Sisters Of Mersey Show Programme

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Hello and welcome to Liverpool’s Royal Court and this performance of Sisters Of Mersey Dear Lord, what a show we have got for you this summer! Nuns, car chases, giant statues and at least two sets of twins (possibly more). How will we fit it all on stage?

Everyone who has passed a certain age knows that the 1980s was the best decade of all time. We are taking you back to a time of ra-ra skirts and synth pop with our supremely talented cast and band.

A show this good was sent in answer to our prayers but a lot of hard work has gone in to make it happen.

On stage we have got some faces that you will recognise in the cast like Lindzi, Keddy, Emma and Gabriel as well as a couple of Royal Court debutants in Keisha and Natalie. One thing that they have in common is that they are all exceptional performers and lovely people.

Speaking of which, the band, led by George and James, have been getting their eighties mood on and will have you dancing out of your seats before the end of the show. Carl, Libby and Joe all know how to play!

Along with our old friend Stephen Fletcher, the director of Jonathan’s Thong, they will have you howling with laughter.

As ever, the epic video by Jamie, the lights (more than I’ve seen on any other show) by Ian and the pin-sharp sound by Kate are all essential to the show’s success as is the choreography by Carrie-Ann. She joins us having choreographed West End shows, including the amazing musical, Six. A big Royal Court welcome to her.

Are there any other people to thank? The hardworking stage crew (who have agreed to get dressed up for this one), the Box Office staff, the Front of House team and all in the office. Otherwise, there are nun that I can think of.

Now it’s time to travel back in time for a comedy caper that is packed with jokes and songs that will leave you breathless. We should all laugh more, it’s a good habit to get into.

The script that they are bringing to life came from the quite brilliant mind of Jonathan Harvey. We had so much fun when he worked with us for the first time on last year’s A Thong For Europe, we couldn’t wait to produce another show of his.

Kevin Fearon Executive Producer Liverpool’s Royal Court

Liverpool’s Royal Court presents Sisters Of Mersey Written by by Jonathan Harvey Starring Emma Bispham, Natalie Blair, Gabriel Fleary, Lindzi Germain, Keddy Sutton and Keshia Santos Directed by Stephen Fletcher • Musical Supervision by George Francis • Musical Direction by James Breckon Movement Direction by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille • Lighting Design by Ian Scott • Sound Design by Kate Harvey • Video Design by Jamie Jenkin

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Talent Development

Liverpool’s Royal Court continues on its journey to work towards talent development across the city

Maurice Bessman

Music Access All Areas

Boisterous Stage Write

There is no doubt Liverpool is renowned for its wealth of talent but we, along with the rest of our city’s theatre organisations and institutions, recognise we need to do more to ensure we are accessible, engaging and aspirational if we are to be truly representative and inclusive of the communities we serve. It is a long-term continuing process and funding is key as is working together with the theatres across the region.

Over the past three years we have laid down the foundations, initiating our plans for meaningful and real change. This includes the theatre’s programming, engagement, accessibility and relationships with artistes, communities, creatives, individuals, institutions, organisations, Schools/FE. We are working towards ensuring our talent development programmes are applicable, realistic and robust.

Listening and engaging in the first instance to a wide cross section of creatives and communities – recognising and taking ownership of our failure to be fully inclusive and to take a proactive approach to ensure there is inclusivity and diversity across the sector A brief look at a few of our talent development projects so far:

Community Music AAA (Access All Areas) is a partnership project together with three grassroots organisations: Positive Impact, Capoeira For All, and Catalyst performing arts supported by funding from Youth Music. Children and young people aged 6 – 25 can access free musical instruments, musical theatre, hip hop, dance, singing, drama and performance

Raw Talent Young people from our youth theatre continue to have access to auditions and employment opportunities – during the past 3 years, 6 young people have been cast in Terriers, written by Maurice Bessman touring to schools and venues across the country.

More recently working with Fury films, 120 young people aged 15 – 25 from across the city took part in audition workshops for the film of Terriers at Fire Fit in South Liverpool, MYA’s Space in Bootle and The Vibe in Huyton. 8 young people will be working with the Director to support the script development.

Mentoring This is a pilot programme supported by PH Holt Trust and Curious Minds – eight mentors from the creative industries have been paired with mentees – providing support, guidance and shadowing opportunities in acting, marketing, production, directing, writing, set design, and music skills. This talent development initiative will support eight young black, asian and minority artistes and creatives develop their skills as they progress through the industry.

Programming Our Boisterous Theatre strand of programming brought us a main house production of Bouncers, in August and September introducing four new actors to the main house stage – and new audiences to the theatre.

The Alternative Black Cabaret Showcase – now a regular bi-monthly show presenting some of the best black comedians and singers on the circuit and with a platform to showcase emerging and existing local talent.

Co-production with Red Ladder in September/October, with a cast of professional actors and 20 members of our community choir.

Stagewrite – our new writing classes/workshops to encourage and support new writers to develop their work to full production.

We continue on our journey with a number of other talent development initiatives in progress as a matter of priority to ensure we remain accessible, adaptable and continually listen and learn. It will take time and investment and with your continuing support for all we do. We will make a difference.

The Big Interview ‘It’s A Complete One-Off’: Writer Jonathan Harvey and Director Stephen Fletcher on SISTERS OF MERSEY at Liverpool’s Royal Court

Director Stephen Fletcher with Sisters Of Mersey actors Lindzi Germain and Keddy Sutton

Following the success of Eurovision themed show A Thong for Europe in 2023 at Liverpool’s Royal Court, writer Jonathan Harvey and director Stephen Fletcher are back with a brand new comedy - Sisters of Mersey.

