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Great sections every day in your local newspaper *

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Weekend & Heaven Plus: Environment County Life Puzzles

*East Anglian Daily Times only

Arts & Culture What’s on Plus: TV & Puzzles Property

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HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE SUPPORT FROM OUR KIND DONORS AND PARTNERS: James Ager Ben Alexander Peter Frank Awad Colin Baldwin Keith Brown / Marisa Francini Steve Butcher Tracy Cattermole Chenery Creative Steve Crooks Michael Deakin Mrs J Dessaur Adrian Dickerson Pam Dobson Steve Doe Tim and Elizabeth Edwards Elizabeth Emsden Duncan Foster Susan Jean Friend

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO

Beverley Gaughan Glemham Hall Neil Gooderham Geoffrey Goymer Jerry Gray Martin Hine Philip Hope-Cobbold Hudson Group Izzy Lane Andy Marshall Trevor Mason Graham de Max Bob Minter Melanie Moore Matt Newman John North Guenever Pachent Kelley Parker Stephen and Liz Pettman

Philippa Jean Esther Ross Alasdair Ross James Sargant Graham Robert Saul Savedaz Dan Shepherd Gina Southam David Shuttle Martin Talbot Peter Thompson Sue Wardropper Frans Warky Law Deborah Warren Caroline and Chris Waters Steve Waters Steve Wilding Will Woolsgrove Lucy Wootton

IN COLLABORATION WITH:

COLIN KREIDEWOLF “Lifelong supporter of the Town.

May 6th 1978 was the greatest day of my life. Pleased to support this fantastic project.”

IPSWICH TOWN HERITAGE SOCIETY PAGE 3

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About us With a 400 seat main auditorium and 100 seat studio, the New Wolsey Theatre is nationally renowned for the quality and diversity of our productions, both as a sole producer, and in collaboration with a diverse range of artists and companies.

With a particular reputation for musical work, often employing actor-musicians, we are leading players in the development of new musicals, staging the world premieres of It’s A Wonderful Life, 20th Century Boy, Mods & Rox, Miss Nightingale, Midsummer Songs and, most recently, punk musical Oxy and the Morons.

Musical revivals have included: a national tour of the Tim Firth and Madness musical Our House, Brecht and Weill’s The Threepenny Opera, an actor-musician version of Sweet Charity, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, and Made in Dagenham in co-production with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

In 2015, we joined forces with six other mid-scale theatres and Graeae Theatre Company to create the award winning Ramps on the Moon, the largest Arts Council England funded strategic touring project, with the aim of increasing the engagement and participation of D/deaf and disabled actors, artists and audiences. The first production under this banner, The Government Inspector, was launched by Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2016, and 2017 saw our own production of The Who’s Tommy open in Ipswich before embarking on a

IFE L LK U F A ER NI ND KWAS WO MIKE

A O: IT’S PHOT

national tour, which won a UK Theatre Award in 2017 for Best Touring Production. Our Country’s Good is currently touring the UK. The New Wolsey Theatre is committed to developing new talent and new voices. Our annual PULSE Festival acts as a spring-board for new and emerging artists, as well as providing a home for risk-taking and innovative work from more established companies. We run an extensive Creative Learning programme, providing opportunities for young people to develop their creative, personal and social skills, as well as touring work to primary and secondary schools in and around Suffolk.

In 2012, we won a TMA award for Most Welcoming Theatre, and we were nominated as The Stage Award’s Regional Theatre of the Year 2014. We have received the Trip Advisor Certificate for Excellence six years running for customer service, and have a Silver Award from Suffolk Carbon Charter for our environmentally friendly procedures and policies. As a not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity, we are funded by the Arts Council England, Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Borough Council as well as through the invaluable donations, individual giving and corporate support of our many friends, patrons and sponsors.

Artistic Director: Peter Rowe Chief Executive: Sarah Holmes

Reg in England: 03982202 Reg Charity No: 1082016 THE NEW WOLSEY THEATRE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE CONTINUING SUPPORT OF THE WOLSEY THEATRE CLUB.

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“THERE’S ONLY ONE BOBBY ROBSON” WELCOME TO THE WORLD PREMIERE OF OUR BLUE HEAVEN, THE NEW WOLSEY THEATRE’S MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF ITFC’S HISTORIC FA CUP VICTORY OVER ARSENAL ON MAY 6TH 1978.

It was eighteen months ago that we first had the idea of creating a show to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of this extraordinary event in the town’s history, a day I’ve heard many refer to since as the best day of their lives!

With the help of Ipswich Town Football Club’s Historical Society, club supporters, BBC Radio Suffolk and The East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star, a call out was made to ITFC fans and local people, inviting them to contribute their stories of the lead up to the Final at Wembley, and their memories of the celebrations in Ipswich the next day.

All kinds of stories poured in and I’ve used many of them, threaded together with the songs from that era, in New Wolsey Theatre-style, to create the fictitious drama you will see today.

The creation of this production also depended significantly on public funding support, to close the gap between our dreams and our own budget. We took the bold decision to run a crowd-funding campaign, and are enormously grateful to all of our backers, partners and donors for enabling the production of this new show. The production itself has become a community event, collaborating with colleagues at DanceEast, involving members of our Youth Theatre and Young Company, and our Community Chorus who have devoted so much time and energy to representing the football elements in the show.

Hold onto this Limited Edition Souvenir Programme and perhaps it too will eventually become another important piece of sporting and theatre memorabilia, documenting both ITFC’s amazing FA Cup victory and the world premiere of Our Blue Heaven.

Although it’s a story of celebration, with a guaranteed happy ending, we have also felt the responsibility of doing justice to an FA Cup campaign that meant so much to so many people. I can only hope that this trip back to the glory days of Mick Mills, Roger Osborne and, of course, the legendary “Mr R”, as Sir Bobby Robson was then known to staff at ITFC, gives you as much enjoyment as we have had in attempting to re-create them.

