Ted remembers the cast singing “Give me some men who are stout-hearted men”. He also remembers that the author Wilfrid Miller and his wife were invited to the performance and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Ken and Margaret Fielding make their first appearance. They will go on to do 17 years, often with Ken as the Dame. Sally Capp, having been involved from the start, leaves this year. She will return in 1990, though, and again in 2016….
Dame Brian Prince had a long stripey woollen costume, knitted by Carolyn Young. In fact he had two: since he gets shipwrecked and therefore wet, the wool would have shrunk, so Carolyn knitted him a short version as well!
Ken remembers Graham Wragg as Suckett, and himself as Cee (who thinks these names up?). The pair always appear together … except when they don’t. For one scene Graham wasn’t ready, so Chris Birkby, as Will Atkins, had to go on stage with only Ken. Luckily, Ken knew his own part and Graham’s, so was able to say both sets of lines as if they were his own. When Graham finally got on stage, Ken could say, in character, “Where the Dickens have you been?” and no-one’s any the wiser!
1983 Robinson Crusoe 00 Programme
1983 Robinson Crusoe 01 (Bryan Prince as Dame, June Francis in blue and white, Pauline Womersley in white hat)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 02 (from left Julie Waterman, x,x, Chris Birkby)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 04 (from left Ted Hampton, Beryl Wragg)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 05 (Brian Prince)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 06 (from left Ted Hampton, Barbara Hutt)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 09 (from right David Brothers, Julie Platts,Richard Young jnr)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 11 (from left x,x,x,Karen Smith,x,x,Sarah Scarborough, Lisa Scarborough)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 12 (from left Barbara Hutt, Ted Hampton, Chris Birkby, x,June Francis,Pauline Womersley,Bryan Prince,x,Ken Fielding,Tim Daniels)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 16 (from left Bryan Prince, Ted Hampton)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 17 (Pauline Womersley in blue stipes, Margaret Fielding in blue with black hat)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 18 (from left Tony Carr, Christine Heward, Isobel Bickerstaff, Dawn Wragg, Robert Woffinden, Rona Burkinshaw, Brian Barber)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 19 (back from left x,x,Rachel Hancock, Sarah Scarborough, Louise Eyre, Ruth Daniels, Lisa Young,x,Julie Waterman, front x, Lisa Scarborough)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 20 (back from left Julie Waterman,x,Rachel Hancock, front x)
1983 Robinson Crusoe 21 (from left Julie Waterman, Rachel Hancock, Louise Eyre)