Characters
As Drood is metatheatrical, the characters of the play The Mystery of Edwin Drood are played by actors of the "Music Hall Royale", within the production. The following are the dual roles each cast member plays. Note: The actress portraying Miss Alice Nutting/Edwin Drood also performs the role of Dick Datchery up until the Voting portion of the evening. However, as is noted in the script, this is merely a "bit" within the context of The Music Hall Royale - that Miss Nutting only portrays Datchery due to a contractual obligation for her to appear in both acts of the play. Ultimately, the audience decides who Dick Datchery is within the confines of Dickens' story.
| Characters | Original Broadway Cast 1985 |
Notable Replacements 1985-1987 |
Original West End Cast 1987 |
First National Tour 1988 |
Broadway Revival 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor Thomas Sapsea Chairman William Cartwright |
George Rose | George Rose | Ernie Wise | George Rose Clive Revill |
Jim Norton |
| Edwin Drood Dick Datchery Miss Alice Nutting |
Betty Buckley | Donna Murphy Paige O'Hara |
Julia Hills | Paige O'Hara | Stephanie J. Block |
| Rosa Bud Miss Deirdre Peregrine |
Patti Cohenour | Karen Culliver | Sarah Payne (replaced) Patti Cohenour |
Teresa De Zarn | Betsy Wolfe |
| John Jasper Mr. Clive Paget |
Howard McGillin | Howard McGillin | David Burt | Mark Jacoby | Will Chase |
| The Princess Puffer Miss Angela Prysock |
Cleo Laine | Loretta Swit Karen Morrow |
Lulu | Jean Stapleton | Chita Rivera |
| The Rev. Crisparkle Mr. Cedric Moncrieffe |
George N. Martin* | George N. Martin | Martin Wimbush | William McClary | Gregg Edelman |
| Neville Landless Mr. Victor Grinstead |
John Herrera | John Herrera | Mark Ryan | John DeLuca | Andy Karl |
| Helena Landless Miss Janet Conover |
Jana Schneider | Alison Fraser | Marilyn Cutts | Jana Schneider | Jessie Mueller |
| Bazzard / The Waiter Mr. Philip Bax |
Joe Grifasi | David Cromwell | Paul Bentley | Ronn Carroll | Peter Benson |
| Durdles Mr. Nick Cricker |
Jerome Dempsey | Tony Azito | Phil Rose | Tony Azito | Robert Creighton |
| Deputy Master Nick Cricker |
Stephen Glavin | Brad Miskell | Anthony Lennon | Michael Nostrand | Nicholas Barasch |
- The role of Crisparkle was originally portrayed both in the readings and Delacorte production by the actor/playwright, Larry Shue. When Shue tragically died in a plane crash between the show's run at the Delacorte and its opening on Broadway, Rupert Holmes renamed the Music Hall Royale performer who portrayed Crisparkle from Wilfred Barking-Smythe to Cedric Moncrieffe, out of respect for Shue.
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Famous quotes containing the word characters:
“Though they be mad and dead as nails,
Heads of the characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,
And death shall have no dominion.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“His leanings were strictly lyrical, descriptions of nature and emotions came to him with surprising facility, but on the other hand he had a lot of trouble with routine items, such as, for instance, the opening and closing of doors, or shaking hands when there were numerous characters in a room, and one person or two persons saluted many people.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)
“There are as many characters in men
As there are shapes in nature.”
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)