COME ON THE TOWN! Peter Rowe

Writer and Director of Our Blue Heaven Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre

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We would like to thank… CULTURE CLUB

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS The New Wolsey Theatre gratefully receives funding from a number of trusts and foundations to help keep important projects going that benefit the communities we meet off stage as well as on.

Current projects include: THE BRADBURY PLATFORM and BACKSTAGE ACCESSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS Bradbury Foundation A platform especially designed for us to add more wheelchair accessible spaces in the first two rows of the main auditorium, creating more access to the theatre for everyone and ticket subsidy to support new audiences to use this facility.

Improvements to backstage accessibility including automation of the stage door and upgrades to existing dressing rooms and wet room facilities.

MEDIA PARTNERS

CAPITAL PROJECT 2016 Building improvements.

AGENT FOR CHANGE Roles in our workforce dedicated to developing access and inclusion YOUTH THEATRE2 A youth theatre group for young people with additional needs.

BASED ON A TRUE STORY PRIMARY SCHOOLS TOUR 2018 The Scarfe Charitable Trust

SPONSORS

SUFFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION A project to provide arts enrichment to students at Ipswich Academy.

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO Sue Blything-Smith, Beryl Chaplin, Richard Chivers, Theo Clarke, Sonia Duncan, Tim and Elizabeth Edwards, Jerry and Unity Heath, Claire Horsley, Sally Johnston, Clare Lawrence, Izzy Lane, Neil & Jennie Nield, Ray & Dawn Norris, Andrew Reavill, Desmond Smith, Liz Tilbrook, David Walker, Will Woolsgrove and Rumana Zuberi.

WHO TO FOLLOW: FUNDED BY SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL LOCALITY FUND AND THE RECOVERY GRANT SCHEME A multi-agency intervention in partnership with Ipswich high schools, to include an interactive theatre experience exploring risk taking in relation to drug misuse for students in years 8 & 9. The Recovery Grant Scheme also funds workshops for adults at the Recovery Hub Ipswich The New Wolsey Theatre gratefully acknowledges the continued support of the Wolsey Theatre Club.

Through a variety of innovative brand enhancement opportunities, your company can work in partnership with us to raise your profile whilst affirming your dedication to supporting our region.

For further information please contact: 01473 295902 wolseytheatre.co.uk/cultureclub Email relationships@wolseytheatre.co.uk PAGE 8

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If you’re under 25 and want to work in the Performing Arts Industry, there are all sorts of ways to develop as an actor, director, writer, communicator or technician at the New Wolsey Theatre.

Every year we hold workshop auditions for children and young people to select up to 200 participants to take part in weekly skills and development sessions as well as presenting a number of productions at the New Wolsey Studio and beyond all year round.

JUNIOR YOUTH THEATRE Age: 7 – 11 Sessions: Saturday mornings (term time) Production: Summer Membership: £150/£120/£90 a year Audition dates: Sat 12 Jan 2019

TASTER WORKSHOP We offer open access workshops for anyone wants to see what we do and try it out.

Junior Youth Theatre taster workshop 2pm – 3:30pm - Sat 21 Apr & Sat 8 Sep 2018 Senior Youth Theatre taster workshop 4pm – 6pm - Sat 21 Apr & Sat 8 Sep 2018

YOUTH THEATRE2 For Young People With Additional Needs Age: 11 – 20 Sessions: Monday evenings (term time) Membership: £150/£120/£90 a year Audition: There are no auditions for this group just register your interest

SENIOR YOUTH THEATRE Age: 11 – 16 Sessions: Tuesday/Wednesday evenings (term time) Production: Autumn Membership: £150/£120/£90 a year Audition dates: Sat 12 Jan & Sun 13 Jan 2019

RELAXED AUDITION YOUNG COMPANY Ages: 16 - 22 Sessions: Wednesday evening (term time) Production: Spring/ Summer/ Autumn Membership: £50 a year Audition dates: Sun 13 Jan 2019

For anyone interested in joining any of our groups, who may benefit from a calmer environment.

Our relaxed audition is the same as the other auditions, but with a lot less people in the room!

Fri 11 Jan 2019

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Membership definitely has its

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MEMBER

Find out more about our host of membership benefits and join today at

wolseytheatre.co.uk/membership PAGE 10

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Welcome to our Autumn 2018 season, with 14 shows to choose from to build your New Wolsey Season Ticket.

As well as our regional premiere of Tony Award-winning musical Once in collaboration with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch opening this September, this season presents Matthew Kelly and David Yelland staring in The Habit of Art and a brand new stage adaptation of bestseller The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. From Shakespeare’s tragic Othello to the comedy of Norman Wisdom in Wisdom of a Fool, there’s something for everyone. There’s plenty of music to enjoy this season too, with one night only performances from China Crisis, Shakatak and An Evening of Marvin Gaye.

BOOK 4-7 SHOWS

BOOK 8+ SHOWS

15%

25%

SAVE

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THU 6 to SAT 22 SEPTEMBER

WITHERING LOOKS WED 26 to THU 27 SEPTEMBER

THE RETURN OF THE SOLDIER MON 1 to SAT 6 OCTOBER

WISDOM OF A FOOL SUN 7 OCTOBER

MON 8 to SAT 13 OCTOBER

TUE 30 OCT to SAT 3 NOVEMBER

MON 5 to SAT 10 NOVEMBER

TUE 13 to SAT 17 NOVEMBER

Discover more ways to save at:

wolseytheatre.co.uk/seasonticket PAGE 11

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PETER ROWE AN INTERVIEW BY ANDREW CLARKE For writer and New Wolsey’s artistic director Peter Rowe, Our Blue Heaven has always been a celebration – a celebration of a town, an era and a sporting triumph. He talks to Andrew Clarke about putting together this milestone musical.

