I
Alison in her cameo role as Reverend Mother in D'Artagnan's Daughter
|
Born and bred in Yorkshire, Alison has been a member of The Company since 1994 and has directed a wide range of productions from Shakespeare to Terry Pratchett. She is not new to script writing, although all previous forays have been adaptations of classic novels, rather than writing a play from scratch. Previous scripts include: Pride and Prejudice, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Prisoner of Zenda and The Man in the Iron Mask.
As a history teacher at Aston Comprehensive, Alison relished the opportunity to write a play set in the Seventeenth century. She included historical figures, including Jack and Sarah Churchill, King Louis XIV and the Duc D’Orleans. However, in her own words, she has “massacred history” because she has been creative with the historical details, saying “I think it’s criminal to let the facts get in the way of a good story or a good laugh”.
She is Artistic Director of The Company, which involves overseeing every production and ensuring The Company maintains its reputation for high quality theatre. She also mentors budding directors, providing tips and guidance on how to make a good production. Rob Joyce assited Alison in directing D’Artagnan’s Daughter, to develop his technique ready for his directorial debut in our October production, Educating Rita. |
Alison gained inspiration for writing D’Artagnan’s Daughter from her successful adaptation of The Man in the Iron Mask, her love of the Dumas’ novels and an obscure French film called La Fille de D’Artagnan. D’Artagnan’s Daughter has many of Dumas’ original characters, including and starring the Four Musketeers. However, The Company have not needed to gain the rights to use the characters on account of Alexandre Dumas dying in 1870.
|