Sarah O’Hara visited the rehearsal rooms and sat down with Jonathan and Stephen to find out more.

You’re both collaborating on a new show called Sisters of Mersey at Liverpool’s Royal Court. Can you tell us a little bit about what the audience can expect?

Jonathan: It’s a very serious piece. (Jonathan and Stephen both laugh) No, it’s an over-the-top comedy, set in a convent in Liverpool in the eighties. A musical with eighties hits, about two nuns who have been brought up believing that they are identical twins, even though they don’t look like each other. When one of them finds out that she has a real twin in the outside world, they leave the convent to go and find her birth family and get caught up in a heist.

What inspired Sisters of Mersey?

Jonathan: When we did A Thong for Europe and the theatre said, “Would you like to do something like this again?”, we talked and I loved some of the actors at the Royal Court…It sort of came from that and thinking what do I want to see on that stage and what

world do I want to be in and what sort of story do I want to tell. It was things like that.

Lindzi Germain, Keddy Sutton and Emma Bispham were all in A Thong For Europe and they’re being joined by Natalie Blair, Gabriel Fleary and Keshia Santos for Sisters of Mersey. How are rehearsals going?

Stephen: We’ve had a great time. The Royal Court is sort of like a rep company with a gang of people that you dip in and out of; it was good to mix it up this time. It brings a fresh energy and a new take. We’ve just been piecing it together slowly. We’ve got movement director Carrie-Anne Ingrouille - I worked with her in Paris and she choreographed Six, the musical, so she’s brought another level to the show. It’s what the audience deserves. It’s a unique place the Royal Court and I think they [the audience] deserve the best version of what they are expecting, so that’s the ambition with this. It’s good.

How does it feel to be returning to Liverpool’s Royal Court following the success of A Thong for Europe?

Jonathan: It’s like creating a different style of show for this theatre that I wouldn’t really create anywhere for else. What’s lovely about working with Stephen, because he has done so much here - this is only my second show here - it’s what kind of night of fun and frivolity can we create that will really make these people laugh and give them a good night out. It’s lovely to create something like that.

Stephen: It’s a complete one-off. I’ve been in lots of the plays.

The very first one I was in was in 2007 and that was Stags and Hens. That was kind of the beginning of the Royal Court as we know it now. The first Christmas show was Merry Ding Dong - I was in that - and now the Christmas shows have…I’ve seen this develop...it’s unapologetic fun. That’s what people have come to see.

You’ve mentioned there’s going to be a few eighties hits in this and I fondly remember the homage to A-Ha’s “Take on Me” in Scouse Jack and the Beanstalk at Liverpool’s Royal Court, which you directed Stephen. Can we expect any surprises like this?

Stephen: There’s lots of eighties tunes, but we haven’t come close to trying to recreate a video. We’ve done something different.

Jonathan: In A Thong for Europe, we tried to recreate some of the dance routines because it was for Eurovision. This is more about telling the stories of the nuns.

Jonathan: Loads of times. It’s a lovely atmosphere in the rehearsal room and we just want to make it the best it can be. If there is a happy mistake, we’ll keep it in.

Stephen: This place is full of a real hybrid of actors who are also stand-ups, actors who have got their own creative input, and so you have to be open to taking the best of that. You can’t be closed to that. With exception - you’ve got an idea of where to go. You commit to that, but if there are happy accidents along the way, you’d be a fool not to take those little gems.

Together and apart you’ve given us some amazing shows. After Sisters of Mersey, is there a story you’d both love to collaborate on?

Jonathan: I’d love to work with Stephen again.

Stephen: Same!

Jonathan: I’m hoping they’ll ask us to do another show again in a year’s time. I’ve got no ideas yet though.

Stephen: We can guarantee people an escape, a laugh, fun at a time when I feel loads of people need it. They’ll have a dance, a sing along and a great night out.

Can you sum up the show in three words?

Jonathan: Seriously daft comedy.

With thanks to Sarah O’Hara and Broadway World.

Read the original here.

Stephen: And there’s a few little technical clever things we’re aiming for. You do have that clever storytelling, this is what the next half of the film is going to be about. We’ve tried to do a bit of that in Act two. The set is amazing. It’s very ambitious. It’s like a little jewellery box - it does clever things. It’s a visual treat.

The synopsis says ‘there’s twins and another set of twins’ what is it about duo comedies that people love?

Stephen: As a device, you’ve got the set up and the pay off.

You’ve got that kind of interplay that you can see onstage - and there is a short hand of course between Keddy and Lindzi, having worked together so much, that they hit the ground running straight away. And Jonathan has written especially for them.

Before the read through, you saw Sister Petra and Sister Fionola and you just knew who was who, without having to know who the cast was and the audience love that.

Has there ever been a moment where a member of the cast has done something in rehearsals and you go, ‘oh that’s good, let’s keep that in?’

Natalie Blair, Gabriel Fleary & Lindzi Germain

Rehearsal Photos

Photographs by Liverpool’s Royal Court

Cast Emma Bispham Natalie Blair Gabriel Fleary Lindzi Germain Keshia Santos Keddy Sutton

Mother Mary Monobrow/Doctor Pepper Cindy-Marie Forward/Sister Josie Paintbrush/Lydia Sideboard Monsignor Michael Finnegan-Beginagain/Iggy Forward/ Ziggy Forward/Sister Gabriella Sister Petra Pottymouth/Eileen Forward Bobby-Girl Forward/Sister Martha Firestarter/Clint Sister Fionola Foghorn/Annabel Twadminger

