Octagon Theatre Around the World in 80 Days Programme

Based on the novel by JULES VERNE A new musical adaptation by KATE FERGUSON & SUSANNAH PEARSE Directed by KASH ARSHAD

THU 16 NOV 2023 – SAT 6 JAN 2024

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SEASON HIGHLIGHTS FEBRUARY – JULY 2024

A H N T G R E O N ABBEY R HA T R NO

THU 1 – SAT 24 FEB 2024

HOUDINI’S GREATEST ESCAPE WED 3 – SAT 6 APR 2024

NGER ABB

EY

FRI 1 – SAT 23 MAR 2024

BOUNCERS TUE 9 – SAT 20 APR 2024

TESTMATCH WED 24 APR – SAT 18 MAY 2024

THU 23 MAY – SAT 1 JUN 2024

TUE 11 – SAT 29 JUN 2024

FRI 22 NOV 2024 – SAT 4 JAN 2025

octagonbolton.co.uk Box Office: 01204 520661

T H E M O R E YO U S E E T H E M O R E YO U S AV E !

o 2A0VE% t p R* u E S SAITV ASON E S R U W HO to B2ER5*% p u E V M SA E A ME BECOM

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Principal Patron:

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2 All information is correct at the time of going to print. The Octagon reserves the right to make alterations if necessary. Registered Charity Number: 248833

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DIRECTOR’S NOTES So as soon as I was asked if I’d be interested, I tried to play it cool but couldn’t hide my excitement. I absolutely jumped at the chance, and having the opportunity to be involved with it from its inception was a real honour.

Working with the writers Kate Ferguson and Susannah Pearse has been a real pleasure.

They have written the most fun, exciting adventure full of a myriad of delightful characters and places around the globe that have been a joy to help realise.

For a show of this scale, it really must be a true collaboration. We have the most amazing cast and creative team as well as stage management, scenic artists, builders, and technicians all working so hard to create this mammoth piece of theatre. I always feel like festive shows have a duty to be memorable and inspiring, and I really feel like Around the World in 80 Days is, thanks to the dedication of everyone involved.

Welcome and thank you for coming to see our brand-new musical adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days.

I saw a version of this show many years ago, and although it was good, I couldn’t help but think there was something missing. On the drive home I realised what it was that was missing - a real sense of adventure. I vowed that if I ever get the opportunity to make a new version of Around the World in 80 Days that’s what I would bring to it - adventure!

I’ve had an absolute blast making this show, and I hope that audiences in Bolton feel the love that everyone who is involved has put into this production. I want them to feel all the exhilaration, the excitement, the laughter, and the exhaustion that Lady Phileas, Passepartout and the rest of the 30 odd characters we meet, feel.

It should be an amazing wild ride and I’m so pleased that we get to share it with the brilliant audiences of the Octagon.

Kash Arshad Director of Around the World in 80 Days

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Photography: Bolton Documentary Photography

LADY PHILEAS FOGG AND PASSEPARTOUT VISIT BURY TRANSPORT MUSEUM

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AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS MAZE

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AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS WORDSEARCH UnitedKingdom France Diwali Italy Egypt Yemen India HongKong China USA Passepartout PhileasFogg Railway Temples Ship World Eightydays Christmas

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ADAPTING AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

Kate Ferguson & Susannah Pearse

(1923 was a big moment for tombs), Felicity Fanshaw, balloonist extraordinaire, Amit Khatri, an intrepid journalist with a penchant for dinosaur eggs, and many, many more.

If you were travelling round the world which way would you go? And who would you take with you? In Jules Verne’s classic 1873 novel, Phileas Fogg accepts a bet to travel the world in 80 days (a daunting challenge given the absence of planes at the time) and depends entirely on trusty butler Passepartout as a travelling companion.

