[title of show] Programme

QEH Theatre, Bristol

Wednesday 26th - Thursday 27th October 2011

Chapel Arts Centre, Bath

Sunday 30th - Monday 31st October 2011

Available for weddings, functions, parties etc these talented singers will entertain you for a reasonable fee. Ratpack, Motown, Swing and songs from the musicals are among their repertoire.

For further information or to make a booking please visit our website www.upfrontandcasual.com or telephone 07525 475546

OLD MEADOW PROPERTIES LEE MOONEY

COMPANY DIRECTOR OLD MEADOW HOUSE, LIPYEATE, COLEFORD, BATH BA3 5PW TEL: 01373 812668 FAX: 01373 812025

Directed by ALISON McCAUSLAND Stage Manager CHRIS JOHNSTON

Musical Director HARRY BURT

Lighting Design by ANDREW WHITING

Sound Design by TIM REID

Publicity Material and Programme by MARK SELLICK This amateur production is presented by arrangement with JOSEF WEINBERGER LTD on behalf of R&H Theatricals of New York.

Please be advised that due to copyright restrictions, and for the safety of actors on stage, the use of flash photography and/or video and audio recording equipment of any kind is strictly prohibited.

Flashing lights (including strobe lighting), and pyrotechnics may be used throughout this performance.

Should you have any concerns, please alert a member of the front of house team.

[title of show] is entered for The Bristol Evening Post Rose Bowl Awards 2012

QEH Theatre Jacob Wells Road Bristol BS8 1JX Telephone: 0117 930 3082 www.qehbristol.co.uk Chapel Arts Centre St. James’s Memorial Hall Lower Borough Walls Bath BA1 1QR Telephone: 01225 461700 www.chapelarts.org Bath Box Office 2 Church Street Abbey Green Bath BA1 1NL Telephone: 01225 463362 www.bathboxoffice.org.uk

JOIN THE GROUP Exit Stage Left is an award winning theatre company based in the Norton Radstock area, for both adults and young people of all ages and abilities.

The group stages a variety of productions throughout the year including musicals, plays, cabarets and fund-raising events.

New members to the group are always welcome! If you are interested in joining as an acting or singing member, helping out behind the scenes (including the back stage team, wardrobe department and front of house team), we would be glad to hear from you.

Please feel free to speak to any member of our front of house team, or cast, who will be more than happy to take your details.

For further information on the group, photographs from some of our previous productions, booking information for future shows and more, please search for ‘Exit Stage Left’ on Facebook.

Director’s Welcome Welcome to Exit Stage Left’s production of [title of show], a show that has only been performed in the UK a handful of times.

After the success of A New Brain, many people commented on how refreshing it was to see a production that had not been done countless times before. When we were offered the QEH Theatre for a few days in October we felt that [title of show] would be perfect as it didn’t involve a hefty get in. With only five weeks to rehearse it was a challenge but the cast (and Harry) have risen to it tremendously.

Gerry Hunt originally suggested putting on [title of show] and, when he offered to produce it, we jumped at the chance. He has been such a help to us in many areas, raising money and making props to name but a few.

We are extremely grateful to him for all his never ending help and support.

Once again Harry has been a Godsend with his musical talent. Having only one person on each harmony makes it a much harder job and he has worked wonders with a very talented cast. We’d also like to thank Geoff and Chris English, Tracey and Bryn Withers and Will Ashworth for giving up their houses for us to rehearse in.

Exit Stage Left have had an amazing year gaining four nominations in the South West Rose Bowl Awards; Best Youth Production for Seussical, Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for Chek Best, Best Actor in a Musical for Andrew English and Best Musical Production. We were delighted to actually win Best Musical Production for A New Brain, so much so we have decided to stage the production again in April at the QEH Theatre. So, if you missed it first time (and even if you did see it), please book tickets!

The cast have done a fantastic job creating a publicity video for [title of show] where they had to find over 500 people to take photos of, with each of them holding up a word. Special thanks go to Harry and Vicky who both got nearly a hundred people each and thank you to Andrew Knowles who got two... of himself. Thanks to everyone who took part.

I would like to thank you all for joining us tonight. I hope you enjoy our attempt to bring you something original, exciting and a little bit adult!

ALISON McCAUSLAND Director, Exit Stage Left Theatre Company

Andrew Knowles Hunter

Andrew has been a member of Exit Stage Left pretty much right from the start, and has appeared in almost all of the group’s productions, cabarets, talent shows and fundraisers over the years even having his leg in plaster hasn’t stopped him in the past! One of his favourite roles with the group to date was the part of The Parsee Cake Man in Just So, with which he stole the show. He also received tremendous critical acclaim for his portrayal of Mickey from A Tribute to Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers in 2006. He also saved the day by standing in as Cat in the Hat in our award nominated production of Seussical.

Living and working as a Cover Supervisor at Writhlington School, Andrew comes from a highly talented family, with both his brothers, Matt and Pip, also members of the group. Their combined singing talents have been showcased on numerous occasions, most recently as part of Upfront and Casual, a new vocal harmony group who perform songs from The Jersey Boys and The Rat Pack.

