THE HOSPITAL PLAYERS 

78th Production

The Owl and the Pussycat went to see...

By Sheila Rudkin and David Wood

Based on the Nonsense Fantasies of Edward Lear

7th - 11th December 1971

The Hospital Players feel that as you enjoyed our previous pre-Christmas children’s productions such as ‘Toad of Toad Hall,’ ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘New Clothes for the Emperor’ and – last year – ‘Pinocchio’ you will also enjoy this delightful and unusual play, rich in bizarre and colourful characters. Although billed as a ‘children’s play,’ we are sure that this includes ages from 3 to 93.

The play is based on the nonsense poems of Edward Lear and includes such delightful items as the story of the Dong with the Luminous Nose and his friends the Jumblies and the Quangle Wangle and his enormous hat, complete with resident Hat Band who accompany the singers and entertain the audience.

The Owl and the Pussy Cat set off on a romantic journey in a pea-green boat, at the end of which they meet the Dong, Quangle Wangle, Runcible Spoon, Professor Bosh, the Pig with a ring in its nose, the notorious Plum Pudding Flea, the Jumblies and eventually – after many adventures – the Turkey who agrees to marry them, if he can remember the service.

Most of these characters are very unusual, the Jumblies for example:

Their heads are green, their hands are blue and they have a tendency to wrap their feet in pinky paper.

Tony Deane (The Owl), David Roberts (The Dong with the Luminous Nose) and Jacky Duncan (Pussycat)