Phileas in the original book is a gentleman with time on his hands. For our new version for Bolton, Phileas is Lady Phileas – a widow in her 40s – because we wanted to explore the idea of who gets to go on amazing adventures and why. We’ve also moved the action to 1923 – still no planes to speak of (they weren’t exactly reliable by this point), but lots more flappers and gangsters! And a few more travelling companions too. So, we’ve got Marchbanks, an archaeologist, heading off to join Sir Howard Carter at the Egyptian tombs 8

When researching and writing our version of this story, at least one of the writers got a lot better at geography (one of them was already very good) and has been so inspired by the spirit of adventure that she has booked a holiday for next year. The route that Phileas takes in the show works – we promise – we have the calendar to prove it, and it also adheres to what would have been possible in the 1920s (though we may have taken a tiny creative liberty or two with some of the precise methods of travel across the USA).

Our process as writers is always collaborative – a lot of talking, a lot of editing, sometimes even singing down the phone together. In a show like this one, we also rely on the collaboration with the wider creative team, as well as the ingenuity of the actors and costume department – at last count our six actors are playing 29 characters between them!

Be it 1873, 1923 or 2023, what doesn’t change is the best part of travel being who you travel with. So, whether Phileas and Passepartout make it round the world in time or not (and we can’t tell you that, you’ll have to watch the show) you know you’ll have a good time watching them try because they are together, and one way or another, they’ve got each other’s backs.

IN REHEARSAL...

Photography: Bolton Documentary Photography

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OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON PRESENTS

Book by KATE FERGUSON Music & Lyrics by SUSANNAH PEARSE CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE Polly Lister Emma Fenney Robert Jackson Kai Spellman Darren Kuppan Charlotte Linighan Olivia Chandler 10

Lady Phileas Fogg Lady Eliza Sullivan Sir John Sullivan Passepartout Amit Khatri Felicity Fanshaw Swing

CREATIVE TEAM Book Kate Ferguson Music & Lyrics Susannah Pearse Director Kash Arshad Set & Costume Designer Katie Scott Music Director & Vocal Arranger Sam Sommerfeld Movement Director Jennifer Kay Lighting Designer Jane Lalljee Sound Designer Mark Melville Orchestrations and Arrangements Rebecca Applin Assistant Director Jack Clearwater Casting Director Olivia Barr Producer Will Treasure Assistant Producer Tabitha Rose Hughes

PRODUCTION TEAM Production Manager Chris Whitwood Company Stage Manager Wes Carter Deputy Stage Manager Bethany Barrington-Davis Assistant Stage Manager Catherine Farish Assistant Stage Manager Connor O’Brien Technical Manager Keiran Meadowcroft

Sound No 1 Gerry Marsden Technician Emma Parkinson Lighting Technician James Blakeman Wardrobe Manager Su Newell Wardrobe Deputy Kathryn Ogden Wardrobe Assistant Jess Wild Wardrobe Assistant Emily Harbot Costume Maker Shellby Hamer Workshop Manager Ben Cook Scenic Artist & Props Maker Carly Whickman Carpenters Harry Hearne, Simon Pemberton Scenic Artist Philip Costello With thanks to: Dukes Theatre, Lancaster, Oldham Coliseum, Kevin Baker, Helena Braun, Claire Broughton, Stephen Brown, Simon Kane, Frances Knox, the cast of The Book of Will, Raj Dutta, Hansa Mistry, Champak Fakira, Kala Kerai, Dinu Tailor, Bolton Hindu Forum and Shree Prajapati Association Bolton.

Access Performances British Sign Language Interpreted & Captioned Performance Fri 1 December, 7pm Interpreter: Rebekah Mills, Sign Solutions Audio Described Performance Fri 8 December, 7pm Audio Describer Anne Hornsby, Mind’s Eye

Technical Stage Manager Ryan Greenfield 11

CAST OLIVIA CHANDLER

Swing

Sir John Sullivan

Training: Rose Bruford College.

Trained: The Arts Educational Schools.

Olivia is an actor from Chorley. She is very excited for her debut to take place at the Octagon - it’s the first theatre she ever saw a show in, back in 2004!

EMMA FENNEY

Lady Eliza Sullivan Emma is absolutely thrilled to be working at the Octagon.

Trained: Goldsmiths and Drama Studio London.

