'50s revival theme for Medway Little Theatre play

Memories of the Medway Towns in the 1950s will be evoked on a Rochester stage this week.

Medway Little Theatre (MLT) members will perform an adaptation of Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops To Conquer – directed by MLT veteran Michael Bath – for nine nights from Thursday, 20 June, to Saturday, 29 June.

The popular play – which was performed at the National Theatre in London as recently as last year – recounts the playwright's own experience of visiting a private house which he believed was a hotel.

And director Michael Bath believes his own attempts to make She Stoops To Conquer contemporary may resonate with today's audiences and particularly those who may recall Medway's past.

"This play has a special bond for me, as I grew up in Medway in the 1950s and I wanted to portray the influence of that era within the script which is originally from the 18th century," he said.

"What inspired me to adapt it in this period was how special it was to see various comedians like Norman Evans and Arthur English at the Chatham Empire – as well as the Billy Cotton Band – and I thought that kind of showbiz nature would work perfectly for a play like She Stoops To Conquer.

"I have also really enjoyed transforming old references in to modern English and I hope those who come to see the play will appreciate the subtleties I've made," Michael added.

First performed in 1773 and since becoming a hit at the National Theatre in London, She Stoops To Conquer details how heiress Kate Hardcastle (Katie Foster), literally conquers the seemingly timid Charles Marlow (Mike Dickinson), by posing as a barmaid aiming to unlock Marlow's boisterous side.

But the play's romantic efforts – which also include the wooing of Constance Neville (Jessica Hayhow) by George Hastings (Barry Kearns) – are often scuppered by the constant scheming of Teddy Boy Tony Lumpkin (Stuart Wilson) and his domineering mother Mrs Hardcastle (Maggie Coleman).

MLT's adaptation – which also sees Mr Hardcastle (John Winson) as Tony's mild-mannered but long-suffering stepfather.

Meanwhile Medway Little Theatre's Katie Foster will add to her recent triumphs, including performing as Rosalind in Shakespeare's As You Like It at London's RADA Studios and in Stratford-Upon-Avon for the Oxford Shakespeare Company last month, by taking to the stage in this comedy-stroke-farce.

Tickets for She Stoops To Conquer range from just £6.50 to £8 and can be booked online here, or by contacting Medway Little Theatre Box Office Manager, Janet Watson, by phone, on: 01634 400322.

Medway Little Theatre – which is in its 55th season – is located in Rochester High Street, opposite the train station.

For more information on the theatre and its new season – which opens in October with Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire – visit www.mlt.org.uk.