Season

1977-78

Play

They Club Seals, Don’t They?

Run Dates

February 19, 1978, Premiere

Spring 1978–Summer 1978

Header image features: Rhonda Payne (clockwise from top), Jeff Pitcher, David Ross. Photo by Kent Barrett.

Poster by Aislin.

Playwright

Director

Cast

  • Donna Butt Maggie/Dr. Levigne/Mother Nature/Tom Hughes/Larry/George's Conscience/Female Customer
  • Pierre Beaupré Louis XIV /Leander/Clown Two/Seal/Dr. Winter/Jim/Greenpeacer/Weber/Ottawa Reporter
  • Rhonda Payne Clown One/Barbara/Stewardess
  • Jeff Pitcher George/Kid/Orange/Sealer
  • Terry Rielly Dr. Benjaminsen/Horatio/Sealer
  • David Ross Captain/King Charles/Ringmaster/Johnny Canuck/Bridgette Bardot/Dr. Sergeant, Customer One/Manager/Brian Davis/Greenpeacer's Conscience/Bank Manager/Stan/Punk Singer/Sealer
  • Glen Tilley Merchant/Dr. Capel/Customer Two/Sealer

Crew

Description

A story about the politically controversial seal hunt, told through the parallel lives of a rural Newfoundland family and an urban family from the mainland. The show uses circus themed clown routines to draw contrasts and address propaganda surrounding the hunt.

Before the show begins, the audience listens to several recordings of famous celebrities condemning the hunt. As each recording plays, the audience realizes they are all reading from the same script. For this production, audience members were also passed pamphlets with reasons for the hunt on one side and reasons against on the other.

Dates and locations for the 1978 They Club Seals, Don’t They? National Tour was as follows:
Feb 19th: St. John’s, NL at the LSPU Hall
Feb 24-25th: Petrolia, ON
Feb 27th: Waterloo, ON
March 1-6th: Toronto, ON
March 9th: St. Anthony, NL
March 13-18th: Ottawa, ON
March 21-26th: Vancouver, BC
March 29th-April 1st: Victoria, BC
April 4-8th: Edmonton, AB
April 11-15th: Saskatoon, AB
April 18-22nd: Halifax, NS
April 25-26th: Corner Brook, NL
April 27th: Stephenville, NL
April 29th: Grand Falls, NL
April 30th: Gander, NL

 

Production type

  • Mummers Troupe Production

Gallery

A black and white photo of two people on stage. The first is wearing a touque and suspenders holding up black pants. The person is holding a chaulkboard above their head with a 5 on it. The second person is wearing a dress, rubber boots and a clown nose. Their holding a chaulkboard with a circle.
Image features: Pierre Beaupré (left), Rhonda Payne. Photo by Kent Barrett.
A black and white photo of two people holding each other side by side. They are both smiling and one is gesturing to the audience with their arm up.
Image features: Jeff Pitcher (left), Donna Butt. Photo by Kent Barrett.
A black and white photo of a circus ring. A person stands on a box looking up above them. They're wearing a long jacket. A person on stands to the right wearing a dress, also looking up. Two people are on a platform above them.
Image features: Glen Tilley (clockwise from top left), Chris Brookes, Rhonda Payne, David Ross. Photo by Kent Barrett.
A black and white photo of three people. The first is wearing a top hat, circus blazer and is holding a stuffed seal toy. A person with a beard and wearing a plaid shirt has rope over their shoulder is sitting next to them. A person ith feathers in their hair and dressed as a clown is holding a large sheet with World Press Greatest Show on Ice! behind them.
Image features: Jeff Pitcher, Pierre Beaupré. Photo by Kent Barrett.