Theatre credits: A Christmas Carol (Antic Disposition); A Midsummer Night’s Dream Live Online Production (Octagon Theatre Bolton & Guildford Shakespeare Company); The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Legend of King Arthur (Guildford Shakespeare Company); Twelfth Night (Vienna’s English Theatre/Bermuda Festival); Hamlet (Fort Lovrijenac, Dubrovnik); Alice (Creation Theatre); Wuthering Heights, Sense and Sensibility (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre/Regional Tour); Inherit the Wind (Old Vic).

Emma is also an award-winning audiobook narrator. Her titles include: The Power; The Rose Garden; Birdcage Walk.

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ROBERT JACKSON

Theatre credits: Peter Pan, Gulliver’s Travels, Summer Holiday, A Christmas Carol, The Threepenny Opera, The Railway Children (Octagon Theatre Bolton); Brief Encounter (Stephen Joseph Theatre/ Theatre By The Lake/Octagon Theatre Bolton, UK Theatre Award Nomination, Best Supporting Performance); Julius Caesar (Royal Shakespeare Company); The Glee Club (Out Of Joint/Kiln Theatre); She Ventures and He Wins (Young Vic); Kiss Me Kate (Watermill Theatre); Alice in Wonderland (Stephen Joseph Theatre); Stickman (UK/International Tour); Treasure Island (Creation Theatre, Oxford); Parkway Dreams, The Long Life & Great Good Fortune of John Clare (Eastern Angles); Progress, The Green Children (Red Rose Chain, Ipswich); The Sonnet Walk (Shakespeare’s Globe); Lido (Southwark Playhouse).

TV credits: The Other One, Coronation Street, English In Mind.

Voice Over credits: LinkdIn, Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, British Gas & QVC.

DARREN KUPPAN

Amit Khatri

CHARLOTTE LINIGHAN

Felicity Fanshaw

Darren’s first time at the Octagon was with the production Rafta Rafta where his wife in the show became his actual wife!

Charlotte is thrilled to be working here at the Octagon, her current home theatre, playing a variety of fabulous roles in Around the World in 80 Days!

Theatre credits: Rafta Rafta (Octagon Theatre Bolton); Mahabharata (Barbican); Let The Right One In (Royal Exchange); Pride And Prejudice, The Merry Wives Of Windsor, The Jungle Book ( Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre); Under Three Moons (Box Of Tricks Theatre); Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Road, Europe ( Leeds Playhouse Ensemble); Hard Times (Northern Broadsides); Guards At The Taj (Bush Theatre); Cymbeline, The Tempest (Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre); East Is East (Trafalgar Studios & UK Tour); An August Bank Holiday Lark (Northern Broadsides); England Street (Oxford Playhouse); Much Ado About Nothing (Royal Shakespeare Company); We Love You City (Belgrade Theatre/Talking Birds); Great Expectations (English Touring Theatre/ Watford Palace).

Trained: American Theatre Arts, Rose Bruford.

Theatre credits: Unamerican (JB Shorts, 53 Two); That Sketch Show, Spinach (The Edge).

TV credits: Coronation Street.

TV credits: Dodger, Home From Home, Coronation Street, Spooks, Emmerdale, The Adam & Shelly Show.

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POLLY LISTER

Lady Phileas Fogg Recent theatre credits: The Hound of the Baskervilles, One Man, Two Guvnors (Octagon Theatre Bolton); Song of the Sytch (Claybody); Unexpected Twist (Northampton Derngate/ UK Tour); Jekyll and Hyde (Derby/Hornchurch); Abigails Party (UK Theatre Award – Best Performer) plus many more productions in rep. (Keswick, Theatre

By The Lake); 101 Dalmatians, Snow Queen plus many more (New Vic, Stoke); The Wizard of Oz (Leeds Playhouse); The Worst Witch (Olivier Award Best Family Show, Nimax/ Kenny Wax/Northampton/Novel); also work with Storyhouse, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Hull Truck, Colchester Mercury, Birmingham Rep and the National Theatre.

Film credits: The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, RTFM, Polterheist, London-Unplugged.