Band

Carl Dillon Libby Molloy Joe Smithson

Company

Jonathan Harvey Stephen Fletcher Liverpool’s Royal Court George Francis James Breckon Carrie-Anne Ingrouille Ian Scott Kate Harvey Jamie Jenkin Marie Jones Sean Gannon Stephen Petit Jamie Hainning Kt Milne Alicia Southerton Riona Gilliland Martyn Case Thomas Dimbylow Jack Welsh Joe Baron Stephen Petit

Writer Director Set & Costume Design Musical Supervisor & Arrangement Musical Director Movement Director Lighting Designer Sound Designer Video Designer Wardrobe Supervisor Production Manager Production Assistant Tech Manager Company Stage Manager Deputy Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager LX No 1 Sound No 1 Sound No 2 Crew Crew

Workshop Workshop Manager John Kavanagh Scenic Art Manager Jen Baron

Gary at Envision

Scenic Artists Abbie Jones Chris McCourt Hannah Dimelow Digital Scenic Artist Russell Donovan

Thanks to

Carpenters Mike Gray Shaun Gillspie David Davies Connor McLeod Anthony Bartley Andrew McLoughlin Mattew Rimmer Barry at Colourcreate

16 August to 14 September 2024 Tickets from £17

0151 709 4321 liverpoolsroyalcourt.com /royalcourtliv @royalcourtliv @royalcourtliv

27 Sept to 26 Oct 2024 Tickets from £16

0151 709 4321 royalcourtliverpool.com /royalcourtliv @royalcourtliv

Cast Biographies Emma Bispham Mother Mary Monobrow/Doctor Pepper Emma is thrilled to be taking a vow of comedy with her favourite sisters this summer! And such a joyful team we have been blessed with too. Hang on to your wimples folks, cos these ain’t no ordinary nuns!

Television: Ridley, The Gathering, Doctors, Tin Star, Clink, The League of Gentlemen, Paranoid, Prey 2, The Mill, Good Cop, Emmerdale, Coronation Street, The Driver, Shameless, Heartbeat, The Royal, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Strictly Confidential and The Bill.

Film; Kelly & Victor (Bafta Winner) Dog Run, Bride Not To Be and Half Way (BFI) Theatre: Nel’s Place (Rewrites Festival Tour 2024), A Thong For Europe, Jack & The Beanstalk, Macca & Beth, The Scouse Sleeping Beauty and The Scouse Snow White (Liverpool Royal Court); TABOO 20th Anniversary Concert (The London Palladium), Paint Your Wagon, Othello and The Big I Am (Everyman Theatre Repertory Company 2018) Blood Brothers (Phoenix Theatre, West End) Taboo (The Venue, West End & National tour) Spend Spend Spend (The English Theatre, Frankfurt) Bad Girls –The Musical (West Yorkshire Playhouse) 16 Gobs (Kingshead Theatre, London) Notes Across a Small Pond (Bridewell Theatre, London) Closer Than Ever (Everyman Theatre, Liverpool).

Finally, to my beloved family thank you, for your constant love, support and for being my entire world. I love you with all that I am xxx

Natalie Blair Cindy-Marie Forward/Sister Josie Paintbrush/Lydia Sideboard Natalie is delighted to be making her musical debut at The Royal Court with Sisters of Mersey. This theatre represents everything that Natalie believes in; heart, community and a good old laugh.

Natalie can’t wait to share this show with the amazing audiences of Liverpool.

Training: ALRA North (2017-2020) Television Credits: Red Rose (BBC/ Netflix) Theatre Credits: Spring and Port Wine at Bolton Octagon Theatre. A Little Princess at Theatre by the Lake.

Gabriel Fleary Monsignor Michael FinneganBeginagain/Iggy Forward/Ziggy Forward/Sister Gabriella Im back! I’ve had the pleasure of playing Liverpool a few times over the years and it’s good to be here again and with this amazing cast!

Theatre Credits include: The Big Life (Stratford East); McKellens Mother Goose (West End); Scousetrap (Liverpool Royal Court); Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith); Don Quixote (Garrick/RSC); Richard III (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre York); Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre/ Birmingham Rep); Dr Faustus, The Alchemist (RSC); Othello (National Theatre); The Exonerated (New Players Theatre); The Changeling (ETT; Ian Charleson Commendation); Our Country’s Good (Liverpool Playhouse) The Merchant of Venice (Creation Theatre Company); Troilus and Cressida (Cheek by Jowl); Company (Bristol Theatre Royal); and A Small Family Business (Redgrave Theatre).

And a few highlights in film and tv have been: Stella (Finite Films); Charismata (Hydra Productions); Red Tails (Lucas Films); The Sky In Bloom (Hydra Films); Run Fat Boy Run (Newline Films) St Trinians (Fragile Films) Ashes to Ashes (Kudos/BBC); Missing (Leopard drama) and of course Holby City (BBC).

Lindzi Germain Sister Petra Pottymouth/Eileen Forward Lindzi is one of our city’s well known character actors and is one of the Royal Court’s regulars - so much so she doesn’t even take her stuff home any more!

Theatre credits include: A Greasy Spoon, A Thong For Europe, Ellen & Rigby Royal Court Selection Box, Night Collar, Council Depot Blues, Lost Soul, Down Our Street, The Royal, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twopence To Cross The Mersey, Alehouse, The Entertainer, Bon Voyage, Beserker Boys, Virgin Express, Desperate Scousewives, Merry Ding Dong, Scouse Pacific, Scouse of the Antarctic, Scouse of the Rising Sun, Pharoah ‘Cross The Mersey, Scouse Nativity, Mam I’m ‘Ere, Sex In Suburbia (tour), YNWA (Royal Court and tour), A Fistful of Collars, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Her Benny, The King & I, King Lear, Our Bessie, Reds & Blues, Scouse Cinderella, Lost Soul 2 and Achy Breaky Bride. Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White, Robin Hood and Babes In The Wood.

