support playwrights by providing ‘New Writing Showcases’ on a regular basis
Structure: Collaborative, all decisions made equally between the three Founders. This included artistic policy, administrative policy, invitations to visiting companies, selecting scripts to be performed and budgeting expenses.
Based: York and Albany pub, 129 Parkway, NW1 in Camden.
Funding: Funding from a variety of sources. The first few productions were funded by the Founders. Lesley Ferris worked as a temp to help start company. No permanent funding. Grants from Camden, a building grant for raked seating to increase audience capacity. Grants for new writing showcases. Some funding from Greater London Arts Association. Arts Council of Great Britain gave a new playwrighting award to Lesley Ferris to develop Subjugation of the Dragon; the award came with a modest stipend. All shows produced on a profit sharing basis. For every production the company received some ‘profit’ but it varied widely.
Performance venues: Main venue: The York and Albany Pub, Camden. Also performed at the Head Theatre (Putney), Theatre Space Covent Garden, Jackson’s Lane Community Centre and in Cambridge. Harlequin was also invited to a school in Cambridge and in January 1980 to be part of the London Mime Festival at Battersea Arts Centre.
Audiences: Very mixed. Depended on the show. Camden community of theatre-goers. When Julia Pascal’s work Soldiers was at the York & Albany there were many young working class Irish. Sometimes a predominantly women’s audience if the show was women focused. Attendance was generally strong.
Company work and process: The first play at Mouth and Trousers’ permanent venue, The York and Albany, was The Maids by Genet. The company wanted to open with a well-known experimental play that offered some great women’s roles. The Maids was their first production to use all women, and the characters created alter-egos that were dolls (made by the two actors that played the roles) that resembled their human counterparts. At the top of the show, the Maids gave birth to the dolls and these figures were used throughout to designate the ritual make-believe of the two women. The work was characterised by physicalised and ritualised action through these puppet-dolls.
This was followed by Death of Harlequin by Leslie Ferris which looked at the comedy and history of Italian commedia del’ arte and was developed as a physical theatre/mask piece. Real slapsticks were made.
New writing, physical theatre and mime work led the collaborative discussions between Lesley Ferris, Brian Rotman and Jan Dalley. Rehearsals were very creative and open, drawing on the actors’ expertise. Rehearsals were usually a month long, working around people’s schedules as actors had other jobs.
Their New Writing Showcases presented three new plays each and three Showcases were presented over the company’s history. Different directors were brought in for each play included in the showcase and they were all workshopped as part of the development process.
Although the term was not used at the time, one of the shows by Lesley Ferris could be called ‘devised’. In The Subjugation of the Dragon rehearsals each of the three actresses created a monologue based on their own experiences. Rehearsals used a very interactive, process-based system.
Personal appraisal & thoughts:
Lesley Ferris: ‘The late 70s and early 80s was a very rich time to work in theatre. There was a lot of press on the fringe movement at the time. A lot of mime and comic and political humour pervaded the theatre scene. One strategy was to highlight the work of women. Women’s Theatre Group had just started up and there were several organisations, like ‘Women Live’. Women were not getting recognition for their work and very few women playwrights and directors were being produced. Very little women’s work was taking place in the mainstream so it was very important for small-scale theatre to provide opportunities for women directors and playwrights, because if they didn’t do it, who would? But also, it gave a richness to our work and some kind of political vision that there needs to be some kind of parity for women’s theatre artists considering that throughout history it’s been a totally male dominated art form.’
Reviews:
The Subjugation of the Dragon
‘Women in legend do nothing but wail and warn, Lesley Ferris protests: her neatly-conceived comic experiment links the origin of female oppression with the origin of Drama itself, in myth and ritual, and uses the experiences of actresses to amplify the frustrations of women…Some of the ‘experimental’ dialogue seemed just the translation into metaphor of a naturalistic discourse, without independent dramatic meaning; but the play is most enjoyable for its effortless, insightful humour and a perfectly-paced performance of obvious collaborative harmony.’ (Philomena Muinzer, Time Out)
Gogol’s ‘The Nose’
‘In this atmospheric and entertaining adaptation, Mouth & Trousers elaborate and visually illustrate Gogol’s short story… The versatile company create absurd and complex scenarios practically from thin air and evoke effectively the bizarre and nightmarish quality of the story.’ (Gillian Hetherington, Time Out)
Death of Harlequin