Presenting credits: Fite TV: Wrestling Showdown.

Writing credits: I Was a Wife.

Radio credits: The Archers, Ladies’ Delight, Aromatherapy, Tree Splitting, Distance Between, Lulu, Something Blue.

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KAI SPELLMAN

Passepartout

Kai is a British-Israeli actor and TV writer with a focus on inclusivity and fair representation.

Theatre credits: Laurence After Arabia, Slaves of Solitude (Hampstead); Imogen (Shakespeare’s Globe); Ali & Dahlia (Pleasance); To Paint The Earth (Southwark Playhouse); Billi The Kid (Dominion Theatre); West Side Story (Tour); Romeo and Juliet (Tour); The Invitation (Secret Theatre); Cymbeline, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatro Techins).

TV credits: Humans, Balagan, Justin Blues.

Film credits: Maybe Moonbeam.

Kai has recently been developing a TV series at Curtis Brown and recently written for TV at Kyriacos and Company.

CREATIVE TEAM KATE FERGUSON

Book

Kate is a playwright and dramaturg and a past winner of the Theatre for the American Musical Award. She is also a regular host and performer at spoken word and musical cabarets.

Credits include: A Christmas Carol, Treasure Island (Octagon Theatre Bolton); A Christmas Carol (The Dukes, Lancaster); Fair Trade (Edinburgh Fringe and UK tour); Sherlock Holmes: The Early Years (New York Musical Theatre Festival); The Devil’s Disciple (RADA, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama).

As Dramaturg: Il Faut Danser (Amsterdam Storytelling Festival).

SUSANNAH PEARSE

Music & Lyrics

Susannah Pearse is a writer and composer for radio and theatre. Her work has received a Musical Theatre Matters award for developing musical theatre for younger audiences, as well as the Theatre for the American Musical Award. Susannah graduated from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.

Credits include: A Christmas Carol, Treasure Island (Octagon Theatre Bolton); Jabberwocky (The Other Palace, London); Hall of Mirrors (BBC Radio 3); I Am Not Yours (The Royal Opera House); The Stationmaster, Rapunzel (Singapore Repertory Theatre); John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme (BBC Radio 4).

KASH ARSHAD

Director

Kash is an Olivier nominated director based in Halifax. He trained on the National Theatre directors course and was Associate Director

at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough until July 2023.

Directing credits: An Adventure (Octagon Theatre Bolton); These Majestic Creatures (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough); Nest (National Youth Theatre); Cinderella (Beck Theatre, Hayes); Oliver Twist (Storyhouse); 10 Nights (Graeae/Tamasha/Bush Theatre); 13, Love and Information (ALRA North); Guards at the Taj (Theatre by the Lake); Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile, BD Stories (Freedom Studios); Airplays (Leeds Playhouse); Selfies Kill More People Than Sharks (Oldham Coliseum); Memories of Partition (Royal Exchange Manchester); Free Fall (Rogue Bones).

He is an Associate Artist for National Youth Theatre and a Mentor Director for National Theatre Connections.

KATIE SCOTT

Set & Costume Designer Katie is an award-winning Designer based in the North West and was the inaugural recipient of the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Prize for Theatre Design.

Trained: Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.

Theatre credits: A Christmas Carol, One Man Two, Guvnors, Seagulls (Octagon Theatre Bolton); The Jungle Book, A Skull In Connemara (Oldham Coliseum); Here (Curious Monkey/Northern Stage); Freedom Project (Leeds Playhouse); Beauty & The Beast, Cinderella, Blackout (The Dukes Lancaster); Fairy Poppins, The Naughty Winter Ghost (Leeds Playhouse); SparkPlug (Box Of Tricks Theatre Company – National Tour); Narvik (Box Of Tricks Theatre Company); Held (Liverpool Playhouse); Astronauts (The Royal Exchange Young Company).

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SAM SOMMERFELD

Music Director & Vocal Arranger

Lighting Designer

Sam is a pianist, conductor, music director and arranger.

Trained: Leeds Conservatoire.