Bobby Robson’s team winning the FA Cup in May 1978 was always a big deal, it helped put Ipswich on the map and reaffirmed Ipswich Town as one of the top flight clubs in the country. But, behind any sporting success there is always a back story, one or two pieces of human drama, which lend poignancy to the achievement – this is what Peter Rowe wanted to uncover when he issued a plea last year for stories about Ipswich Town’s FA Cup win.

For Peter Rowe, Our Blue Heaven, isn’t just about 11 players doing remarkable things on a football pitch, it’s about the people of a town getting behind their club, and living out their collective dreams. It’s about meeting the fans and discovering the people who helped forge a sense of community as Ipswich Town marched steadily towards the twin towers of Wembley.

This is what the play has become but 12 months ago it was just a vague notion. Peter knew he wanted to tell the fans’ story but had no idea of what that story was or who the people were who were going to populate his love letter to his adopted home town.

Happily, after the appeal for memories went out, the central story of the play appeared very quickly.

“I was lucky because there was one particular story that spoke to me straight away,” says Peter.

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Elizabeth Edwards Ready for Wembley

“This gentleman, who is now in his 50s, had a remarkable story to tell.

He was brought up by his Dad, his Mum died when he was eight, and he and his Dad had gone to all the Ipswich games. It had become a big bonding thing for him and his Dad, as it does for a lot of fathers and sons.”

“The club handed out vouchers at home games which, if they won, would allow you the opportunity to buy Wembley tickets. They collected all these vouchers and put them in a blue jar on the mantlepiece. So after the semi-final win he goes to the vase and he can’t find the vouchers.

He searches the house and he can’t find them.”

Elizabeth Edwards with the FA Cup at Stowmarket carnival

Peter Emmerson with the FA Cup

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“He goes to his Dad and says: ‘I can’t find the vouchers.’

His Dad looks at him and says: ‘What would you say if I told you I have sold them?’

And the boy replies: ‘You wouldn’t.

You wouldn’t do that,’ and that is where the conversation finished. His father now has dementia and in those years, they never had the rest of that conversation. That was the story that spoke to me the most and that’s when I knew we had the basic germ of a story.”

“There was another story came in from a policeman who was given the job of guarding the FA Cup when it was in town for the public celebrations on the Cornhill. The show is an amalgam of lots of different stories, we have swapped some about, joined others together, so everything you see in the show happened to someone, not necessarily the characters you see on stage.”

David Farthing and Family at Wembley

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Music also plays an important role in this production.

Our Blue Heaven is not just a story of a football match it is the celebration of an era. Music also helps put the matches on the stage.

Peter explains:

“We have some Elvis Costello, some Clash, some Bee Gees, we have got some Patti Smith. In many ways I have treated the structure of the play rather like a rock’n’roll panto. The Bristol game, which was on ice and everyone says shouldn’t have been played, and Ipswich very nearly went out, is accompanied by the song Staying Alive.

The game at Millwall, which nearly got called off because the Millwall fans invaded the pitch, that’s London Calling going into White Riot by The Clash.

I’ve picked songs that were on the radio at the time, such as Because The Night by Patti Smith Group.

You’ve got punk, New Wave and disco – and then you’ve got Abide With Me.” What about recreating the matches on stage?

“I always knew we weren’t going to have a ball because a ball on stage is a nightmare, so we are doing them in a very stylised way and we are trying to bring out a different flavour for each game because it has a different musical accompaniment. The nine people in the community company are wonderfully enthusiastic and are working hard with Tom Hobden, from DanceEast, to make the games really come to life.”

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THE ROAD TO

FA CUP SUCCESS

ROUND 3:

CARDIFF CITY 0 - 2 IPSWICH TOWN

ROUND 4:

IPSWICH TOWN 4 - 1 HARTLEPOOL UTD

ROUND 5:

BRISTOL ROVERS 2 - 2 IPSWICH TOWN

REPLAY:

IPSWICH TOWN 3 - 0 BRISTOL ROVERS

Roger Osborne’s golden goal, that majestic second half winner that sailed past Pat Jennings, hit the back of the net and secured Ipswich Town the FA Cup on May 6th 1978 will forever be indelibly etched on the collective consciousness of Suffolk.

But, that magical moment was the result of a century of hard work and preparation by the club and it also didn’t end there because Bobby Robson’s squad then went on to win the UEFA Cup in 1981. The club also provided two successful England managers in Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey.

ROUND 6:

MILLWALL 1 - 6 IPSWICH TOWN

Ipswich Town were formed as an amateur club in 1878, but it was not until 1936 that they turned professional. They were elected to the Football League on May 30th 1938, where they started in the Third Division (South) – their first success coming in the 1953-54 season when they won the title.

In 1955 the appointment of Alf Ramsey proved to be a shrewd move. Under his management the club dramatically rose to prominence. They were crowned champions of the Second Division for the 1960-61 season and went on to repeat their success during the following season, with Ramsey’s side winning the First Division title and, as a result, qualifying for the European Cup. It wasn’t until January 1969 that the legendary Bobby Robson was appointed manager at Portman Road. After a rocky start, the club reached new heights.

Exactly 100 years after they had formed as an amateur side, the Blues recorded their first FA Cup success with a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the Final at Wembley. Three years later the most successful period in Town’s history was capped off with a memorable UEFA Cup victory. Robson became the second Ipswich manager to take over the England post in 1982 and it was his chief coach in the glory days that succeeded him.

Bobby Ferguson had a difficult job in following Robson, though.

Disappointingly, in 1986 the team slipped back down into the Second Division.

When Town failed in an attempt to return immediately to the top flight in the following campaign, Ferguson’s contract was not renewed. Three seasons of mid-table positions then led to new boss John Duncan becoming the first Ipswich manager to be sacked in 1990.

John Lyall was appointed from Tottenham in May 1990 and guided Blues to Second Division success in 1991-92. A whole new chapter in Town’s history was about to begin as the Club became inaugural members of the Premier League. Former favourite George Burley replaced Lyall in 1994 but could not save Blues from plunging back into the second tier of English football.

