The audience show their appreciation to the cast
Lady Lawson Loses was the name of a melodramatic play presented by the Mission Hall Players to the residents of the Street in December 1962.
The play was written by Norman Farrar of Inkerman Terrace, Preston, under the non-de-plum Mr. Nugent-Hunt. It was described by the author as a drawing room mystery, set in 1908. The original intention was that the play would be performed by the Literary Circle in the Glad Tidings Mission Hall with funds going to the Over 60's Club. When the Circle decided to move the production to St. Joseph’s and Albert Tatlock realised that the club would not benefit, he formed the Mission Hall Players and decided to put on a rival production. As secretary, Emily Nugent wrote to Mr. Nugent-Hunt to arrange performance rights.
Auditions were held on 26th November and soon afterwards Leonard Swindley, fresh from his local election defeat, agreed to be the producer. By early December the parts were cast and the residents threw themselves with varying degrees of enthusiasm into the production. Len Fairclough agreed to make the scenery while Jed Stone would "obtain" the costumes although typically the ones he procured from Liverpool were all from the wrong period.
Emily is overcome
On the night there were many teething problems caused by stuck curtains and the stage fright suffered by Emily Nugent (not helped by her taking tranquilisers and whisky to steady her nerves). After the play had finished and the audience had left she promptly fainted, causing Ena Sharples to remark that it was the best bit of acting she’d seen all night, however the production was deemed a success when it raised £17, 15/- for the Over Sixties.
Cast
Mrs Gilda Montefiore (aka Lady Lawson) - Emily Nugent
Duchess of Bannock - Annie Walker
Gerald, Duke of Bannock - Kenneth Barlow
Lady Priscilla Dauntsey - Christine Appleby
Hon. Reggie Fitzgerald - Harry Hewitt
Manders - Albert Tatlock
Duke of Selina - Frank Barlow
Lady Rhona Philbeach - Minnie Caldwell
Mrs Savage - Concepta Hewitt
Nellie, the maid - Florrie Lindley