Current projects include: Beauty and the Beast (Torch Theatre); The House with Chicken Legs (Les Enfants Terribles National tour).

Music Director & Associate Music Director credits include: The Worst Princess (UK Tour); Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Crucible, Sheffield Theatres); The Beauty Parade (Wales Millennium Centre); The Last Ship (US/Canada/ UK/ Éire); Hourglass (Chichester University); Hanging Rock (Goldsmiths University); Baddies – the Musical (Unicorn Theatre, London); The Donkey Show (Proud Camden); Oliver!

(Watermill Theatre, Newbury); The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3⁄4 (Curve, Leicester); Out There (Riverside Studios, London); Leeds Lads (Red Ladder Theatre, Leeds); Future Fest (Lyric Hammersmith, London); Variété (Riverside Studios); Ruby – the Musical (Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York).

MARK MELVILLE

JENNIFER KAY

Movement Director

Jennifer was born in Bolton and is delighted to be back at her home theatre.

Movement directing credits: An Adventure (Octagon Theatre Bolton); My Night with Reg (Green Carnation Theatre Company, The Lowry); Full English (Bent Architect, Kala Sangam, Bradford); 10 Nights (The Bush/ Tamasha/Graeae; Olivier Award nominated); Beryl (Oldham Coliseum); Constellations (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough); Children of the Night (Cast, Doncaster) Jenn is co-director of Hubbub Theatre’s actor company. They are an integrated ensemble of learning disabled and non-disabled performers creating devised physical theatre.

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JANE LALLJEE

Recent projects include: Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense (Salisbury Playhouse/ Octagon Theatre Bolton); One Man, Two Guvnors, Peter Pan (Octagon Theatre Bolton); Circle of Fifths (National Theatre Wales); Now and Then (English Theatre, Frankfurt); The Card (New Vic Theatre, Newcastle Under Lyme); Rose (Ambassador’s Theatre, West End); Cost of Living (National Theatre Wales); Song From Far Away (HOME, Manchester); Aladdin (Harrogate Theatre); Constellations (Stephen Joseph Theatre); Right Where We Left Us (Chapter Theatre); Rose (starring Maureen Lipman Hope Mill, Manchester, Park Theatre, London).

Sound Designer

Mark is a composer and sound designer for theatre and film and studied at Leeds Conservatoire. His music and sound design work has been presented across the UK and internationally.

Recent projects include: Romeo and Juliet (Royal Exchange); Nest (M6 Theatre); Love the Sinner (Vanishing Point); They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! (Mercury Theatre); Kin (Gecko/ National Theatre); Snow Queen (Storyhouse); Flight (Vox Motus/The Bridge Theatre/ Barbican); The Metamorphosis (Vanishing Point/Emilia Romagna Teatro, Italy); A Little Space (Gecko/ Mind The Gap); Exodus, The Panopticon (National Theatre of Scotland); The Greatest Play in the History of the World... (Tara Finney Productions/ Royal Exchange/West End/UK Tour).

REBECCA APPLIN

JACK CLEARWATER

Orchestrations and Arrangements

Resident Assistant Director

Rebecca is an award-winning composer for theatre and media.

Jack is the Resident Assistant Director at the Octagon Theatre for 2023/24. He works as a director, dramaturg, writer and sound artist across the fields of theatre, cabaret and ritual.

Recent projects include: The Worst Princess with Full House (with whom she is an Associate Artist); Wastebusters, an eco-musical which tours primary schools in Northern Ireland; British Council-funded Connections Through Culture India-Wales; The Beauty Parade, a collaboration between D/deaf and hearing cultures, commissioned by Wales Millennium Centre.

She is the arranger for Rosie And Hugh’s Great Big Adventure, a new musical with the songs of Nick Cope.

Her media work includes I Know Me with Gamelab, a TV musical working with and for teenagers with SEND, commissioned

by BBC Learning Zones, nominated for a BAFTA award.

Jack is a queer, neurodivergent individual and also works as an access support worker for other neurodivergent and/or disabled artists to apply for funding from Arts Council England.