SEMI-FINAL:

IPSWICH 3 - 1 WEST BROMWICH ALBION (HIGHBURY, LONDON)

FINAL:

ARSENAL 0 - 1 IPSWICH (WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON)

Town returned to the top flight in 2000 when they won the play-offs thanks to a thrilling 4-2 final victory over Barnsley. A less than consistent 2001-02 season saw another return to First Division football for the Blues, where the club has been playing its football ever since. Since that period Town have had five managers in Joe Royle, Jim Magilton, Roy Keane, Paul Jewell and Mick McCarthy.

The latter arrived at Portman Road in November 2012 and with his assistant Terry Connor guided the Club clear of relegation in their first season before taking Town to the play-offs in 2015. The Club currently competes in the Sky Bet Championship.

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FORMER EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES EDITOR TERRY HUNT AN IPSWICH TOWN FAN FOR 50 YEARS, RECALLS THE 1978 FA CUP FINAL In my youth, FA Cup Final day was the biggest event in the footballing calendar. The Wembley showpiece was one of very few matches to be televised live - and the TV companies made the most of it! Both the BBC and ITV devoted the whole day to the occasion, with all kinds of weird and wonderful devices being used to fill the hours before kick-off. Do you remember Cup Final It’s A Knockout, or Cup Final Mastermind?

Year after year, I lapped up this footballing festival, but I never dreamed that my team, Ipswich Town, would one day be centre stage of this great sporting theatre. But then along came the wonderful Bobby Robson, the man who made impossible dreams come true for Ipswich supporters. Suddenly, unfashionable Ipswich became one of the best teams in the land.

In the FA Cup, we suffered heartbreak in 1975, losing controversially to West Ham in a semi-final replay. Driven by a burning sense of injustice, Robson and his team set their sights on the FA Cup again three years later - and this time they were not to be denied.

In 1978, I was 21 years old, and supposedly studying hard for my Finals at university. Revision took a bit of a back seat on Saturday, May 6. My dad, sister and I were with the cheering, banner-waving Ipswich fans at the tunnel end at Wembley. These giant banners have become part of legend, with their witty - and sometimes naughty messages.

I was a bag of nerves for the whole game. Surely we hadn’t come this far, only for opponents Arsenal to ruin the day?

The Gunners were hot favourites, remember, and Ipswich had had their worst league campaign for years. But as the action unfolded, there was only one team in it, and that was Ipswich. Paul Mariner hit the bar, John Wark struck the same post twice, and George Burley’s header produced a wonder save from Arsenal keeper Pat Jennings.

The vital goal just wouldn’t come! As the minutes ticked by, we became more and more worried that Arsenal would snatch a thoroughly undeserved win. But then, in the 77th minute, came the most famous moment in Ipswich Town’s proud history. Youngster David Geddis fired in a low cross, and defender Willie Young’s clearance fell to Roger Osborne...

A Suffolk boy through and through, Osborne hit his shot low into the net. Cue pandemonium! Osborne was so overcome he had to be taken off. The remaining minutes were pure agony, but at long last, there was the final whistle. We had won the cup!

How we celebrated as skipper Mick Mills lifted the trophy, and the players did their lap of honour. And those celebrations went on and on. What a night Suffolk and Ipswich enjoyed, and the following day thousands lined the streets of Suffolk’s county town as the team paraded the FA Cup from an open-top bus.

Like many Town fans, I bought every single newspaper that weekend, prized souvenirs which I still keep. The EADT and Evening Star published special celebratory editions, with the EADT’s front page headline perfectly summing up the occasion: “In Our Blue Heaven.”

A REMARKABLE, PROUD DAY WHICH WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.

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CAST

THE NEW WOLSEY THEATRE PRESENTS

THE COOMBES FAMILY Paul Sheila Mel Sue

James Daffern Sarah Whittuck Josie Dunn Anna Kitching / Olivia Max

THE TILLOTSON FAMILY Brian Eileen Scott

Jon House Nicola Bryan Joe Leat

THE TRAYNOR FAMILY Smudger Ange

Dale Mathurin Katia Sartini

Bobby Robson

Peter Peverley

Mick Mills / Bobby Campbell Paul Browes / Guitar Referee Daniels / Bass Drums Musical Director & Keyboards

Steve Simmonds Daniel Lloyd Daniel Carter Hope Callum Harrower Dan de Cruz

All other parts played by the members of the Company

COMMUNITY CHORUS

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY

Rosie Barsby, Kynan Hammond, Dylan Irvine, Jack Lang, Rawa Nabi, Harriet O’Leary, Robyn Painter, Sam Pote, Charlie Shephard

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Matt Amos, Mike Amos, BBC Radio Suffolk, Dance East, Rachel Dingle at Stage Babies, The East Anglian Daily Times, Elizabeth Edwards, Tim Edwards, David Farthing, Franklins, Gallagher Van, Michael Hammond, Ipswich Star, ITFC, Colin Kreidewolf, Music World Ipswich,Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Queens Theatre Hornchurch.

For help with finding 1970’s wedding dresses, thank you to Christine, Dee, Susan, Jan, Kay, Carol, Wendy, Liz, Carol, Lucy, Linda and Margaret.