TV and film credits include: Tin Star with Tim Roth. Bella in Clink (5Star), The Way We Are (Feature film), Lynda La Plante’s Above Suspicion (ITV), Les’ Liverpool (BBC), Bodies II (ITV),

Common As Muck (ITV), Emmerdale (Yorkshire TV), Prime Suspect (ITV), Dave Kirby’s 15 Minutes That Shook The World, Gwladys in Reds & Blues: The Ballad of Dixie & Kenny, Adam (Short film) and Shooting Fish (short).

Writing credits include: The Royal, Mother’s Pride, Lindzi Germain Merseymouth stand up show, Women With Balls.

Also penned a new musical for 2024.

Voiceover work includes: Lindzi is the voice of Atomic Olga in the computer game Evil Geniuses 2 and has her own vlog page Mersey Mouth.

Throughout lockdown Lindzi kept herself busy performing live on Facebook with Wake And Shake and Storytime Live.

Last year Lindzi also set up a private wall on Facebook called Peri/ Meno Queens - it’s a place for women to learn, educate, laugh and cry to love and to support each other while going threw what can be the most horrendous time of there lives The Menopause.

To date she has over 7.6k members!

Lindzi and her husband Darren are the founders of CNC Nutrition building a happier, healthier community. For more information check out their Insta @CNCnutritionliverpool

Keshia Santos Bobby-Girl Forward/Sister Martha Firestarter/Clint Keshia is a Liverpool actress & proud mum of 3 girls. She has been performing since she was 8, is trained in performing arts and was a National aerobic gymnastics competitor until the age of 17. She attended LIPA & the Pamela Bardsley School of Speech & Drama for 6 years, where she competed in numerous Guildhall and Lamda festivals & examinations, and won the Shakespeare Cup at 14 years old.

At 16, Keshia successfully auditioned for the National Youth Theatre and went on to gain professional experience on screen, stage, voiceover & as a singer.

Screen credits include: Balls by Lily Cole (short film) and LFC/BT Sport & Liverpool One (commercials) and Fire It Up (music video).

Theatre credits include: Headz (written by Keith Saha of 20 Stories High & directed by Jim Pope), The Elasticated Sound System (Liverpool Everyman), Clarion & You Monologues (London Excel) and Peter Pan (ABD Productions).

Keshia has also worked on numerous projects with local T.I.E company Altru, both as an actor and workshop leader across the country.

Voiceover credits: Explore the World (BBC Bitesize), The Regenerators (BBC Bitesize) and video game Eternal Threads.

She also recorded additional vocals on UK single Fire It Up in 2010.

This is Keshia’s Royal Court debut, and she’s delighted to be performing on this stage for you all.

Shout out to Keshia’s family - she says you’re the best!

Keddy Sutton Sister Fionola Foghorn/Annabel Twadminger Keddy trained at The Everyman Youth Theatre, Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama and with Ken Campbell’s Improvisational Company - The School of Night.

Royal Court Theatre credits include: A Thong For Europe, The Scouse Dick Whittington, The Scouse Jack and The Beanstalk, The Scouse Snow White, The Scouse Cinderella, The Scouse Sleeping Beauty, The Scouse Nativity, Scouse Of The Rising Sun, Scousetrap, Bingo Star, Pete Price Is Dead, Father O’Flaherty Saves Our Souls, Stags And Hens (Directed by Willy Russell and Bob Eaton For Capital Of Culture), Slappers And Slapheads, Terry Titters Summer Special, Selection Box and Mam I’m Ere. Other theatre credits include: Shirley Valentine (Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds); Keddy was in the Liverpool Everyman Rep theatre 2017/2018, performing in Fiddler On The Roof, Paint Your Wagon, The Big I Am, A Clockwork Orange, The Sum and Conquest Of The South.

Further credits: Dreaming Of A Barry White Xmas (Liverpool M&S Banks Arena), The Queens Knickers (Southbank Centre/ Theatre Royal Bath), Beauty And The Beast (Theatre Royal Wakefield), Robinson Crusoe (Theatre Royal Winchester), Singa-Longa-Eurovision (AJN Productions) That Sketchy Show (The Edge), All The Joy Can Bring (Shakespeare North & Slung Low), 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (Nuffield Theatre, Southampton), Ken Campbells Improvisational School Of Night (The Globe, Royal Court London, Edinburgh Fringe, Jeremy Beadles Library, National Theatre Everyman).

Television credits: Hollyoaks (Channel 4), Good Cop and Nice Guy Eddie (BBC), Fated (Ace Films). Pot Noodle Advert and Studio One Advert.

Radio/Audio credits: Patterdale (BBC Radio 4), April Ashley Project (Liverpool Museum), Narrator (Chester College), 1000 Feet Deep (Periplum & Culture Knowsley) and Redwall (Brian Jacques).

Keddy has also been a proud member of her choir ‘Handbag of Harmonies’ for 24 years, a lifelong team of great friends.

Keddy appeared in her own driving documentary - Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre.

Writing credits: Tabbard The Musical.

Co-Writing credits: Caz ‘N’ Britney Present Scottie Road The Musical (From Primark to Prison) and Mis Les (A Revolution In Rollers).

Keddy is ‘like that’ about being part of such a gorgeous team of creatives in Sisters Of Mersey and is enjoying being an unidentical twin.

Company Biographies Jonathan Harvey Writer

Theatre: Jonathan started his career winning the Liverpool Playhouse / National Girobank Young Writers Award 1987 for his play The Cherry Blossom Tree aged 18.

Jonathan’s Dolly Parton musical Here You Come Again is currently on tour until December.