OLIVIA BARR

Casting Director

Theatre credits: Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, Spring and Port Wine, An Adventure, Peter Pan, Kes, One Man, Two Guvnors, The Book of Will (Octagon Theatre Bolton/Octagon Theatre Bolton co-productions); A Passionate Woman (Leeds Playhouse); A Christmas Carol (Hull Truck Theatre and Leeds Playhouse) Pinocchio, Pop Music, Mumsy, Ladies Unleashed, Teechers Leavers ’22, The Railway Children (Hull Truck).

TV credits: As Casting Director; Casualty, Doctors. As Casting Assistant; EastEnders, The Sister Boniface Mysteries, Anfamol.

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GET INVOLVED

Youth Theatre 7-11, Tuesdays 4.30pm

Interested in seeing, making and performing theatre?

We have something for you!

We believe everyone has a story to tell and our work with young people and community groups aims to give confidence and skills for everyone to tell theirs.

From our popular Youth Theatre groups to working with refugees and the over 50s, we work with a wide range of people bringing creativity to the lives of thousands of people in Bolton every year.

Youth Theatre 11-14, Tuesdays 6.30pm

Youth Theatre 14-17, Wednesdays 6.30pm

For more info on our range of groups visit octagonbolton.co.uk/takepart 18

IN REHEARSAL...

Photography: Bolton Documentary Photography

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JOIN US FOR PRE-THEATRE DINING Join us in our Kitchen & Bar for pre-theatre dining before the show, serving a delicious selection of homemade and locally sourced food.

BOOK YOUR TABLE Book online at octagonbolton.co.uk/kitchen or call Box Office on 01204 520661.

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We highly recommend booking in advance for pre-theatre dining.

OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON: STAFF, TRUSTEES AND VOLUNTEERS LEADERSHIP Chief Executive Roddy Gauld Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham PA/Office Manager Maria Grieco/Maria Taylor ARTISTIC & PRODUCING Head of Producing & Programming Will Treasure Producing and Programming Coordinator Tabitha Rose Hughes Associate Director Georgia Murphy Resident Assistant Director Jack Clearwater Resident Composer* Dylan Townley COMMUNICATIONS Head of Marketing & Communications Charlotte Rachwal Marketing & Audience Development Manager Parvati Pindoria Press & Communications Officer Dan Hicklin Community Engagement Officer Niparun Nessa Marketing & Communications Assistant Oli Hurst CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT Head of Creative Engagement Imogen Woolrich Children & Young People’s Lead Leigh Hunter Dodsworth Adult & Communities Lead Alex Joynes Family Engagement Lead Taylor Barnes Youth Theatre Director Ruth Allison Community Theatre Director Lucie Jowett Creative Engagement Administrator Aliah Brewster Facilitators & Support Workers Hannah Clark, Evie Munro, Phillip Harland

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Head of Operations & Customer Experience Marie Irving-Murphy Facilities Manager Matthew Clifford Operations & Customer Experience Manager Andrew Hughes Deputy Customer Experience Managers Rachel Cree, Nat Murphy.

Relief Deputy Customer Experience Manager Daniel Glynn Customer Welcome & Access Manager Alex Joseph Customer Experience Supervisor Jade Parker-Cookson Box Office & Welcome Assistants Ashleigh Ainscow, Rob Hurst, Rebecca Lee, Summer Turnbull, Jess McDonagh, Nicola Starkie, Liberty Blay Food & Beverage Manager Alex Whinnerah Food & Beverage Supervisor Mya Williams Chef Sharon Mitchell Second Chef Maya Patel Kitchen & Bar Assistants Sue Croft, Darren Edgar, Dana Harrison, Rohan Macleod, Jess McDonagh, Maya Patel, Paul Murphy, James Whaite, Rebecca Lee, Summer Turnbull, Isabela Rubery, Jane Schofield, Chevonne Openshaw, Joanne Naisbitt, Eve McVean, Abbie Fleming, Madison Hopwood-Briggs, Freya Caldwell Usher & Welcome Assistants Liberty Blay, Janet Graham, Katy Hambelton, Nicole Hull, Rohan Macleod, Emma Meehan, Paul Murphy, Doreen Vaughton, James Whaite, Jane Schofield, Sarah Porter, Tricia Harris, Charlotte Wallwork, Catherine Clegg, Toby Greenwood, Elizabeth Medling, Sue Croft, James Doyle Cleaners John Hornby, Barry Bustard, Val Wild