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CREATIVE Director Designer Musical Supervisor Lighting / AV Designer Sound Designer Musical Director Choreographer Casting Director Assistant Director Researcher

Peter Rowe Amy Jane Cook Ben Goddard Arnim Freiss James Cook Dan de Cruz Tom Hobden Emily Jones Simon Panayi Caleb Howgego

PRODUCTION Head of Production David Phillips Wardrobe Supervisor Lisa Aitken Company Stage Manager Laura Hammond Deputy Stage Manager Robyn Hardisty Assistant Stage Manager Anna Jenkins Assistant Stage Manager (apprentice) Yasmin Turner Set Constructed and Painted Belgrade Production Services Floor Printing Promptside

PRODUCTION TEAM

PETER ROWE

Technical Manager Sound No.1 Sound No.2 Wardrobe Maintenance Lighting Programmer Lighting Operator Follow Spot Operators (apprentice) Stage / Traps Crew Dressers Rehearsal Photographer Production Photographer

Peter Hazelwood Nathan Bradley David Gardener Danuta Tarbard Tom Mulliner Ben Ashton Rosie Chamberlain Troy Fryer Lewis Moore Victoria Tarbard, Lorna Garside Mike Kwasniak Robert Day

This production of Our Blue Heaven created and directed by Peter Rowe first premiered at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich on Friday 4 May 2018

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DANIEL CARTER-HOPE

REFEREE DANIELS / BASS

NICOLA BRYAN EILEEN

TRAINING: Birmingham School of Speech & Drama, gaining a BA (Hons) degree in Acting and Musical Theatre.

THEATRE CREDITS: Fairy Fortywinks in Sleeping Beauty (Central Theatre, Chatham), Mum in Who To Follow (New Wolsey Theatre), Swing & u/s Sister Mary Patrick & Mother Superior in Sister Act (UK Tour), Freda Woodward/ Val in Tom The Musical (UK Tour), Fairy in Sleeping Beauty (Gordon Craig Theatre), Carmen in Sweet Charity (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich), Kit Kat Girl in Cabaret (MAC, Belfast), Vanity in Beauty and the Beast (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich), Heather in Our House (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich), Jemima The Giant’s Wife in Jack & The Beanstalk (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich), Dreamboats & Petticoats (Playhouse Theatre, West End), Beauty in Beauty & The Beast (Coventry Belgrade Theatre), Rita u/s Rosa & Mary in David Essex’s All The Fun Of The Fair (UK Tour 2008/2009), Lambchops and understudying and playing the roles of Serena, Mabel and Miss Bell in Fame (Edinburgh Playhouse and UK Tour), Lambchops in the arena production of Fame (Pattichoun Amphitheatre, Cyprus), Venetian Masquerade (Millenium Point, Birmingham), Swing and understudy to Pam in The Full Monty (UK Tour), Return To The Forbidden Planet (Theatre Royal, Lincoln), Fairy Nuff Dick Whittington (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich), West End Girls (Jersey Opera House) and KOBA – Man of Steel originating the role of Nadezdha (Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham).

TELEVISION CREDITS: Crimewatch Reconstruction (BBC).

For more information about Nicola, please visit: www.access-uk.com www.nicolabryan.com @TheNicolaBryan

Dan is a dyed in the wool Ipswich Town fan ever since he bought a retro Ipswich Town pint mug during last year’s rock and roll panto. He once supported West Ham for a few weeks until someone begged him to stop. Dan is excited to be back at the New Wolsey and for it not to be Christmas, having appeared in the last five rock and roll pantos.

THEATRE AND OTHER CREDITS: Made In Dagenham (New Wolsey/Queens Theatre Hornchurch), Jackie the Musical (UK tour), several adverts for a well-known fast food company and a short film.

JAMES DAFFERN PAUL

TRAINING: Birmingham School of Speech and Drama.

TELEVISION CREDITS: Casualty, Spooks, Doctors, River City, Holby City, The Rotter’s Club, Dalziel & Pascoe, All About Me, Home Time, The Hitler Diaries (all BBC TV Television), Cuffs (BBC & Tiger Aspect Productions), Birds of a Feather and Secret Smile (both ITV), Raised by Wolves (C4), The Royal and Emmerdale (both Yorkshire Television), Where the Heart Is (Anglia Television), Blood on her Hands (The Tracy Andrews Story) (Granada Television), X Company (CBC Television/Sony Pictures Television), Flying High (ZDF), Hunted (Kudos, HBO, BBC), Waterloo Road (Shed Productions), Dream Team (Hewland International/Sky TV).

FILM CREDITS: Divorce (Uzong Films), Repeat to Fade (Like Other People Do Films), Love Letters, (Samantha Harrie), Making Waves (Nicolas Van Pallandt), White Bits (Alex Jovi).

THEATRE CREDITS: Close (Arcola Theatre London) and Transmissions (Birmingham Rep Theatre).

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JOSIE DUNN MEL

TRAINING: Rose Bruford College.

THEATRE CREDITS: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (The Old Vic); Torgus & Snow (RSC workshop); As You Like It, After The Dance (Theatre by the Lake); Backbeat (West End, U.S. & Canada); Snow White and Other Tales from the Brothers Grimm, Summer of Shakespeare (Creation Theatre); Desert Rats (Arts Theatre West End); Alice in Wonderland (The Watermill); Dark Tourism (Park Theatre); James and the Giant Peach (Mercury Theatre); Here Be Monsters (UK Tour); The Story Giant (Shanty Theatre Company); Occupied (Theatre 503); Faust (Greenwich Theatre).

TELEVISION CREDITS: Doctors (BBC); Playhouse Presents: Hey Diddly Dee (Sky Arts).

Josie is a founding director of Chaskis Theatre, a transcultural theatre company who collaborate with playwrights from across the globe, uniting international artists and encouraging empathy across borders.

DAN DE CRUZ

MUSICAL DIRECTOR / KEYBOARDS TRAINING: BMus (Hons) from the University of Surrey before going on to train on the post-graduate course at Guildford School of Acting.

ON STAGE CREDITS INCLUDE: Sinbad, Made In Dagenham, Sweet Charity, Beauty and the Beast, Dick Whittington, Mods and Rox (New Wolsey); Lemon - The Musical (Arts Theatre); The Man Who Stole The Circus (Isis Theatre); Run For Your Wife, They’re Playing Our Song (Queen’s Theatre); Cinderella, Aladdin (City Varieties); Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet (Stafford Castle); Buddy Vs The Killer (Raffles, Singapore); Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood (Theatre Clwyd); My Fair Lady, West Side Story (Aberystwyth Arts Centre); Dawlish Road (Soho Theatre); The Far Pavilions, Time’s Up (Shaftesbury Theatre); FAME (Palladium).