He has written over twenty plays, including: Wildfire (Royal Court Theatre, London), Mohair (Royal Court Theatre, London) Beautiful Thing (Bush Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Duke of York’s Theatre – Winner: John Whiting Award) Babies (Royal Court Theatre, London. Winner – George Devine Award, Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright) Boom Bang a Bang (Bush Theatre) Rupert Street Lonely Hearts Club ( ETT, Donmar Warehouse, Criterion Theatre. Winner – Manchester Evening News Award for Best New Play) Swan Song (Hampstead Theatre) Hushabye Mountain (ETT, Hampstead Theatre) Out In The Open (Hampstead Theatre) Canary (Liverpool Playhouse, Hampstead Theatre) Corrie! (Lowry Theatre. Winner – Manchester Evening News Award for Best Live Entertainment) Mr Tuesday (Kings Head Theatre) Tomorrow I’ll Be Happy and Guiding Star (National Theatre) Our Lady of Blundellsands (Liverpool Everyman) Jonathan wrote the musicals Closer To Heaven and Musik with Pet Shop Boys. His musical Dusty toured the UK in 2018. His panto Mother Goose recently toured the UK for five months starring Ian McKellen and John Bishop (ATG Productions. Winner – Best Panto, UK Panto Awards) Television: Jonathan created and wrote the Bafta nominated sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme (BBC) and Beautiful People (Winner – Best Comedy, Banff TV Festival) He also wrote the Bafta nominated children’s series Best Friends, based on the novel by Jacqueline Wilson. He is currently on the Bafta winning writing team of Coronation Street.

Jonathan won the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Continuing Drama in 2019 for his episode about the aftermath of Aidan’s suicide, also the British Soap Award for Best Episode and the British Soap Award for Best Scene for Gail’s monologue. The monologue was also nominated for a BAFTA for TV Moment of the Year.

Other TV work includes: Call The Midwife (BBC) Britannia High (ITV) Shameless (Channel 4) Rev (BBC) Lilies (BBC) At Home With The Braithwaites (ITV) Murder Most Horrid – Dinner At Tiffany’s (BBC) The Catherine Tate Show (BBC) and Tracey Ullman’s Show (BBC) Birthday Girl (ITV) Von Trapped! (ITV) Panto! (ITV) Film: Beautiful Thing (Winner – Best Film, London Lesbian and

Gay Film Festival. Best Film – Paris Film Festival. Winner – Best Screenplay, Fort Lauderdale Film Festival) Radio: For the radio Jonathan has written the play Take That, Lennon and Sid and three series of the sitcom What Does The K Stand For? (with Stephen K Amos) Books: Jonathan has written six novels, all published by Pan Macmillan: All She Wants, The Confusion of Karen Carpenter, The Girl Who Just Appeared, The Secrets We Keep, The History of Us and The Years She Stole.

Charity: Jonathan is a director of Moodswings, a Manchester based charity which helps people recover from mood problems and the severe emotional distress they can cause. He is also a patron of Sahir House, an HIV charity in Liverpool.

Stephen Fletcher Director

Stephen is the Associate Director on cabaret show, The Hook (Spiegelworld, Atlantic City USA), and on Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to The Forum (Paris, Lido2). He recently directed the UK Tour of Irish Annie’s and cowrote and directed MAKING IT in the Royal Court Studio.

He is developing a new show about the early life of The Beatles and is looking forward to directing Shirley Valentine for The Liverpool Everyman Theatre in 2025 to commemorate the theatre’s 60th anniversary.

Stephen trained at LIPA. As well as his work as an actor, he is also producer of Life In Theatre Productions in Liverpool, is the writer and director of Mam! I’m ’Ere! was a recent Artistic Advisor to The Liverpool Everyman/Playhouse.

Onstage Theatre credits include: A Life in the Theatre, The Sunshine Boys, The Last 5 Years, Mam! I’m ’Ere! (Life In Theatre Productions); A Streetcar Named Desire, Willy Russell’s Breezeblock Park (Liverpool Playhouse); Eric’s and Dead Heavy Fantastic (Liverpool Everyman); The Scouse Cinderella, The Scouse Nativity, Lennon, Our Day Out, Scouse Pacific, Little Scouse On The Prairie, Stags and Hens 30th Anniversary Remix, Noises Off!, Special Measures, and Canoeing For Beginners (Royal Court, Liverpool); 57 Hours in The House of Culture (The National Theatre Studio); Up on the Roof (Oldham Coliseum / The New Wolsey); Hamlet, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Liverpool Shakespeare Festival); Cinderella (Liverpool Empire); Mary Stuart (The Donmar and West End); The Safari Party (The New Vic); Comfort (Old Vic); 7 Stories (Etcetera); 100% Bullet Proof (Soho Theatre); John Godber’s Teechers (Dubai); Betwixt: The Musical (The King’s Head); Top of the Heap / Cassanova Returns (Cardiff Global Search For A New Musical Festival);

The Wild Party (Edinburgh Fringe); She Loves Me (LIPA) and Falsettoland (NSTC/Edinburgh Festival).

TV Credits include: Emmerdale, The Liverpool Nativity, BRITZ, All About Me, Kerching, Ricky’s Joke Shop, Heartbeat, Hollyoaks and Coronation Street.

Stephen is also a regular voice for BBC Radio 4, various awards events including BAFTA, and is a member of the Old Vic New Voices Company.

His directing work includes:Pete Price is Dead, The Royal Court Selection Box, The Pop-Up Panto, Mamet’s A Life In The Theatre, Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys, and Jason Robert Brown’s Broadway musical, The Last 5 Years- all winning culture and theatre awards- as well as a new cabaret show, Fabaret.

