painful and the true tragedy of Mr Arden of Feversham, sixteenth-century anonymous English author, directed by Dragoș Galgoțiu
Thomas Arden, nobleman in Feversham: Dan Bădărău
Alice, Arden’s wife: Cătălina Mustaţă
Mosbie: Marius Stănescu
Franklin, Arden’s friend: Mircea N. Creţu
Michael, Arden’s servant: Pavel Bartoş
Susan, Mosbie’s sister: Paula Niculiţă
Clarke , painter: Marian Ghenea
Adam Fowle, innkeeper: Sorin Tofan
Black Will, hitman: Constantin Cojocaru / Gabriel Pintilei
Shakebag, hitman: Mircea Constantinescu
Bradshaw, jeweller: Laurenţiu Lazăr
Richard Reede: Ioan Batinaş
Lord Cheiny: Mugur Arvunescu
Greene: Constantin Rotaru
Itinerant actors in Lord Cheiny’s service: Virginia Rogin / Jeanine Stavarache / Rodica Mandache
The Judge: Wanda Rotaru
Knights: Dan Benga, Marius Manea, Cristian Iosif, Cristian Dan Nicolae
Lord Cheiny’s servants: Ion Iosif, Lixandru Șerban, Costel Neagu, Gheorghe Neagu, Dan Stanciu, Iordan Popa
Directed by: Dragoş Galgoţiu
Stage design: Vittorio Holtier
Opening night: March 14, 2003
The play is inspired by a real event, that took place at Feversham, a small town in the south of England ( between London and Canterbury), in the county of Kent.
Thomas Arden became known after being killed in his own house, by his wife and her lover. Arden’s house still exists, near the abbey in Feversham. The crime was committed on February, the 15th, 1551. Raphael Holinshed, in “Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland” narrates the episode on five pages. A short story about the crime is included in “Stow’s Chronicle”, as well, and the facts are recorded in “Wardmote Book of Feversham”. All those involved in this story, were arrested , judged and sentenced to death. Alice was burnt in Canterbury, Mosbie and his sister were hanged in Smithsfield, London and Michael was hanged in chains in Feversham.All their accomplices ended tragically.
The story became famous in 1592 when “Arden of Feversham” was published. Though the events had taken place 40 years before, the people were still interested by this subject. The author of the play is unknown, though Shakespeare, Kyd, Marlowe, Green and Francis Bacon have been credited with it.
“Arden of Feversham” is the first domestic tragedy in English literature, inspired by common people’s life. It can be regarded also as the first comical thriller, because of the grotesque actions of BlackWill and Shakebag, that are a counterpart to the passionate relation of Alice and Mosbie.