The group have been performing regularly at public and private functions, and are now looking to make their mark on the weddings circuit. Their biggest gig so far was supporting sixties legends The Dreamers and Mike Pender’s Searchers at the Springfest South West Music Festival in Ilminster earlier this year.

Andrew is currently rehearsing for an original musical (not the one written by Hunter and Jeff!) It has been written by our very own producer, Gerry Hunt, and will take place in Chipping Sodbury next week. He will also be slapping his thigh at Christmas, playing principal boy in Hansel and Gretel in Exit Stage Left’s pantomime.

Andrew is really looking forward to playing wacky Hunter although he hasn’t enjoyed learning his lines!

Andrew is sponsored by Upfront and Casual.

Andrew English Jeff

Andrew grew up in Bath and after studying at Beechen Cliff School and Bath College he moved to Bournemouth to study Advanced Studies in Drama at the Jellicoe Theatre. Following two years of training he went on to read Performing Arts at Winchester University. After living in London for a few years, he began to feel homesick and missed his family and friends terribly, so he moved back to Bath. (He also ran out of money!)

Andrew has been performing from a very early age, starting out in ITV’s Junior Drama Workshop, then known as HTV, where he had the opportunity to work with Rolf Harris on Rolf’s Cartoon Club. To this day he still considers this to be his career highlight. More recently he has appeared in Exit Stage Left’s West End Comes to Norton, playing the role of Emmett in the Legally Blonde section and a number of gigs with vocal harmony group Upfront and Casual.

He recently achieved a long time ambition playing the part of Gordon in A New Brain. It was a demanding role and Andrew certainly did it justice by gaining a second Rose Bowl nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. He was overjoyed to see Exit Stage Left win the coveted Best Musical award.

On top of performing Andrew is teaching English and Drama at a secondary school in Swindon. He also finds time to teach at local theatre school, Curtain Up. Andrew has thoroughly enjoyed rehearsals for [title of show] and is finding the portrayal of Jeff just a little bit too easy! We would like to thank his parents for letting us use their house for rehearsals and Andrew for a lovely Sunday roast!

Andrew is sponsored by his Mum, Dad and Nan.

Musical Numbers - Act One UNTITLED OPENING NUMBER Ensemble

TWO NOBODIES IN NEW YORK Hunter and Jeff

AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL

Blank Paper (Hunter) and Little Guy (Jeff)

MONKEYS AND PLAYBILLS Ensemble

THE TONY AWARD SONG Hunter

PART OF IT ALL Hunter and Jeff

I AM PLAYING ME Heidi and Jeff

WHAT KIND OF GIRL IS SHE? Heidi and Susan

DIE VAMPIRE, DIE Susan and Ensemble

FILLING OUT THE FORM Ensemble

MONTAGE PART 1: SEPTEMBER SONG Ensemble

MONTAGE PART 2: SECONDARY CHARACTERS Ensemble

MONTAGE PART 3: DEVELOPMENTAL MEDLEY Ensemble

CHANGE IT, DON’T CHANGE IT Ensemble

AWKWARD PHOTO SHOOT Ensemble

A WAY BACK TO THEN Heidi

NINE PEOPLE’s FAVOURITE THING Ensemble

FINALE

Ensemble

Musical Numbers - Act Two Nothing … Show’s over so go on home and go to iTunes and download the cast album! Yeah, and post on Facebook and Twitter that all of your friends should come and see our show. You can mention half naked guys and girl on girl action. They will probably be sorely disappointed, but so be it!

The Cast ANDREW KNOWLES Hunter

ANDREW ENGLISH Jeff

JESSICA WITHERS Susan

VICKY SHADWICK Heidi

HARRY BURT Larry

Production Team GERRY HUNT Producer

ALISON McCAUSLAND Director

HARRY BURT Musical Director

CHRIS JOHNSTON Stage Manager

ANDREW WHITING

Lighting Design and Operation

TIM REID

Sound Design and Operation

BEN CURD

Assistant Technician

MARK SELLICK

Publicity Material and Programme

LORRAINE CROSS Photography

PRINT KIOSK Printing

KEVAN DOE, TRACY DOE, GERRY HUNT, HANNAH LONG, SHARON MARTIN, GEORGE MILLS AND NICOLE WELLING Front of House Team

Special Mentions Exit Stage Left would like to thank the following for their help and support in staging [title of show]; Gerry Hunt for providing us with this fantastic opportunity, Harry Burt for his talent and dedication, Mark Sellick for his amazing poster and programme, Chez English, Chez Withers and Chez Ashworth, Westfield Methodist Church and Radstock Methodist Church for providing us with rehearsal space, Dawn Robinson, Judith and Russ from the QEH Theatre, Jan from the Chapel Arts Centre and all our production sponsors.

Jessica Withers Susan

Jessica is one of the original members of Exit Stage Left, after having appeared in the group’s first production Let Me Entertain You back in 2002, aged nine. Since then, Jessica has gone on to have leading roles in a number of our productions, including Addaperle in The Wiz, the title role in our 2006 Pantomime Cinderella, Queenie, the posh cat in Honk!, Sandra in A Slice of Saturday Night and Diana in I Love You Because. Jessica was also part of the award winning cast of A New Brain, playing the role of Nancy. A dedicated member of the group, Jessica has also performed in our various talent shows and fundraisers over the years.

