Casanova
Written and Directed by Amy Wyllie
Designed by Becca Gibbs
An aspiring actor will make his professional debut alongside seasoned performers in an original play about a legendary lothario.
Bury St Edmunds-based Spinning Wheel Theatre company is bringing Casanova – based on the memoirs of 18th century Italian adventurer and author Giacomo Casanova – to small and rural venues across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex this autumn from September 30th to October 22nd.
Written and directed by Spinning Wheel Theatre artistic director, Amy Wyllie, it stars 22-year-old Sam Norris from Mildenhall in Suffolk. Fresh from a gap year of acting training at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, the former West Suffolk College student plays 20 characters. He will tread the boards with Suffolk-born Joe Leat, who plays Casanova, and Lucy Benson-Brown, who plays 14 characters.
Miss Wyllie, 31, who studied at King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds before graduating in acting from Drama School London, said:
“For us, it is the first time we have done an original piece. It has been written from scratch and inspired by Casanova’s memoirs and historical figures that had contact with him.”
“It is very cheeky and raucous. It is serious in parts but overall more fun and madcap. I’m looking forward to us doing a play that is a bit naughty.” She added the play featured Carry On-style humour as well as modern music, despite being set in the 18th century. “Casanova was kind of awesome,” Miss Wyllie said. “He was similar to a rock star and could do what he wanted so the play has a contemporary feel. It has been quite an interesting task to tackle a character that had a reputation of being a fun-loving person. But he had quite a dark character and did terrible things too.”
Casanova was born in 1725 and became famous for his often complicated and elaborate affairs with women. Before his death in 1798, he enjoyed gambling, worked as a spy, invented the Lottery, was briefly a priest, performed as a violinist and worked with Mozart and the Pope.
Casanova will debut at Sheringham Little Theatre in Norfolk on Friday September 30th where it will be shown for two nights.
It will then be performed at:
Cotton Village Hall; Felsham Village Hall; The Fisher Theatre in Bungay; New Wolsey Studio in Ipswich; St John’s Centre in Bury St Edmunds; Clare Town Hall; Palgrave Village Hall; John Peel Centre in Stowmarket; St Edmunds Hall in Hoxne; Wickhambrook Memorial Social Centre; Botesdale Village Hall; Blackbourne Community Centre in Elmswell; Exning Village Hall; the Thatcher’s Arms in Mount Bures; Whatfield Village Hall; Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall and Bardwell Tithe Barn.
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Spinning Wheel Theatre was set up in November 2011 by Miss Wyllie and freelance stage manager and designer, Becca Gibbs, who is the company’s executive producer.
As well as professional tours, it puts on summer schools for children and teenagers and workshops for aspiring actors and theatre makers.
Please note: Casanova is not suitable for teenagers and children under 14.
Tickets: £9.50 / £7.50 for concessions.
For more information or to book please visit www.spinningwheeltheatre.com
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