CALLUM HARROWER DRUMS

TRAINING: Institute of Contemporary Musical Performance, London.

THEATRE CREDITS: Ted in Made In Dagenham (New Wolsey, Ipswich & Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch).

Music credits: Drummer for Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow, Dreams of Freedom at the Royal Albert Hall, Blowin’ In The Wind, Adventure To Oz, Peter Pan, The Night Before Christmas, Globaleyes, Sleeping Beauty - Dream On (Chickenshed Theatre, Southgate); Live musician in Brer Rabbit’s Track & Field, Tales From The Shed at Big Feastival and British Summer Time Festival (Chickenshed Theatre, Southgate); Composer for Brer Rabbit’s Track & Field & Darnaby’s Space Race (Chickenshed Theatre, Southgate).

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ANNA KITCHING SUE

JON HOUSE BRIAN

TRAINING: Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London.

THEATRE CREDITS: The Warder in Witness for the Prosecution (Olivier nominated) at London County Hall, Claudius in Hamlet, Narrator in Under Milkwood (Kenya), Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Frank Sr plus lead guitar in Saturday Night Fever (Frankfurt), The Judas Kiss & Relatively Speaking (Bath Theatre Royal), Royal Variety & Fred and Gladys (Balls in the Air theatre company), Newsrevue, Shadows on the Sun, A Respectable Wedding, Much Ado About Nothing, Pat Brady in The Last Tycoon at the Arts theatre.

FILM CREDITS: Bronson, Green Street, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Oscar-nominated Bollywood epic Lagaan.

TELEVISION CREDITS: River (BBC), Detective Steve Fulcher in Catching a Serial Killer (ITV), Ashes to Ashes, Guiltology (CNN), Crimewatch, The Bill, 9-11 Voices from the Sky and the title role in a self-penned television pilot called Elvis Jones, a comedy about a welsh Private Eye in London. He also wrote the soundtrack.

Anna is 14 years old, lives in East Bergholt and attends Colchester County High School for Girls. She is a member of New Wolsey Youth Theatre and the CTC (Childrens Theatre Company). With the CTC, she has performed in Joseph, Cats, Annie and recently as Glinda in The Wizard of Oz. She was awarded the Wardale Williams Cup for Excellence in Drama and the Barclays Bank Shield for Duologue Acting in the 2018 Sudbury Festival. Anna will be performing in the Youth Music Theatre UK’s production of Cautionary Tales this summer.

JOE LEAT SCOTT

TRAINING: East 15 Acting School.

THEATRE CREDITS: The 39 Steps, Murder by the Book, The Prisoner of Zenda, Murder Weapon (Suffolk Summer Theatres) The Mystery of St Finnigans Elbow, Everything Must Go (Eastern Angles), Her Mothers Voice, Bus Stop, Fast Food (Ink Festival), The Secret Garden, Casanova, Mindgame, A Christmas Carol (Spinning Wheel Theatre Company), Breathing the Blue (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds), This Is What Men Do (Nigel Barrett & Louise Mari), Shakespeare Showcase, Alfie Strange, When I Grow Up (New Wolsey Theatre) Sherlock Holmes & the Hooded Lance, The Old Curiosity Shop, Justin & the Argonauts, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Prisoner of Zenda (Common Ground Theatre Company), Sleepover (Shunt), Ruthie Henshall & Guests: Care for a Song (Ipswich Regent), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Skewbald Theatre), Old Wise Tales (Kings Place).

TELEVISION AND FILM CREDITS INCLUDE: Taboo (BBC) With Love From Suffolk (Film Suffolk), Opening Night of the Living Dead (Suitcase Films).

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DALE MATHURIN DANIEL LLOYD

PAUL BROWES / GUITAR TRAINING: East 15 Acting School.

THEATRE CREDITS: Eye Of The Storm (Amy Wadge & Geinor Styles), The Commitments (West End) Tom: The Tom Jones Musical (U.K no 1 Tour x 2) As You Like It (Ludlow and Stafford Castle) Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hotter (nationwide Tour), Mods and Rox (New Wolsey Theatre), Spring Awakening (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru/ Elen Bowman), Gluscabi, Melangell, The Princess and the Hunter, Me, a Giant! (Theatr na n’Og), The Comedy of Errors (Stafford Festival Shakespeare), Romeo & Juliet (Bitesize Theatre), Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, The Hub, The Taming Of The Shrew, Animal Farm, Yesterday, The Suicide, Tales From Small Nations, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and 11 rock n roll pantos inc. Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, Robin Hood & The Babes in The Wood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Beauty & The Beast, Dick (Clwyd Theatr Cymru) and BoHo (Clwyd Theatr Cymru/Hijinx). He co-directed and was Musical Director on Far From The Madding Crowd with Theatr na n’Og and will direct The White Feather for the company at the Dylan Thomas Theatre in Swansea.

FILM CREDITS: Muppets Most Wanted (Disney).

TELEVISION AND OTHER CREDITS: Asra, Dau Dau D^y Ni, Tipyn o Stad, A470 (ITV) and a number of short films. Dan is a professional signed guitarist/singer-songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist and has had recent success with his first solo studio album Tro Ar Fyd reaching no 3 in BBC Radio Cymru’s chart. He is a regular on Welsh television and radio performing his own songs. Appearances include: Wedi 3, Ar Gamera, Yr Ystafell Fyw, Trac, Gofod, Bro, Bryn Terfel’s Gwyl Y Faenol, Pws, Wedi 7, Noson Lawen, Nodyn, Uned 5 and Bandit. He fronts the Welsh band Daniel Lloyd a Mr Pinc who have released several Welsh language recordings and have toured extensively. Daniel co-wrote the series and composed the music for S4C kids show ASRA, also appearing as the green faced character Ems.

