Christmas at Bell House
Four Magical Scenes
A few pictures of our recent involvement in the wonderful Christmas at Bell House event. Thanks to Phil Gammon for the photographs.
Four cameos from Bell House’s long and fascinating history were told in promenade performances in Christmas 2022. Christmas Eve 1772 amusingly recalled a musical evening in the same room in which it originally took place. Something’s Cooking allowed a peep into the preparations taking place in the original kitchen for an anticipated celebration in 1851. Elegy 1919 saw authors, G K Chesterton and Maurice Baring joining Nan Lucas, then owner of Bell House, at Christmas and remembering Nan’s brother and their great friend killed in 1916. Coronation Day 1953 hilariously related the story of how the Dulwich College housemaster and his wife had contrived to watch the events of the day on the then boarding school’s 9” TV without interruptions from the boys.
Tip: Click to expand the photos
Crew
Production Manager - Jan Rae
Stage Manager - Clarisse Hassan
Costumes - Jane Jones
Front of House - Séverine Powell
Bell House Support - Fabienne Hanton
Historical Advisor - Sharon O’Connor
Music Coach - Marilyn Harper
Cast
Mr Jones, the Butler - Ian Jones
Borrie, the Under Butler - Steven Borrie
CHRISTMAS EVE 1772
Thomas Wright - Paul Sykes
Elizabeth Wright - Tracy Brook
Ann Wright - Chloe Couper
Richard Randall - Mike Coates
Written and Directed by Brian Green
SOMETHING'S COOKING 1851
Mary Ann Baker - Hannah McDonald
Jane Cain - Claire McDonald
Sarah Gager - Lydia Dickie
Written and Directed by Gillian Daly
ELEGY 1919
Nan Lucas - Elizabeth Holden
Maurice Baring - Hugh Blake-James
G K Chesterton - Robert Greenhalgh
Written by Gillian Daly and Directed by Mike Foster
CORONATION DAY 1953
Bill Tapper - Roger Orr
Barry Tapper - Marcia Bennie
Lilian Day - Jenny Gammon
Boy - Louis Powell-Sykes
Written and Directed by Jill Alexander