DEVELOPMENT Head of Development Danielle Fearnley Development Manager Edward Hamer Development Co-ordinator Nicola Starkie FINANCE Head of Finance & Business Keith Jones Finance & Business Manager Rubina Waka Finance & Business Assistant Nathalie Semark PRODUCTION Head of Production Chris Whitwood Technical Manager Keiran Meadowcroft Technical Stage Manager Ryan Greenfield Senior Sound Technician Gerry Marsden Technician Emma Parkinson Lighting Technician James Blakeman Scenic Artist & Prop Maker Carly Whickman Production Technician Harry Hearne Wardrobe Manager Su Newell Wardrobe Assistant Jessica Wild Programme edited by Parvati Pindoria Programme designed by The Graphic Design House OCTAGON THEATRE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Darren Knight (Chair), Stephen Young (Vice Chair), Esh Alladi, Helen Bowdur, Cllr Hilary Fairclough, Lucinda Harvey, Sameena Hussain, Vicki Jackson, Tania Lewyckyj, Fiona Noden, Steve Plant, Ian Tabbron.

OCTAGON CATERING SERVICES LTD BOARD John Byrne (Chair), Pat Dickson, Mike Harrison, Darren Knight.

OCTAGON THEATRE PRODUCTIONS LIMITED Darren Knight, Roddy Gauld.

THANK YOU TO CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT VOLUNTEERS Maria Gheorghita, Rebecca Massey, Pam Spurling, Kat Whitehead, Gareth Hughes, Isaac Kane, Evie Munro.

THANK YOU TO CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE VOLUNTEERS Carole Anderson, Christine Austin, Nicola Chisnall, Billy Guffogg, Kath Parker, Lynne Pasquill, Barbara Platt, Therese Powell, Karen Lowe, Ming Possible, Penelope Osbourne, Julia Woods, Enid Sinclair, Gaynor Caldwell, Joe Dale, Angela Yates, Gillian Clough, Alison Whittaker, Geoff Simpson, Christina Wallwork, Carol McLeod, Susan Fernandes, Dana Harrsion, Patricia Hardy, Norma Rutherford, Trevlin Ong, Geoff Weilding, Julie Booth, Daisy-Mae Jones, Linda Duckworth, Frances Judge, David Wright, Duncan Macpherson.

THANK YOU TO WARDROBE VOLUNTEERS Susan Charlton, Nafisa Chhoangalia, Bry Clitheroe, Susan Fernside, Jacquie Fielding, Anne Hardman, Lynn Hardy, Tracey Hayes, Susan Knowles, Veda Unsworth, David Valentine.

The Octagon Theatre Trust was founded in 1966, and the Octagon Theatre Bolton was officially opened on 27 November 1967 under founder Artistic Director Robin Pemberton-Billing. *Supported by the Cameron Mackintosh Foundation, MTN and MMD

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THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS

As a registered charity, the Octagon could not survive without regular support from funders, sponsors, Members, Patrons and donations.

Funders:

Principal Sponsor:

Major Partner:

Principal Patron: Sue Hodgkiss, CBE DL

Project Funders:

One Club Corporate Members: Platinum

Silver

Bronze Barlow Andrews

Donnelly Bentley

Fieldings Porter Solicitors

Eric Wright Group

Stateside Foods

All the support we receive ensures we can keep igniting creativity and bringing people together in our community, supporting young artists to thrive, and telling stories on our stage to make Bolton proud.

If you share our belief in the importance of arts and culture to our town and community, please consider supporting. To find out more visit octagonbolton.co.uk/support 22

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28 All information is correct at the time of going to print. The Octagon reserves the right to make alterations if necessary. Registered Charity Number: 248833