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The Coup

By Mustapha Matura

Year staged: 1991

Opening night: 12/07/1991

Theatre Company: National Theatre; 1963-

Staged in: Cottesloe Theatre, National Theatre

Cast Size: 12

Synopsis

A funeral oration of President Eddie Jones; a precarious military takeover with trigger-happy squabbling factions: Mustapha Matura’s farcical, fictional coup, set in independent Trinidad and Tobago, swings with the fluid language and magical lyricism of the Caribbean and explores the chimerical quality of nationhood where foreign money overpowers dreams.

Find the script

The Coup

Publisher: Methuen Drama

Year published: 1991

Original Cast

Maureen Hibbert

First Nun / Arawak

Lennie James

Mickey Jones

Gordon Case

Lieutenant Chan

Oscar James

Archbishop / Arawak Priest

Josephine Melville

Second Nun / Arawak

Jeffery Kissoon

Major Ferret

Stefan Kalipha

Lieutenant le Grange

Tony Armatrading

Black Lighting

Norman Beaton

President Edward Francis Jones

Marc Matthews

Monk / Second Workman / Guard of Honour

T-Bone Wilson

Christopher Columbus / First Workman / Guard of Honour

Lenny Algernon Edwards

Captain / Soldier / Guard of Honour

Production Team

Emma B Lloyd

Assistant Stage Manager

Ernest Hall

Stage Manager

Angela Bissett

Deputy Stage Manager

Edward Kemp

Staff Director

Ivan Kyncl

Production and Rehearsal Photographer

Paul Groothuis

Sound Score

Paul Greaves

Assistant Stage Manager

Michael Mayhew

Designer of Poster and Programme Cover

Roger Michell

Director

Rick Fisher

Lighting Designer

Tim Bray

Assistant to the Lighting Designer

Jason Barnes

Production Manager

Miles King

Design Assistant

Rose Towler

Poster / Programme cover designer

Wendy Griffiths

Costume Supervisor

William Dudley

Designer / Programme cover design

Additional Materials

Link to Set Photographs

Set Photographs

Ref: RNT/PO/5/262

National Theatre

Link to Platform Recording with Matura

Platform Recording with Matura

Ref: RNT/PL/3/74

National Theatre

Link to Programme

Programme

Ref: RNT/PP/1/4/134

National Theatre

Link to Poster

Poster

Ref: RNT/PP/2/4/127

National Theatre

Link to Costume File

Costume File

Ref: RNT/CO/1/286

National Theatre

Link to Press Reviews

Press Reviews

Ref: RNT/PR/4/1/495

National Theatre

Link to Stage Management Reports

Stage Management Reports

Ref: RNT/SM/2/2/137TEMP

National Theatre

Link to Production Photographs

Production Photographs

Ref: RNT/PR/3/370

National Theatre

Link to Prop Buying file

Prop Buying file

Ref: RNT/PB/1/132

National Theatre

Link to Leaflets

Leaflets

Ref: RNT/PP/3/1/14

National Theatre

Link to Show Reports

Show Reports

Ref: RNT/SM/2/2/131

National Theatre

Link to Show Reports

Show Reports

Ref: RNT/SM/2/2/131

National Theatre

Link to Production File

Production File

Ref: RNT/PO/1/1/124

National Theatre

Link to Press Releases

Press Releases

Ref: RNT/PR/2/3/70

National Theatre

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