BY
Carlo Goldoni

Was staged in July 2003

in the amphitheatre of
Dorset House,
Bury Manor,
Sussex.

The life of the Italian dramatist Carlo Goldoni almost exactly spanned the eighteenth century, a time when the traditional comedia dell'arte style was in decline and 'written' drama as we know it was beginning.
Goldoni skilfully adapted the comedia dell'arte pattern to his own very funny plots, and the most famous of the resulting plays is 'The Servant of Two Masters'.

This was a fun play to perform and the amphitheatre at Dorset House provided a marvellous space in which to do it. The spacious grounds and the old buildings of the manor house added period atmosphere to a delightful evening's entertainment.

Initial casting was made in November 2002 however we were still adding cast right up until April 2003. The new venue of Dorset House School was perfect for oepn-air performances, with good acoustics. The 'Barn' adjacent proved a very cosy venue for when the rains came on Saturday evening!

About the play

The introduction in the front of the script says-"There is no one way of performing The Servant of Two Masters. The play provides a theatrical vehicle adaptable to the skills and abilities of varied companies of actors. It has a knockabout style, uninhibited in its high spirits, but necessitating a carefully controlled production from both actors and stage staff".
The modern pantomime still shares with the old Commedia dell'Arte the possibility of endless variations within an established story, and intervals of comic 'business' feature strongly in this play.