His sell-out, one-woman show (co-written by actor and writer, Cath Rice), Our Bev’s Christmas Cracker, won the Echo’s theatre award, and he wrote, produced and directed the disco musical, Mam I’m ’Ere!, under his own production company, Life in Theatre Productions.

During lockdown Stephen co-wrote the web series This is Our Bev, and crowdfunded the money for a Pop-Up Panto schools’ tour which employed local freelancers and entertained hundreds of children in the region.

He is developing a new musical with Liverpool band, Space, and has co-written an original football musical ForEverton.

He recently directed NHS: The Musical for Plymouth Theatre Royal and RENT The Musical (LIPA).

Follow Stephen on Twitter @SteFletcher1

George Francis

Musical Supervisor & Arrangement George is from Liverpool, UK and is the Associate Musical Director for the West End production of Hadestown. He was Musical Supervisor for the Liverpool Everyman Rep Season, and Musical Director for the Grammy and Olivier nominated Amelie the Musical (Watermill/UK Tour/West End). He recently orchestrated, arranged and was music director for Now is Good

by Tim Firth, for Chester Storyhouse. He was nominated for a WhatsonStage Award for his work as Musical Director on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind. Both Now is Good and Whistle Down the Wind were nominated for UK Theatre Award Best Musical Production.

As Musical Director: Jonathan Harvey’s A Thong for Europe (Liverpool Eurovision 2023 Royal Court), The Commitments (UK Tour), Fiddler on the Roof (Liverpool Everyman), Miracle on 34th Street (Liverpool Playhouse), Carousel (Mountview), The Wizard of Oz (Chester Storyhouse), John and Jen (Union

Theatre), Aladdin/Cinderella (Qdos). George curated, directed and music directed The Everyman Christmas Cabaret, top pick Christmas show in The Times 2020. Workshops as MD: Feather Boy, King Ralph, Catch Me if You Can, Simon Amungem, Vertigo. In the West End George has been Assistant MD on Elf the Musical at the Dominion Theatre, and played keyboard on: Guys and Dolls, Sunset Boulevard, The Little Big Things, Grease, Crazy for You, Jersey Boys, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Book of Mormon (and Amsterdam) and Pretty Woman. On tour: Les Miserables, Wicked, Joseph.

Pop credits include: Glastonbury Festival, BBC Radio 1xtra, Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Manchester Christmas Light Switch On and CBBC’s Clash. George led a project about mental health and music direction called Sustain Collective and spoke about it at the first International Music Director Symposium.

James Breckon Musical Director

James is thrilled to be back at the Royal Court for Sisters of Mersey, having previously been part of Scouse Pacific and A Thong For Europe.

Based in Liverpool, James is a keyboard player and musical director. His music has taken him all over the world, playing live with artists like Lucy Thomas, China Crisis, Ray Quinn, The Real People, and Natalie McCool. He has also recorded in studios around Europe for artists in the UK, Norway, and Spain.

James recently returned from shows in America with Lucy Thomas and is gearing up for performances in Japan later this year.

James graduated with a first-class degree in Music from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. His session and composing work has taken him around the UK and onto national TV sets, including composing for Britain’s Got Talent and appearing on BBC Sessions. He also provided orchestrations for the opening of the Eurovision Fan Park - Welcome to Eurotopia, featuring Natalie McCool, Stealing Sheep, and the Liverpool Philharmonic Strings. Earlier this year, James toured the UK and Ireland with Something About George - The George Harrison Story.

Company Biographies Carrie-Anne Ingrouille Movement Director

Carrie is currently represented in the West End and on Broadway with her critically acclaimed choreography on SIX The Musical playing at the Vaudeville Theatre, London and the Lena Horne Theatre, New York. For her work on the show, Carrie has received a Tony and Olivier Award Nomination for Best Theatre Choreographer and WhatsOnStage, OFFIE, and The Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award nominations for Best Choreography.

Notable Choreography and Movement Direction credits include: The Merry Widow (Glyndebourne Opera), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Lido2, Paris), Rock Follies (Chichester Festival Theatre), Village Idiot (Theatre Royal Stratford East, Nottingham Playhouse & Ramps on the Moon), The Good Person of Szechwan (Sheffield Crucible, Lyric Hammersmith & ETT), Monsoon Wedding-The Musical (St. Ann’s Warehouse, New York), Antigone (Regents Park Open Air Theatre), Our Generation (National Theatre & Chichester Festival Theatre), Wonderful Town (Opera Holland Park), This is My Family (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Catherine Tate Show Live (UK Tour), Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense (Duke of York’s Theatre), The Suicide (National Theatre), The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (Royal Opera House, The Roundhouse).

Upcoming projects include the first non replica U.K. production of Dear Evan Hansen (Nottingham Playhouse, UK Tour), The Importance of Being Earnest (National Theatre) Carrie is currently the U.K Associate Choreographer for Hamilton, West End/U.K Tour.

Ian Scott

Lighting Designer Trained at Mountview.

