User blog:Belle pullman/London 1986 Cast - weeeeeiiiirrrrrdd.....

David Hitchen is Asparagus. Nick Hamilton is Bustopher. Donald Francke is Deuteronomy. whut?

I think - THINK - this is effectively turning the "Walking Cover" into a form of onstage swing. He has one scene, as Bustopher, every show, but should he need to go on as either Gus or Deut, he can do both without difficulty. This is, after all, 1986 so not long since Brian Blessed was Deut/Bustopher.

At the same time as this, over at Starlight Express we saw a couple of instances of the usually doubled roles of Sleeper/Component split - in a way, onstage swings, in that the swing had a very small role in each performance, and the moment she needed to bump up to an ensemble role, she could perform both parts easily.

This is only dated "1986" - programmes didn't always bother with boring info like months, or years at times....


 * Also, note to self:  This is a programme NOT purchased off ebay.  Stop buying ALL the programmes.


 * Also, note to self: come up with a notation for indicating the source of cast lists, be it fan circulation, hard copy programme, scanned programme, Brochure cast list and brain power...  This being a scan of a programme not in my collection.

At the moment we have a March 1986 list which is similar to this - this is believably a couple of months either side of that - and an October list which is accurate in the names with unconfirmed roles; the list from a brochure.

BASICALLY IT'S A MESS WITH UNCERTAIN DATES.

Now here's the Undated 1986, with an undated 1987. There's a massive cast change, so I'm inclined to think there's at least a year between - early 1986, late 1987.


 * Also when Steven Wayne took on George.
 * It's "Fiona Alexanda" - no R at the end.
 * No George in 1986 - no Carbucketty in 1987.  Literally.  Not there.