Love for Love by William Congreve

Directed by Peter G. Broberg

 

Cast:

Alan Horsfield as           Sir Sampson, father to Valentine and Ben

Norman Koeth as            Valentine a young man about town, in love with Angelica

Graham Simons as           Scandal, his friend, a free speaker

Flavio De Rosa as             Tattle, a half-witted beau, vain of his amours

Kevin Hill as                    Ben, a young sailor, designed to marry Miss Prue

Theo Bucher as               Foresight, an illiterate old fellow,
                                                           pretending to understand astrology

Andrew Fernandes as       Jeremy, servant to Valentine

Dennis Dell as                 Trapland, a scrivener

Caroline Weisskopf as     Miss Angelica, niece to Foresight

Barbara Clark as            Mrs Foresight, second wife to Foresight

Diana Zuger as             Mrs Frail, a woman of the town, sister of Mrs Foresight

Lis Smith as                 Miss Prue, a silly awkward country girl, daughter to Foresight

Joan Kuster as             Nurse to Miss Prue

Valentine has fallen under the displeasure of his father by his extravagance, and is besieged by creditors. His father, Sir Sampson Legend, offers him £4000 (only enough to pay his debts) if he will sign a bond engaging to make over his right to his inheritance to his younger brother Ben. Valentine, to escape from his embarrassment, signs the bond. He is in love with Angelica, who possesses a fortune of her own, but so far she has not yielded to his suit. Sir Sampson has arranged a match between Ben, who is at sea, and Miss Prue, an awkward country girl, the daughter of Foresight, a superstitious old fool who claims to be an astrologer. Valentine, realizing the ruin entailed by the signature of the bond, tries to move his father by submission, and fails; then pretends to be mad and unable to sign the final deed of conveyanced to his brother. Finally Angelica intervenes. She induces Sir Sampson to propose marriage to her, pretends to accept, and gets possession of Valentine's bond. When Valentine, in despair at finding that Angelica is about to marry his father, declares himself ready to sign the conveyance, she reveals the plot, tears up the bond, and declares her love for Valentine.

The Scene: In London, at Valentine's lodging, and Foresight's house.

Venue: Gymasium Bäumlihof, Basel

28 February and 1/2/3 March 1989

Programme

Again, Cornelia Ziegler did a book of drawings of the performance.