Productions for the Royal Court include: Scouse Pacific, Maggie May, The Miracle of Great Homer Street, The Royal, The Scouse Nativity, Lonesome West, Down The Dock Road, Come Together, Two Of Us, Haunted Scouse, Boys From The Blackstuff and in co-production with Lodestar and the Liverpool Shakespeare Festival; Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Other theatre credits include: Much Ado About Nothing (Sheffield Crucible and Ramps On The Moon); ¡Carpa!, The Hooley and Xanadu (Giffords Circus); By The Waters of Liverpool (Pulse Records); Up ‘n’ Under and Frozen (fingersmiths); Reasons To Be Cheerful, Peeling and Blasted (Graeae); Duet for One (Birmingham Rep; Lee Dean & Daniel Schumann); A Skull in Connemara and All My Sons

(Nottingham Playhouse); Marco Polo and Messiah (Bergen National Opera); Fish Eye (Theatre Alibi); The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Graeae; Theatre Royal, Plymouth; National Theatre); Owen Wingrave and Where The Wild Things Are (Aldeburgh Festival); Fawlty Towers Live (Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney); Flat Stanley (Polka; West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Drummer Boy of Waterloo and The Happy Prince (Jubilee Opera); The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre); Our Friends Up North (Northern Stage); The Joke, The Summer House and The Victorian in the Wall (Will Adamsdale; Fuel); My Name is… (Tamasha); Oh! What a Lovely War and Frogs (National Theatre); Curlew River (White Light Festival, New York; UCLA Berkeley; St. Giles, Barbican); Animal Farm (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Observe The Sons Of Ulster Marching Towards The Somme (Abbey Theatre, Dublin).

Kate Harvey

Sound Designer A list of sound credits include: Corporate/Outdoor: Labour, Conservative, NUT, TUC and many more conferences. Various exhibitions. Symphony in the Park (Hoghton Tower) Liverpool Theatre Festival (Bill Elms Productions).

TV: Stan James World Match Dartsplay (Sky Sports), Strictly Ballroom (ITV), Danny La Rue (BBC), Spirit of Shankly (Granada DVD).

Cruises: P&O World Cruises, Island Cruises, Celebrity.

Arena: Hot Ice (Stageworks Worldwide Productions); You’ll Never Walk Alone (Alterean Media and Liverpool FC).

Music: The Christians, Chesney Hawkes, Sinita, Slade, Bad Manners, Toyah, Limahl, Cream UK Tour, Petula Clarke, Bobby Crush, East 17, Liberty X, Jane McDonald, Coldplay.

Comedy: Jason Mansford, Peter Kay, Roy Walker, Norman Wisdom, Jim Bowen, Brian Conley, Brendan O’Carroll, Paddy McGuiness.

Live Theatre: Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty (King Georges Hall, Blackburn); Mystique (Stageworks); Original TV Comedians (Blackpool Opera House); Paul Zerdin (Paradise Room Blackpool); Flags (Manchester Exchange); Mam I’m ’Ere (Life in Theatre); Eight Miles High, Council Depot Blues, Bouncers, Night Collar, Our Day Out, Shirley Valentine, Reds and Blues, Lennon, Noises Off, Canoeing for Beginners, Lost Soul, Golden Oldies, The Royal, Scouse Nativity, Girls Don’t Play Guitars (Royal Court Liverpool); Twopence To Cross The Mersey and By The Waters of Liverpool (Pulse Records); Shout! (Max Emmerson Productions); Out of Order and It Runs In The Family (Ray Cooney Comedy Company); Bang Bang (A production for John Cleese at Mercury Theatre, Colchester); Omnibus (Unity Theatre); Judy & Liza National Tour

(Produced by Royal Court Liverpool); A Midsummer Nights Dream (Filter Theatre Company/Lyric Hammersmith); Grimm Tales (Dukes Theatre Lancaster).

Jamie Jenkin

Video Designer Jamie is the in-house graphic and video designer at Liverpool’s Royal Court. Starting as marketing assistant at the theatre in 2005, he has been part of the Royal Court since it’s rebirth as a theatre in 2006. He now designs artwork for all Royal Court productions alongside working on video content for the Royal Court stage and beyond.

Video Designs for Theatre include: Alan Bleasdale’s Boys From The Blackstuff by James Graham, A Thong For Europe, Willy Russell’s Our Day Out - The Musical, Haunted Scouse, A Fistful Of Collars, Lennon, Ladies Day, Hitchhikers Guide to Fazakerley, Ladies Night, Canoeing for Beginners, The Scouse Nativity, Father O’Flaherty Saves Our Souls, A Miracle On Great Homer Street, Home, Going Halves, The Royal, The Scouse Cinderella, My Fairfield Lady, Bingo Star, Two Of Us, Royal Court Selection Box, Macca & Beth, The Scouse Sleeping Beauty, The Menlove Avenue Murder Mystery, The Scousetrap, The Scouse Jack & The Beanstalk, The Scouse Dick Whittington, Haunted Scouse and Girls Don’t Play Guitars (Liverpool’s Royal Court); Masquerade, Knee Deep In Promises, Hey Bunny Get Loose, Stocking Fillers and Cosmic (Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio); Cured (Liverpool’s Royal Court in association with DaDaFest & Unlimited); The Dream Team and VR Family (Liverpool’s Royal Court Youth Theatre); Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Liverpool Shakespeare Festival); Scouse: A Comedy Of Terrors (Dome Liverpool); Judy & Liza (National Tour); YNWA (Alterean Productions, international tour); The Big I Am (Liverpool Everyman); Celtic The Musical (Alterean Productions, Pavilion Theatre Glasgow and SEC Glasgow); Something About George (Something About Productions, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and national tour); The Salford Docker (Salford Community Theatre, Lighthouse Salford); Our Country’s Good (Hope St Theatre); and Peter Pan (Storyhouse Chester). Jamie was also Sound Designer on Hey Bunny Get Loose, Offered Up, Stocking Fillers and Cosmic (Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio) and Our Country’s Good (Hope St Theatre).

Marie Jones

Wardrobe Supervisor Marie studied fashion and then moved on to theatre costume interpretation at Mabel Fletcher College. Marie’s work as a freelance costumier has included costumes for Oldham Coliseum, The Royal Exchange, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Jimmy McGovern’s film Liam, Beyond Friendship for Mersey Television and the many pantomime dames who have appeared on the Everyman stage.