‘Death of Harlequin is a compilation by Lesley Ferris which comes over as immensely enjoyable and authentic – the two are all too often self-cancelling… Very imaginatively staged and exceedingly well moved, this one act play could well be expanded by a second half taking the saga on to make a whole evening’s entertainment.’ (Anne Morley-Priestman, The Stage)
Productions:
| PRODUCTION NAME | VENUES | DATES |
|---|---|---|
| I'm the Original Writer: Brian Rotman Director: Lesley Ferris Cast: Michael Wilcox, Nicholas Rankin, Mark York, Mary Carroll Design: Jan Dalley, Lesley Ferris Music: Terry Back | Jackson’s Lane, Head Theatre (Putney), Theatre Space (Covent Garden), Studio School, Cambridge | Sept - Oct 1979 |
| Death of Harlequin Writer: Lesley Ferris Director: Lesley Ferris Cast: Carol Thompson, Ingrid Frankenberg, Michael Wilcox, Peta Lily, Mark York | Jackson’s Lane, Head Theatre (Putney), Theatre Space (Covent Garden), Studio School, Cambridge and GLAA-ILEA Drama Showcase | Sept - Oct 1979 |
| The Maids Writer: Jean Genet Director: Lesley Ferris Cast: Ingrid Frankenberg, Carol Thompson, Peta Lily Set: Andrew Roberts Lighting: Brian Rotman Costume Designer: Janet Dalley Music: Michael Wilcox | The York and Albany | Nov 1979 |
| Harlequin! (full length version of Death of Harlequin) Writer: Lesley Ferris Director: Lesley Ferris Cast: Ingrid Frankenberg, Carol Thompson, Peta Lily, Michael Wilcox, Rory McDermott | The York and Albany, Studio School, Cambridge and was invited to be part of the London Mime Festival, Battersea Arts Centre | Nov 1979 - Jan 1980 |
| Gogol's The Nose Adapted by: Janet Dalley Director: Lesley Ferris Cast: Roger Lewis, Michael Wilcox, Ninka Scott, Adela Saleem, Frank Bren Costumes: Ella Huhne, Janet Dalley Masks: Tim Howe Music: Terry Back | The York and Albany | Feb - March 1980 |
| Mr. Puntila and His Man Matti Writer: Bertolt Brechit Director: Edward Braman Cast: Roger Lewis, Mark Knight, Michael Wilcox, Lorraine Tandy, Rory McDermott, Mary Anne Alexander, Adele Saleem Set and masks: Time Howe Costumes: Gill Barstow Sound: Terry Back | The York and Albany | April 1980 |
| New Writing Showcase I The Mourning After the Night Before Writer: Red O’Hagan Director: Mike Scoblow) Cast: Mark Knight, Catherine Barrett, Ninke Scott Night Shift Writer: Richard Lord Director: Jan Dalley Cast: Carol Ann Mansell, Sarah Shipton Sheets Writer: Brian Rotman Director: John Fletcher Cast: Richard Bremmer, Yvonne Adalian, Frank Bren, Rory McDermott, Dorian Ellis | The York and Albany | May 1980 |
| The Subjugation of the Dragon Writer: Lesley Ferris Director: Lesley Ferris Cast: Carol Thompson, Ingrid Frankenberg, Sally Cranfield Puppets designed by: Janet Dalley Puppets painted by: Tim Howe Sound: Terry Back | The York and Albany | June 1980 |
| New Writing Showcase II Such a Delicate Question Writer: H. Gabriel Director: Janet Dalley Cast: Richard Earthy, Glyn Morrow, Amanda Orton The Confession Writer: Keith Dorland Director: Carol Thompson Cast: Mark Knight, Geoffrey Morgan Morris & Doris & Baby Makes Three Writer: Michael Sharp Director: David Leveaux Cast: David Bedard, Deirdre Doone, Rory McDermott | The York and Albany | July - August 1980 |
| Arrest! inspired from stories by Jorge Luis Borges Writer: Nicholas Rankin Director: Lesley Ferris Cast: Max Harvey, Peter Van Dissel, Jonathan May, Lawrence Bates, Ellen Cullen Set: Katie Watts Sound: Terry Back Lighting: Brian Rotman Costumes: Gillian Barstow | The York and Albany | Nov - Dec 1980 |
| New Writing Showcase III [Part of the 'Women in Theatre London Festival' produced by Mouth and Trousers, Oval House, Tricycle Theatre from February –April 1981; at the York and Albany-- ten-week Women’s Season; received a £650 grant from Greater London Arts Association to support festival]. Stalemate Writer: Linda A Edwards Director: Carol Thompson Cast: Laura Cox, Susie Johns, Maggie Palmer Collecting Leaves Writer:Frankie Finn Director: Carol Gould Cast: Allison Dean, Linda Edwards Chicken-Licken Writer: Berta Friedstadt Director: Sue Curtis Cast: Janet Amsden, Mark Foord, Christopher Prior, Catherine Shipton, Julie-Christian Young | The York and Albany | April 1981 |
| Rehearsed Readings I: New Plays by Women The Relief Writer: Diana Souhami Director: Christine Eccles Cast: Josie Kidd, Annie Hayes, Julian Littman, Martha Gibson Crossword by Cheryl Lee Director: Sara Mason Cast: Sarah Shipton, Julie Dale Beckett, Graham Christopher, David Bedard Café Society Writer: Ayshe Raif Director: Sue Sanders Cast: Katherine Page, Daphne Odin-Pearse, Betty Romaine | The York and Albany | April 1981 |
| Rehearsed Readings II: New Plays by Women Manfully Fight Under His Banner Writer: Sarah Daniels Director: Carole Hayman Cast: Colin McCormack, Anne-Louise Wakefield, Marilyn Finlay, David Beames, Maggie Steed The Importance of Being Emulated Writer: Pat Van Tweet Director: Margaret Sheehy Cast: Lyn Ashley, Valerie Lush, Leslie Glazer, Marilyn Rance,Jane Salisbury | The York and Albany | April 1981 |
| The Subjugation of the Dragon Writer: Lesley Ferris Director: Christine Eccles Part of 'A Women Live May ’82 Event' Cast: Catherine Shipton, Cheryl Lee, Gina Landor | The York and Albany | May - June 1982 |
Interviewee reference: Lesley Ferris
Acknowledgements: This page was written and constructed by Phoebe Ferris-Rotman with the help of Lesley Ferris (Mouth and Trousers co-founder). November 2013
This page was created with support from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.