An Evening with the Stepneys

By Chrissie Lackey

The idea of a “Live Performance Tour” had been bubbling up for a quite a while and in 2023 I was delighted to be asked, once again, to contribute to the script writing. Lead volunteers
Roger (aka Sir Thomas) and Alie (aka Lady Stepney) along with then Heritage manager, Craig, had a great vision to incorporate the unseen audience into several tableau showcasing our imagining of Georgian life at Llanelly House with the family and the household.

Several iterations of a script later, sadly a fire at Llanelly House stopped our project. However, we did not give up. In 2026, having assembled a cast, a fabulous director, Chris, a working script, and even some fabulous musicians, we had lift off! We wanted to provide a realistic sneak peek into the sometimes outrageous Georgian lifestyle (combined with artistic licence) to provide an entertaining evening, giving a starring role to the beautiful heritage gem that is Llanelly House.

The scene was set, the costumes on, refined by dressmaker Mary, our talented musicians tuned, and nerves were quelled. Guests were welcomed into the House with drinks in the bistro. Joy, our Heritage and Communications Officer commenced her introduction, and the cast went into “freeze mode”. Hold on to your hats – Shenanigans ensued with juicy servants’ gossip, a stressed butler, a demanding Lady Stepney entertaining her friend, Lady Florence, from Bath while sister-in-law, Lady Margaret, needed to be prised from the “blue ruin”. Following an interval for the guests to enjoy drinks and canapes, the evening continued. Along with a haughty Sir Thomas (mostly furious about his wife’s spending habits) a visit from the tea-total Reverend John Wesley, and the presence of their scandalous rake of a son, Sir John, the dinner party from hell careered into a drawing room finish with the threat of the constable being called. Phew! Our evening was complete.

The House was certainly the star, but the cast, musicians and Llanelly House staff provided a humorous reimagining of a snippet of Llanelly House history to entertain the audience. A great night was had by all!

List of cast

Sir Thomas 7th Baronet – Roger Stephens
Lady Elizabeth Stepney – Alie Trow
Sir John 8th Baronet – Llion Thomas
Lady Margaret – Chris Clarke
Lady Florence – Chrissie Lackey
Reverend John Wesley – Peter Freeman
Butler Coley – Martin Lackey
Cook – Rhiannon Davies
Maid Mair – Mair Davies
Maid Jo – Joanne Partridge
Music Performed by Llanelli Community Wind Band