![]() English Language Theatre in Basel since 1975 |
Spring Production 2018: TOP GIRLS by Caryl Churchill |
![]() This play observes how different women cope with the constraints of a patriarchal society in mid 1980's Britain, a time of rapid change. Marlene is a career-driven business woman and only interested in success. During an extravagant dinner party she introduces her "friends", amongst them famous women from history, such as the female Pope Joan. But is Marlene as strong as she looks? We learn how other women cope in and around the business world and start to wonder:
You can view the programme here At the request of the cast and crew the Semi-Circle has shown its appreciation for all the members of You can view their website here |
Performances 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, June 2018
Theater Rampe, Byfangweg 6, Basel
The Cast
Cathy Barker Marlene
Sabina van Steenderen Waitress/Kit/Shona
Elizabeth Shaw Isabella Bird/Joyce
Eleanor Low LadyNijo/Win
Anouk Dutruit Dull Gret/Angie
Miriam Cohn Pope Joan/Louise
Stephanie Chuah Patient Griselda/Nell/Jeanine
Alison Bolton Mrs Kidd
Production Crew
Director Richard Brown
Technical director Heather Genini
Production manager Peter Hilton
Stage manager Kirsten Gräser
Stage hands Tanja Spichty, Isabell Buttron, Ana Branco, Susanne Hillier, Gurpreet Singh Gill
Set design and build Ash Chumber, Peter Nixon, Richard Brown
Lighting design Jerome Salyers
Sound design Richard Brown
Light & sound board Gabi Solomon Props manager Scott Holland
Costumes Claudia Ott, Natalya Goldbach
Make-up Valentina D'Alessandro and others
Rehearsal prompt Susan Aeschbach Tickets Georgina Rotter
Publicity Beatrix Castellote-Iselin, Georgina Rotter
Artwork design Ruth Lowe
Programme Georgina Rotter, Cathy Barker
Photography © Ralf Pfaff 2018
Front of house & bar Peter Hilton, Chris Jones, Jan Hawley, Billy Gilbert
Box office Sue Aeschbach, Wendy Monard, Danielle Zammit, Catherine Matter
Ushers Edward Atkinson, Valerie Walder, Zuzana Cox
Special thanks... .... goes to all family members of the committee, and of the cast and crew – without their support and patience this production would not have come to the stage. Thanks also to David Laurie for publicity advice.
A very special and warm thanks goes to our former President, Sue Newstead, who incorporated the soul of Semi-Circle and carried a multitude of responsibilities in the finest manner in recent years, and to whom we would like to wish the very best for her future.
About Caryl Churchill
Caryl Churchill is a playwright known for addressing politically challenging subjects and for her use of non-naturalistic dramatic techniques. She has written 49 plays and received 12 major awards. Born in London in 1938 to a fashion model and a political cartoonist, Churchill emigrated with her family to Montreal in 1948 and later returned to England to attend Oxford University; since then she has lived in London. While raising her own family, she began to write short radio dramas and television plays. Her first stage play to receive wide recognition was Cloud Nine (1979), a farce about Victorian colonial sexual politics. She went on to write Top Girls (1982). Churchill collaborated with composer Orlando Gough to produce operas called Hotel (1997) and A ring, a lamp a thing (2010) at the Royal Opera House, London.
She continues to write politically controversial pieces such as Drunk Enough To Say I Love You (2006) and Seven Jewish Children (2009). Love and information (2012) gained great critical and popular acclaim.
Never far from controversy, Caryl Churchill is arguably Britain’s greatest living playwright.