Summer Theatre at Fanshawe Pioneer Village

Posted on: July 6, 2011 Subscribe

The Miller and His Men, A Musical Melodrama by Isaac Pocock Experience this recreated musical melodrama originally performed by the Officers of the Garrison in 1842, when London was a frontier town. An old miller's beautiful daughter is pursued by two suitors: one aging, but rich; another young but poor. To win her hand, the young man makes a secret pledge: to rid the land of the banditti, and restore the fortunes of the old miller. Little does he know but someone has darker plans for them all. Cheer the heroes! Boo the villains!

In many towns, officer’s jury-rigg playing spaces in which to stage garrison theatricals. In London where One London Place now stands, they converted an old frame barn for this purpose, located where One London Place now stands. They called it, as many garrison theatres at that time were called, the "Theatre Royal." Despite the grand name, it was rough-hewn: "stumps, sawed off pretty evenly, supported the rough board seats." This theatre later served as the stage for the first local amateurs, and launched the theatrical career of Graves Simcoe Lee, one of Canada's most successful actors of the 19th Century.

 Based on careful research, Miller and His Men will be staged in a theatrical space similar to the one where it was originally performed: in a frame barn, surrounded by frame buildings. Scene backdrops are based on original paintings by officers. The play has been adapted to be set in London, Canada west following the 1837 rebellion, and to include songs from Gilbert & Sullivan.

What is melodrama? Think of hateful, mustachioed villains, sweet young heroines, and handsome, fearless heroes. The Miller and His Men was one of the more popular and enduring melodramas of the 19th Century.

The Miller and his Men play will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for this show are $15.00/ person & HST. Advance tickets are recommended and can be purchased by calling 519-457-1296 or online at www.fanshawepioneervillage.ca

More information on London's first theatre, and a behind-the-scenes look at how The Miller and His Men is being recreated, can be found at www.garrisontheatricals.com.

Shows:

• Tuesday, July 12th 2011 – Thursday, July 14th 2011
• Tuesday, July 19th 2011 – Friday, July 22nd 2011

This production has been researched and produced by Mark Tovey, and directed by Joe Lella

This event has been sponsored by: The London Heritage Council