Along with other members of Exit Stage Left, Jessica regularly appears with Encore Northenders Theatre Company in Batheaston, where she has played roles such as Rita in Billy Liar and the title role in the group’s 2009 Rose Bowl Award winning Pantomime, Sleeping Beauty.

She will be appearing in their upcoming A Taste of Music cabaret in December.

Jessica has been very dedicated at rehearsals, often coming straight after a twelve hour shift! We also invaded the Withers household several times for rehearsals giving Adam and Tracey a sneak preview, which we are still awaiting payment for!

Jessica is sponsored by Focus Interiors.

Vicky Shadwick Heidi

Vicky is a founder member of ESL and proved her commitment to the group when she recently took over the role of the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical with only three weeks to go! She has played a number of diverse roles including a heartrending performance of Mrs Johnstone in A Tribute to Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers which had the audience in tears. Her favourite role to date is Marcy Fitzwilliams in the South West premiere production of I Love You Because. She played the neurotic Rhoda in A New Brain which she found the most challenging role she has ever played... until now. She found the harmonies in A New Brain extremely difficult but at least she had someone else on the same harmony as her. However, once again, Vicky has risen to the challenge and makes a fantastic Heidi. And she looks amazing with her top off, which has resulted in us selling 525,600 tickets for [title of show]. Vicky was a bit disappointed that she doesn’t get to kiss her usual stage ‘boyfriend’, James Moore, until she heard she had to kiss someone much better!

Vicky is currently teaching reception class at a school that she loves. Along with fellow teacher, Jo, she has set up the St John’s Starmakers, an after school drama club. It was going to be called the Glee club but she didn’t think the children would understand it as they are not Gleeks like Vicky and Jo. A message from Vicky’s sponsors...

“Vicky is a fantastic teacher and the children of our school benefit hugely from her talents as a singer, dancer and actress. We would like to wish the whole cast good luck for [title of show] which we know ill be amazing! Love Fay, Jo and Lyndsey X”

Harry Burt Larry

[title of show] is Harry’ fourth show as Musical Director, after West Side Story with Full Tilt Theatre at the beautiful Minack in Cornwall (you should go, it’s the most magical place in the world), Rose Bowl winning Curtains at Scotch Horn with Nailsea Musicals, and Rose Bowl Winning show A New Brain at the Rondo in Bath. All shows were incredibly rewarding and Harry suspects he has finally found his purpose. (Spot the geeky Avenue Q reference).

No stranger to the stage, Harry has played a number of gormless saps, from Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Jack in Into the Woods, Toby in Menotti’s The Medium (the best part in any atonal opera is clearly the mute!) and Anthony in Sweeney Todd. He has played letharios and womanisers such as Bobby in Company, The Fox in Stravinsky’s Reynard, and Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods, and “all round nice guys” Collins in Rent and Curly in Oklahoma. Argue amongst yourselves on the accuracy of those character descriptions. I’m sure Harry’s friends will argue which one of them most closely fits him.

Such a small cast has really given us an opportunity to refine everything we’ve done. The clarity of each harmony, the timing of all the rhythms, the length of every note is so much more controlled when you know exactly who makes each mistake in rehearsals. This applies to every aspect of performing such a small show. Every character movement, scenery change, lighting and audio queue is simple but effective. Harry is very proud to be involved in another Exit Stage Left show. Performing new musical theatre is a brave thing to do, but I think it’s one that sets us apart. He can’t wait for the QEH and the Chapel Arts Centre to get their first taste of us, and to be back at the Rondo for our as yet undecided July show (suggestions on a postcard please!)

Harry hopes you love watching [title of show] as much as we have enjoyed putting it on. In the (slightly amended) words of Neil Gaiman, this performance is dedicated to you.

Harry is sponsored by Old Meadow Properties.

Original Script By Gerry Hunt

SET IN 1970 THIS SHOW IS SET TO GET YOU DANCING IN THE AISLES

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME

TOMORROW £7.50 • £4 UNDER 16’S THURS 3RD TO SAT 5TH NOVEMBER

7:30PM & 2:30PM SATURDAY MATINEE

BOX OFFICE • 01454 317057 THE VILLAGE HALL • COTSWOLD LANE • OLD SODBURY • BS37 6NE

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Bryn Withers, Director Telephone: 01761 420055 Mobile: 07970 710804 www.focusinteriorsltd.co.uk

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The Award Winning EXIT STAGE LEFT THEATRE COMPANY proudly presents...

A SPECTACULAR MUSICAL COMEDY

WEDNESDAY 11TH - SATURDAY 14TH APRIL 2012

QEH THEATRE - BRISTOL

Music and Lyrics by WILLIAM FINN Book by WILLIAM FINN and JAMES LAPINE Vocal Arrangements by JASON ROBERT BROWN An amateur production by arrangement with Samuel French Ltd Originally Produced by Lincoln Centre Theater, New York City