Yeah, it was almost exactly the same in mine. Haha

I was lady larkin in my school's production of "Mattress" our men had to come from other areas since our school is all girl. the oldest members of our cast were 40s(king) and 21(dauntless) harry was 18 and minstrel was 16.

as for the larken minstral aspect of the show. it is pretty obvious in various places. the whole song "Normandy" is the minstrel singing to Larken about how he wants to take her away to a romantic place.. not so much escaping the castle before it is known about her pregnacy. Then of course we have the beginning part that someone previously mentioned.
Then right before Normandy, a dialogue is going on between the jester, king, minstrel and larkin.

Jester: "lady larkin"
Larkin (starts)
Jester: Is something wrong?
Larkin: ..no.
Jester: oh well we're glad of that anyway.(gestures for king and minstrel to come out of hiding)
(blah blah.. larkin says something that she was feeling faint and she went outside for fresh air. jester comments on that she was going to camp out (she has bags in her hand) and then larkin breaks down.. and tells everyone that she is leaving forever)

Larkin: it's better this way...i'm leaving.
Minstrel: you're leaving?(clearly upset)
Larkin: yes. i'm leaving the sevice of the queen forever.
Jester: that's a pretty big step to take all alone.
Larkin: i have no other choice.
Minstrel: (very upset now) you're leaving...forever!?
Larkin: yes.
Jester: you'll need help.
Larkin: who would help me!?
Minstrel:..I MY LADY!
...something else happens then the minstrel says.

Minsitrel: (arm around larkin) Chivalry demands that we protect a damsel in distress!

but then the jester and king say/pantomime that they'll help her too also the whole premise of Normandy is to convince her to stay isn't it?

I have to say, it's completely possible to skip this particular subplot. When I was in the show two years ago, our minstrel was female, playing the role as a female and the sublot wasn't included at all.... our minstrel had a thing for the Wizard.

While there is indeed a "subplot" I think it's so understated that it really can go over the audience's heads. If a woman plays The Minstrel, I'm sure it just would seem like they're friends. Now, The Jester being played by a girl, THERE'S something I can't stand.

It's the opposite for me...I'd hate to see a female Ministrel but I wouldn't mind a female Jester...it might add to the story, that the Wizard doesn't like the Jester because she is a girl in a guy's profession...

I know "Conversesneaker" but I'm a little biased considering I played The Jester.

in our show, the Minstrel and the Jester (played by a girl, as a girl), have a romantic sub plot and the reason for Normandy is to get her to stay, by telling her all these great things that she can go do, if she just stays.

In a production I saw, my sister's best friend (a girl) played the Minstrel, and her sister was the Jester. I thought it worked fine, but it was the G2K version. (So there wasn't a pregnancy or anything. )

I will be directing this show in December, so obviously I've spent a lot of time with this script lately. To me, one of the loveliest things about this show is the juxtaposition of caricatures and realistic characters. This show is, in some ways, quite farcical - nearly all of the characters are very over-the-top and ridiculous, and the show pokes fun at this (the bawdy, loud-mouthed princess, the child-like prince who grows a pair by the end, the reverse-Oedipus-complex queen, the incessantly horny king, etc.).

Harry and Larken are presented as incredibly two-dimensional characters from the beginning. He's a knight, and he puts all his stock in that - he's heroic, he's misogynistic, he's enforcing the patriarchy. Larken is your basic damsel in distress, just about as archetypal as you can get.

The Minstrel, however, is NOT just a pretty face singing pretty songs. He is a very well-developed character - he's charming, witty, handsome, mischievous, and in some ways, he, as the outsider of the palace, brings a lot of realism to the over-the-top court life. And from the minute he steps foot in the castle, he's got his eyes on Larken (one of his first bits of non-narrator dialogue is "She's a pretty thing").

In some ways, the Minstrel could almost be seen as the "anti-Harry." While Harry talks about chivalry, the Minstrel actively pursues it. While Harry tries to seem worldly and well-learned, the Minstrel has true life experience - he's traveled all around and seen things no one in this castle has. While Harry gets petty and whiny when Larken's in trouble, the Minstrel actually tries to help her. The Minstrel takes the idyllic facade Harry puts up and brings his most noble qualities to life.

As the show progresses, too, Larken gains some self-awareness that she completely lacks in the beginning. Before "Normandy," she's decided she's going to run away because she and Harry have fought. Instead of sitting around and accepting his lame emotional abuse, she decides that she's not putting up with him anymore, and THAT'S when she and the Minstrel start singing about escaping to their fantastical Normandy - together. While the Jester and the king are present for the song, they really don't do a whole lot - it's 90% the Minstrel talking her into running away with him.

So, obviously, I love this aspect of the show.