SMUDGER

TRAINING: Manchester School of Theatre.

STAGE CREDITS INCLUDE: Henry V, Richard II, Henry IV Part II (all RSC), Wuthering Heights and The Tempest (both Aquila Theatre Company), Henry V (Hallé Orchestra), To Kill A Mockingbird (The Royal Exchange), Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin (both Watford Palace Theatre).

OLIVIA MAX SUE

Olivia is a student at St Joseph’s College in Ipswich, where she is a drama scholar. She has been a member of the New Wolsey Youth Theatre since 2013, and is really excited and proud to be part of one of the Wolsey’s professional shows (though as her dad is an Arsenal supporter, she is having to tread a little carefully at home). Previous roles include chorus in Fiddler On The Roof and Katie in School Of Rock. After Our Blue Heaven she will be going on to play The Wicked Queen in Snow White, and then to work again on Fiddler On The Roof, this time at Frinton Summer Theatre. She dances, plays the guitar, electric bass and cello, and loves to sing!

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KATIA SARTINI ANGE

PETER PEVERLEY BOBBY ROBSON

THEATRE CREDITS: Spider in Midsummer Songs (New Wolsey Theatre), The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, The Drunks, Hamlet, The Morte D’Arthur, Little Eagles and Ahasverus (Royal Shakespeare Company), Twelfth Night, A Clockwork Orange, Pinnocchio, Elmer McCurdy Rides Again, Black Eyes Roses, The Dumb Waiter, Glengarry Glenross, Animal Farm, How the Sea Came to Be, Great Expectations, The Little Prince and Son of Man (Northern Stage), Cabaret (Live Theatre), The Firework Maker’s Daughter (Sheffield Crucible) Told by an Idiot and The Venetian Twins (Bolton Octagon), The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, 360 Degrees, The Tempest (Northern Stage/Improbable/ Oxford Playhouse), Beyond the end of the Road, November Club and The Bobby Thompson Story (Theatre Royal Newcastle and tour). Pantomimes include Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk (Leeds City Varieties), Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Dick Whittington, Cinderella and Peter Pan (Theatre Royal Newcastle).

FILM AND TELEVISION CREDITS: Emmerdale, Byker Grove, Spender, Harry, The Parables and Harrigan.

TRAINING: Richmond Dance Centre, SLP College, London College of Music.

THEATRE CREDITS: Miss Rye in Nativity! The Musical (Hammersmith Apollo and UK Tour), Hattie in Kiss Me Kate (Kilworth House Theatre), Fairy Frederica in Sleeping Beauty – Rock Panto (Leeds), Wendy Winters in The Beatles Sessions (Royal Albert Hall and Arena Tour), Nikki in Sweet Charity (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich), Ensemble/Cover Miss Eerie in The Tale of Mr Tumble, (Manchester Opera House, CBBC), Ensemble/First cover Eva Cassidy in Songbird (UK Tour), Rubella in Cinderella and Fairy Frederica in Sleeping Beauty (Stafford Gatehouse Theatre), Helen Shapiro/Chelita Secunda in 20th Century Boy (UK Tour), Lead singer in Dancing Queen (UK tour), Phoebe/Assistant MD in Carnaby Street (UK Tour), Vi Petty in The Buddy Holly Story (UK Tour), Ruth in The Remains of the Day (Union Theatre, London). Katia has also appeared in 5 seasons of The Good Old Days (City Varieties, Leeds). Workshops include: Sarah in Trouble The Musical, Mary in Be Back Soon – The Life of Lionel Bart.

FILM CREDITS: Nativity Rocks!

SOUNDTRACKS: Nativity! The Musical original cast album.

Katia also performs in various bands including an Acoustic Duo, gigging around the UK and Europe. A multi-talented musician, Katia plays Piano, Flute, Piccolo and Saxophone to an advanced standard.

COMMUNITY CHORUS ROSIE BARSBY, KYNAN HAMMOND, DYLAN IRVINE, JACK LANG, RAWA NABI HARRIET O’LEARY, ROBYN PAINTER, SAM POTE, CHARLIE SHEPHARD

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STEVE SIMMONDS

MICK MILLS / BOBBY CAMPBELL TRAINING: Rose Bruford College.

THEATRE CREDITS: Cortina Man in Made in Dagenham (Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch/New Wolsey Ipswich), Bosun in Return to the Forbidden Planet 25th Anniversary Tour (Forbidden Planet Musicals, directed by Bob Carlton), Steve Currie/Captain Sensible in 20th Century Boy (UK No. 1 Tour), The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui (West End/Chichester Festival Theatre), From a Jack to a King (Far East Tour for British Theatre Playhouse), Norman Petty in The Buddy Holly Story (Buddy Musical Productions/No. 1 Tour), Lend me a Tenor, Gun Metal Blues, A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, Aladdin, Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay, Twelfth Night, The Servant of Two Masters, A Slice of Saturday Night, Jack and the Beanstalk, Gaslight, Bouncers and It’s a Fine Life (all for Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch), Widow Twankey in Aladdin and Baron Hardup in Cinderella (Stafford Gatehouse), The Comedy of Bobby Babbett, Gentle Harry’s Farm, Ikarus Inc and Noah Babel’s Ark (Rude Mechanicals Theatre), Mack and Mable at the Criterion Theatre, West End (Adam Kenwright/ Watermill Theatre), Pinafore Swing (Watermill Theatre/National Tour), The Sword in the Stone, Sleeping Beauty, Angie the Ox in Guy’s and Dolls, Aladdin, Sugar and Robin Hood and The Babes in the Wood (all for the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich).