She has worked extensively at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and has recently been employed as full time Wardrobe Supervisor at the Royal Court. Most recently Marie’s work at the Everyman and Playhouse has included: Much Ado About Nothing, The Electric Hills, The Flint Street Nativity, The Tempest, Unprotected, Billy Liar, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, Urban Legend, Fly, Breezeblock Park, The Entertainer, Still Life And The Astonished Heart, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Anniversary, Dr Faustus, The May Queen, Cruel Sea and All My Sons.

Marie’s other credits include: Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Lost Soul, Good Golly Miss Molly, Stags and Hens - The Remix, On The Ledge, Misery, Eight Miles High, Council Depot Blues, Night Collar, Dirty Dusting, Shirley Valentine, Our Day Out - The Musical, The Salon, Funny Money, Merry Ding Dong, A Fistul Of Collars, Lucky Numbers, Lennon, Scouse Pacific, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Reds And Blues - The Musical, Ladies Day, Bouncers, Scouse Of The Antarctic, Pharaoh ‘Cross The Mersey and Down The Dock Road for Royal Court Liverpool, Brouhaha International Street Festival, Working Class Hero on the recent Imagine DVD, Costume Supervisor for many shows at LIPA, The Splash Project at MYPT and Twopence To Cross The Mersey at the Liverpool Empire.

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The Royal Court’s Christmas show is back for 2024!

Christmas 2024to 18 Jan 2025 0151 709 4321 0151 709 4321 08 Nov 2024 liverpoolsroyalcourt.com Tickets /royalcourtlivroyalcourtliverpool.com Ticketsfrom from£18 £18

/royalcourtliv Full cast and @royalcourtliv @royalcourtliv @royalcourtlivmore info here

Royal Court Staff Executive Producer Kevin Fearon Chief Executive Gillian Miller Head of Finance & Administration Gary O’Connor Creative Producer Jess Bolger Head of Marketing Iain Christie Head Of Operations Ailsa Morris Executive Chef David Assall HR & Finance Manager Alison Ward Graphic Designer & Brand Manager Jamie Jenkin Assistant Producer Clare Carlucci Marketing Manager Kofi Ohene-Djan Workshop Manager John Kavanagh Social Media Officer Clara Mbirimi Head of Technical & Production Sean Gannon Resident Stage Manager Andrew Lock Scenic Art Manager Jen Baron Chief LX Jamie Haining Box Office & Sales Manager Lauren Macauley Assistant Box Office Manager Laura Lees Head of Community Engagement Miriam Mussa Well Being Training Manager Maria Schumann Costume Supervisor Marie Jones Finance Administrator Izzie Litwin Venue Administrator Phil McLoughlin Youth Theatre Coordinator Vannessa Park Later Life Coordinator Jay McWinen Assistant Producer - Talent Development Harvey Robinson Daytime Technician Gary Currin Studio Technician Phil Dickinson LX Technician Martyn Case HR & Payroll Administrator Abishek Devadas Executive Assistant Joe Morris Box Office Assistants Erica Drummond, Finn Goulden-Jennings, Carl Lees, Scarlet Lees, Anna Miller, Pat O’Neill, Susan Segar, and Angela Simms Fire Officer Sven Key Stage Door Allan Dodd

Kitchen Head Chefs Kyle Wardale, Daniel Awotwi Chefs Thomas Alexander, Daniel Ambrose, Billie Chisam, Jay Quinn, Josh Eglin, Harrison Mclaughlin, Jake Stephenson, Jack While and Nick Watson Kitchen Porters Hezekiah Abramson, Ryan Charnock, Debbie Chisam, Louise Dodd, Luke Dunn, Jackie Kirton, Harry Lawlor and Ellis McNeil Front of House FOH Manager Kathy Hutson Assistant FOH Managers Megan Franey and Calum Norbury Bar Team Leader Jake Jones Floor Supervisors Michael Hall and Katie Sherman Courtyard Manager Emma Keig Assistant Courtyard Manager Paul Imrie FOH/Courtyard Duty Manager/Supervisor Aimee Kelly Front of House Staff Hebron Abraha, Beth Baccino, Unisa Bangura, Hazel Bawden, Jacob Bee, Cameron Brown, Colette Burgess, Denise Byrne, Louis Carney-Smith, Abbie Caskie, Azize Dia, Holly Evans, Charlotte Freyne, Michael Hall, Michael Hardy, Lauren Heywood, Samantha Hunter, Lily Hutson, Leighton Jenkins, Callum Johnstone, Jake Jones, Elizabeth Kendrick, Charlotte Kendrick Jones, Abbie Kenworthy, Raia Kiernan, Cherry Kim, Takunda Kudzunga, Hansol Lee, Phil Lyne, Sam Massen, Lukas Matuzevicius, Amy McCutcheon, Faye McCutcheon, Phil McLoughlin, Alison Myers, Aiden Scott, Brea O’Donnell, Joseph O’Neil, Jamie Peacock, Jake Pendleton, Emma Phythian, Declan Redmond, Katie Sherman, Charis Stead, Mohan Welstand-Keryk, Leah Whitty-Massey, Samantha Woolley, Amy Wright and Hannah Wright Courtyard Staff Jordan Barkley, Challen Bellamey, Sinead Cullen-Barret, Stephen Dixon, Faith Dawson, Olivia Harrison, Bradley Richards, Chloe Thorpe, Millie Quayle, Keira Tann and Jasmin Ward Cleaners Cleaning Supervisor: Debbie Chisam, Billie Chisam, Joanne Kinsella, Claire Wilson and Julie Wright.

And a big thank you to all of our freelance and security staff for their hard work throughout the year.

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