The Director of this production is Jenni Prior
Jenni joined Maskers in November 2023 for Almost Maine, and has a long history of acting, directing and backstage roles before Maskers. She was the joint director of Murder in the Studio and assistant director for Winter Sparkles. Jenni has also taken on the demanding role of Marketing Director for the company. She likes to keep busy!

Bill Bryson is played by Johnny Carrington
Johnny made his stage debut at the tender age of ten... as the back end of a donkey in the school nativity! A year later he was making his Maskers’ debut at the Nuffield as a paperboy in Oh What a Lovely War. Having parents who were founding members meant he was always around the theatre and he started appearing with the Maskers Youth Theatre whilst at college.
Johnny has been in numerous shows both in traditional venues and outdoors, but four of his favourites have been The Rover (Willmore) The Three Musketeers (D’Artagnan), The Man in the Iron Mask (also D’Artagnan) and The Wind in the Willows (Toad). He also began directing with the Maskers with the tribute play to the Spitfire, Mitchell's Wings, in 2011 (which he also wrote). His most recent appearances with Maskers were in A Bunch of Amateurs (Jefferson Steel) and Out of Focus (Bob Enfield).

Numerous other characters played by the cast (in alphabetical order):

Adam Taussik
Since joining Maskers 21 years ago, Adam has played characters of many ranks, from peasants to kings (with a smattering of vicars, chefs and bears), and now has the chance to play them all - even a National Treasure - at the same time! Following the death of Tybalt in last summer's Romeo and Juliet, Adam is pleased to survive to the end of this show.

David Collis
David has been treading the boards for over 25 years. He has returned to Maskers after a 10-year break, lured back by this witty look at 'being British'. Loving all aspects of theatre, especially musicals and more recently panto, his many roles have been as diverse as Zeus in Orpheus to Hysterium, a slave, in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. It's great to be back with such a great cast and team, bringing life and laughter to Bill Bryson's journey.

Ian Wilson
Ian has been a member of Maskers for 17 years and appeared in many productions, most recently as Eric, the benefit cheat, in Cash on Delivery and the pedantic trainspotter, Leonard, in Out of Focus. His most recent outing was as the director of Blue Remembered Hills, a play he has been wanting to be involved in for many years. He is very much looking forward to playing multiple roles in this production, assuming he can conjure up 10 different accents.

Liz Finbow
This is Liz's first show with Maskers. She has had fun rehearsing this, changing from one role to another and enjoying the laughs this play brings.

Meri Mackney
Meri has been a Masker for more years than she cares to remember and has been involved with many shows both on and off-stage. She most recently appeared in Murder in the Studio and The Merry Wives of Windsor, and her most recent production was the Christmas show, Winter Sparkles. In 2023, she adapted and directed our open air production of Jane Eyre. When she isn’t in/directing the show (and sometimes when she is!) she will usually be found behind the bar.

Molly McDade
Molly’s most recent roles with Maskers were: Molly in Winter Sparkles, Florrie in Murder in the Studio, and Prunesquallor in Gormenghast. Molly has been part of Maskers since 2014. Apart from appearing in various Maskers' productions, including The Jungle Book, A Bunch of Amateurs and Around the World in Eighty Days, she is also a member of Southampton Operatic Society and has appeared in Legally Blonde and Crazy for You at MAST Studios.

Neil Forster
Neil joined Maskers in 2021 and has since made appearances in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Almost Maine, and Four Weddings and an Elvis. Most recently he could be seen as the lovesick Romeo in last summer's outdoor production of Romeo & Juliet. A native Geordie(ish), Neil grew up in South Shields and studied at York University, where he performed in various productions including Cider with Rosie, Arcadia, and Journey’s End. He later moved to London, where he appeared in many other shows including A Clockwork Orange, Oh What a Lovely War! and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Philip de Grouchy
Philip has been a member of Maskers for fifty odd(?) years, playing many varied roles in that time. He was last seen as a 'Public Prosecutor' in Murder in the Citizen’s Jury. Philip relishes joining with younger members in playing a few of the 90+ eccentric British characters in Bryson's amusing yet affectionate account of his times in our island - never were so many accents gathered together in one place...

Sally Scott
Sally originally joined Maskers for the 2007 production of Pride and Prejudice. After having a fabulous time and meeting some lovely people, she moved away for other UK and Canadian adventures. She did get up to some theatre, including Bel Canto (Theatre in the Raw, Vancouver, Canada) and A Bedful of Foreigners (Royal Canadian Theatre Company, Surrey, Canada). She feels this is an appropriate first show back for someone exploring what it’s like to live in the U.K. again.

Tickets £15

No concessions

Customers are requested to arrive promptly as late comers cannot be admitted.

On arrival at the Masker’s Studio

• Please give your name (or the name the tickets were booked under) to our Box Office receptionist, and they will confirm your booking.
• If you have pre-ordered a programme you will be given it on arrival. Programmes will also be available for purchase from a FOH member.
• For the safety of all our audience members and staff are still operating some Covid risk reduction actions.  Please use the hand sanitising stations on arrival.  We will also be increasing the fresh air circulating throughout the venue.
• Wearing of face coverings is optional.
• Our bar will be open for purchases of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.  We would encourage you to pre-order your interval drinks, to assist our bar staff and reduce crowding at the bar.
• We are now able to take, and prefer, card payments but can also take cash.

During your visit

• A stairlift and disabled toilet facilities are available.
• Hand sanitiser will be available for your use at various points around the theatre building.
• We have installed an extra extractor fan to vent studio air to the outside pulling fresh air in from the other side of the building.
• Where possible windows will also remain open.  This may make the venue cooler than you are used to, so please be prepared.
• Enhanced cleaning will take place throughout the venue before, and after the performance.
• The taking of photographs or videos whilst the show is on is not permitted.

Exiting the building/event at the end of the performance

• When leaving, please do not crowd the stairwell and allow everyone to leave easily and quickly.
• As you go down the alleyway, please take extra care and keep to the marked footpath as the road is very uneven.
• Please take any rubbish with you or leave it in the bins provided.

What if I have specific access needs?

• The stair chair lift is available and our FOH staff will assist you should you need to use it.
• Any other requirements may be discussed with our Box Office manager in advance of your arrival.

What happens if a show is cancelled?

• If we are required to cancel a performance, we will offer you tickets for an alternative performance.