Fighting for Love The Edwardian Way

.

MARGARET – Leonie Wiffen.

HARRIET - Emma Banks

MAGGIE – Tricia Fitzpatrick

HETTY – Liz Webb

Interval

When Cupid Came to Earl’s Court (1911) by prolific author and playwright Cosmo Hamilton. Cupid is making his way to the comfortable home of the Robertson’s to ensure the correct pair of love-birds are together at the end.

HENRY ROBERTSON – Keith Leech 

MRS.ROBERTSON    - Emma Banks

HARRY, their son - Nathan Parkin  

PHYLLIS, their daughter   - Leonie Wiffen

ARTHUR TILNEY, a friend – Stephen Rose

BERYL MACMURDO, a friend – Heather Leech. 

COOK – Liz Webb

The players are local actors who have met through various routes to put on these two short plays. We have set both plays in the Earl’s Court area known at that time for its upwardly mobile trajectory inhabited by those with social and monetary stability and whose manners were culturally urbanite.

Emma Banks had a passion for treading the boards since being a young child when she used to make up plays to perform with friends to anyone who would watch. Emma went around the world, stopping to work in Australia in the 1980s, a very different world. She worked on a prawn trawler and a talc mine before completing her travels. In her late 30s she became a primary teacher, a job that she adored teaching in Essex, Devon, Moscow and Ecuador. She returned to teach in Bedfordshire doing amateur dramatics when ever possible. Emma has been in the production Flight of Fantasy with Leonie Wiffin, the monologue Death in the Footlights. She performs in a variety show in September. She relishes the chance to do any drama which is her passion.

Tricia Fitzpatrick studied drama at St Mary’s College, Twickenham.. She has since performed numerous stage roles ranging from: Joan of Arc in Jean Anouil’s  The Lark to Ratty in The Wind in the Willows. Theatre credits include: Kay in Do not Forget Me Quite (Worcester and Sevenoaks Festivals}; Mr Tackleton in The Cricket and the Kettle, (Dickens Festival); Kitty the Witch in the children’s musical Powder Monkeys at Upnor Castle, and Gladys in The Mystery of Dick Whittington (Cyclops productions: Sevenoaks and St Giles in the Fields). Her most recent role was Audrey in Life at The Compound, St Leonards. Tricia’s most memorable appearance was on BBC’s The One Show where she was completely upstaged by her dancing dog, Rufus!

Heather Leech. Studied drama education at Wolverhampton University and Theatre Studies at Rose Bruford College of Performing Arts, she works with local puppetry company Idolrich Theatre Rotto and is  Co-Director / Artistic Lead of Gleowit Productions, she is renowned for writing, and featuring in, her own work of one-woman plays: Guy Fawkes’ Mother, King Harold’s Mother and Anne Boleyn’s Mother; all of which have toured nationally gaining four star reviews. Heather has also been a leading local drama teacher and is currently a drama examiner. 

Keith Leech (MBE) is known for his work on the Jack in the Green and Bonfire celebrations. He is Co-Director / Producer of Gleowit Productions and works with local theatre company Idolrich Theatre Rotto.  As well as performing internationally in various TV commercials and advertisements, Keith has featured in film roles which include Kestrel House, Going Home, Malhollands Diner and Wine (co-starring with Declan McKenna) and Undisputed. 

Nathan Parkin  began in repertory theatre and has since acted in small roles in film. He has been in a wide range of productions including works by Pinter, Chekhov and Gogol. 

Stephen Rose has had small parts in sitcoms over the years, similarly a part in a feature film ‘Van Wilder – the Rise of Taj’, and has done many commercials, both here and abroad. He’s appeared in 3 previous productions at The Stables, including a two-hander ‘Not About Heroes’.

Liz Webbe has had an extremely varied working life from acareer in administration alongside playing and singing semi-professionally, to running a business as a Chocolatier. In her foreties she quit haer deskjob to go backpacking around the world and returned as a delivery driver. Although originally from Cheshire Liz moved to Hastings 16 years ago to pursue her love of writing, singing and acting. She enjoys writing short stories and poems and has kust completed her forst novel Dexter's Lot , a romantic comedy launched in Septenber 2026. Liz ia member of the Hastings Writers group, Opera South East, and a number of local amateur dramatic socisietes where she embraces  any opportunity to tread the boards.

Leonie Wiffen is in her final year as a BA Fine Arts student. With a background in the corporate sector and interior design, she has a lasting fascination with bygone eras, particularly Film Noir and period drama. As part of her higher education, she has embraced the world of performance, with experience to date including script-in-hand readings on stage and on film, as well as a monologue, all facilitated by a local daytime theatre company. Leonie has also appeared in a two-hander by a local playwright. These experiences reflect her growing commitment to performance and storytelling.