Ruby Birtle - Grace Santry

“a young ‘slavey’ who looks as if her hair has just gone up!” Somewhat cheeky, but a wide-eyed innocent. Script says 15 years old, but anything between this and early 20s.

Gerald Forbes - Troy Chessman

“a pleasant young man in smart clothes – does not talk with a marked West Riding accent.” Aged somewhere in his 30s and desperately in love with Nancy, he is an outsider - a ‘southerner’ – who has come to be the chapel organist. But there needs to be more to him than just providing the romantic interest which we see in his reaction to being reprimanded for ‘carrying on’.

Nancy Holmes - Jill Coles

“an attractive girl in her early twenties” The Helliwell’s niece carrying on a secret liaison with Gerald.

Alderman Joseph Helliwell - Wally Walters

“high-coloured, rather bouncing, rather pompous, very pleased with himself”. The generous host of the evening, full of his own importance, but we do like him. Has a sense of humour. 50 plus.

Maria Helliwell - Linda Russell

“high-coloured, rather bouncing, rather pompous, very pleased with herself” Joe’s wife who enjoys lording it over Mrs N and living the life of an Alderman’s wife. Hurt at learning of Joe’s fling, but deals practically with it. 50 plus.

Councillor Albert Parker - Graham Collier

“a tall, thin, conceited sententious man”, “big man at chapel, vice president o’ t’cricket league, on t’hospital committee an’ so forth”, but ”very, very stingy” - Insufferable, bit of a bully, likes to hear the sound of his own voice. 50 plus.

Annie Parker - Lynne Walters

“a hopeful kind of woman” Albert’s plaintive wife. Obedient and very much put upon by Albert with a lifetime of penny-pinching misery, but has a wonderful rebellious moment. We need to feel sorry for her. 50 plus.

Herbert Soppitt - Ian Thomas

“a smallish neat man clearly dominated by his wife”. A downtrodden hen-pecked shrew of a man who transforms quietly and probably surprises himself at his own audacity. We need to see the two very different sides of his character. 50 plus.

Clara Soppitt - Pam Ling

“a noisy woman”. Herbert’s despotic, bullying, nagging wife – someone we love to hate. Significant change of character from bullying pomposity to quivering subservience. I’d like her to take a genuine slap across the face (probably my favourite moment in the play). 50 plus.

Mrs Northrop - Faith Powell

“an aggressive but humorous working woman of about 50” Good character role. Blunt, bolshy and speaks her mind, but we see a real change in her in the presence of the Rev Mercer. A ruddy-faced working class local.

Fred Dyson - Matt Hill

“a cheerful rather cheeky youngish reporter” Mid-20s

Henry Ormonroyd - Paul Foster

“an air of beery dignity with a large drooping moustache” A world-weary photographer from the local paper who probably doesn’t look after himself too well and who gets progressively drunk and confused. Good comic role. 50 plus.

Lottie Grady - Emma Thompson

“a painted trollop”. Could be slightly younger than the wives, somewhat flirty and enjoys seeing the couples suffering in their predicament, but all in good fun with no intent to harm.

Rev Clement Mercer - Graham Botterill

“a gurt big lion of a man”. Authoritative, putting the fear of God into Mrs Northrop

Director - Tony Frier

Stage Manager and Set Assistant - Liz Thomas

Set design and Construction - John Godliman

Set Design and Construction - Simon Waller

Set Assistant, Hair and Make Up - Emma Dudley

Set Assistant - Bill Payne

Set Assistant and Sound Operation - Andrew Lacey

Set Assistant - Clare Pinnock

Set Assistant - Adam Roberts

Set Assistant and Decor - Linda Russell

Set Assistant - Ian Thomas

Set Assistant and Decor - Jenny Waller

Lighting and Sound - Carolyn Menteith

Lighting - Nigel Greenaway

Wardrobe - Anna Foster

Continuity - Kay Frier

Flyer and Programme Design - Anne Nunn

Publicity - Gillian Smithies

Front of House Manager and Publicity - Frankie Godliman

Photography - Alan Bostock (www.photoeyes.biz)