Falmouth’s King Charles Mummers next show announced

The Mummers are thrilled to be treading the boards again after the two-year Covid gap - and it will be an extra-special reunion for four of them. 

Taking one of the female leads is Jane Stevenson, retired head of drama at Falmouth School, who will be acting alongside two of her former students, with all under the direction of a third.

“It’s a terrific bonus to be involved on stage with three of my former students who have all returned to Falmouth after graduating from university and forging careers in both the performing arts and education,” says Jane. “I am so proud of them all.”

The production of “A Convenient Murder” by David Summers will run from November 10-13 at the King Charles Theatre in Falmouth’s New Street.

The play’s director is Penny George, who first caught the performing bug at the age of five when watching her older sisters in Jane’s school production of “The Sound of Music.”

Her passion grew with Jane as her teacher and she then took a three-year drama degree course at Plymouth Marjon, during which time she regularly returned to help Jane run workshops and volunteer in the classroom.

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“I can’t wait to get this play to the stage at last and show off the directing skills that Jane helped teach and shape in me over many years,” says Penny, who is now a teaching assistant at Constantine Primary School.

Colin Leggo started at Falmouth School in 1989 on the same day as Jane began her time there as head of drama.

Three years later he was delighted to be cast in Falmouth Theatre Company’s production of “The King and I” at the Princess Pavilion, playing alongside Jane as her son Louis.

He moved to London in 2000 and focussed more on his stand-up comedy. In 2012, after numerous UK tours with his shows, he opened his own comedy club, Comedy Trumpet, in Tooting Broadway.

In 2015, he took his award-winning one-man show Leggoland to the Edinburgh Fringe and four years later won the title of UK Pun Champion. He has since published his own joke book and gone viral with several of his Kernow-themed YouTube videos.

Tasha Smith met Jane in Year 7 at Falmouth School in 2000, leading to her drama degree course at Lancaster University.

She excelled in stage management and then delved into the world of music festivals. During a master’s degree course, she created her own music event brand and since returning to Falmouth in 2019 has run three successful events in the Falmouth area.

She says it’s great to be back performing again after being heavily involved in backstage work for many years.

In the Mummers’ production of “Daisy Pulls It Off”, directed by Jane five years ago, she had a small acting role and was assistant stage manager.

In “A Convenient Murder,” Daniel Harding (David Quinn), a well-known anti-government activist, has been found dead in his study.

The case looks suspiciously like murder and, because his brother-in-law (David Ivall) is visiting at the time – and he happens to work for MI6 – a special investigator is called in, as it may turn out to be a matter of national security.

Throughout the night, the family are questioned and cross-questioned and many startling things come to light.

The production starts at 7.45pm each night, with refreshments from 7pm. Tickets priced £8 are on sale from October 20 at The Cornish Store in Arwenack Street or by phoning 01326 315514. The theatre is Covid-secure, with only 70 tickets per night and no interval to aid social distancing.