TELEVISION CREDITS: Love Soup (BBC). Prior to training, he played Stitch in Oliver! directed by Sam Mendes (London Palladium).

SARAH WHITTUCK SHEILA

TRAINING: Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama (BA Hons Degree in Theatre Arts).

TELEVISION CREDITS: Marigold (BBC), The Bill, The Sins (BBC), Peak Practice (Central) and The Prince (LWT).

THEATRE CREDITS: Sleeping Beauty (Key Theatre, Peterborough), From A Jack To A King and Blonde Bombshells Of 1943 (Pola Jones and The British Theatre Playhouse, UK and Far East tours), Lottie in Mack And Mabel (Watermill/UK tour/Criterion West End), Puss in Puss In Boots and Grandma in Little Red Riding Hood (Winchester Theatre Royal), Larissa in Funny About Love (Chichester Festival Theatre, The Mill At Sonning and regional tour), Lucy Westerman in Dracula (Haymarket Basingstoke), Corrinder in Moll Flanders (Salisbury Playhouse), Audrey in The Little Shop Of Horrors (Lyric Theatre, Belfast) and Miranda in Return To The Forbidden Planet (regional tour). She also played the part of Lucy Locket in The Beggars Opera (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), the Kid in Pal Joey (Theatre Royal, York) and Kit Kat Girl in Cabaret (Octagon Theatre, Bolton). Panto credits include Peter Pan (3 times!) Cinderella in Cinderella and Fairy Goodapple in Snow White (Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar).

Sarah lives in St Albans with her husband, two sons, two rabbits and one sassy chicken.

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PETER ROWE

WRITER AND DIRECTOR Peter is the Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre.

After training at the Thorndike Theatre, Peter became the Artistic Director for the Southamptonbased Solent People’s Theatre and then Artistic Director for the London Bubble Theatre Company touring London in a big top tent. He has held two other Artistic Directorships, at the Gateway Theatre, Chester and the Liverpool Everyman while freelance work has included productions for regional theatres and touring companies up and down the country. He has directed Boyband and Return to the Forbidden Planet in the West End and on national tours, together with his own musical, Leader of the Pack.

As Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre, his productions have included Sweeney Todd, Perfect Days, Double Indemnity, A Family Affair, A Mad World My Masters, Leader of the Pack, The Good Companions, Neville’s Island, Stephen Sondheim’s Company, Sugar, The Price, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Vincent in Brixton, Blues in the Night, The Glass Menagerie, Laurel and Hardy, Little Shop of Horrors, A Chorus of Disapproval, Chimps, a new musical adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life, Noises Off, Up on the Roof , Guys and Dolls, Bedroom Farce, Mods And Rox, And Then The Dark, the UK National Tour of the Madness musical Our House, Miss Nightingale, a major revival of The Threepenny Opera with co-director Jenny Sealey, Midsummer Songs, Feed The Beast, a new play by Steve Thompson, Sweet Charity, the Jason Robert Brown musical The Last Five Years and a touring production of Graham Linehan’s adaptation of The Ladykillers.

He has written ten record-breaking Christmas shows which are currently being produced annually at the New Wolsey Theatre, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre and Leeds City Varieties. He wrote a musical about Ellie Greenwich, the writer of the great girl group songs of the sixties - Leader of the Pack – which has played at the New Wolsey and on two national tours. He has also written the books for Songs From a Hotel Bedroom, a setting of Kurt Weill songs produced at Watford Palace Theatre and the Linbury Studio at the Royal Opera House, and 20th Century Boy, a musical inspired by the life of Marc Bolan, which has played at the New Wolsey, The Belgrade, Coventry and on a major national tour. His play, Midsummer Songs, with music by Ben Goddard, completed a successful run at the New Wolsey in September 2014.

AMY JANE COOK DESIGNER

Theatre work includes The Rise and Fall of Little Voice; Insignificance and St Nicholas (all Theatr Clwyd); Up N Under (UK Tour); Insignificance (Langham Place, New York); The 8th (Barbican); Mydidae (Soho Theatre/Trafalgar Studios); 66 Books (Bush/Westminster Abbey); Mudlarks (Bush/HighTide Festival); Not Talking (Arcola); Medea (Gate); 65 Miles and Once Upon a Time in Wigan (both Hull Truck); Hamlet (Young Vic/Maria Theatre); Flooded Grave and Where’s My Seat? (both Bush); The Water Engine (Old Vic Tunnels); Glory Dazed (Soho Theatre); The Mobile Phone Show (Lyric Hammersmith Studio); Almost Maine (Park Theatre); The Separation (Project Arts Centre, Dublin/Theatre503); Where the Mangrove Grows (Theatre503); To Dream Again (Clwyd/Polka); The Giant Jam Sandwich (Derby Live/Polka); Thumbelina’s Great Adventure (Cambridge Arts Centre); I (heart) Peterborough (Pleasance and Tour). Amy was the winner of Best Design at the Wales Theatre Awards 2017.

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ARNIM FREISS

LIGHTING/AV DESIGNER

BEN GODDARD

MUSICAL SUPERVISOR Ben has musically directed countless rock ‘n’ roll shows in the UK and around the world. For the last 15 years, Ben has been working as MD for the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, on productions including Mods and Rox, Little Shop of Horrors, Made In Dagenham, Oxy and The Morons and 14 rock ‘n’ roll pantos including Red Riding Hood.

COMPOSER CREDITS: Midsummer Songs (NWT); a musical version of The Two Gentleman of Verona (Seoul); an original score for Macbeth (Barbados) and endless music for corporations worldwide. He has previously musically supervised the shows Jackie – the Musical and That’s Alright Mama (number one tours) and arranged music for the national tour of Tom: a Story of Tom Jones. He is also the musical director at EastEnders for the BBC. ACTING CREDITS: Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet (the US national tour of the Broadway production, a part which he created for the West End production); Sunset Boulevard, Martin Guerre, Jesus Christ Superstar, Beautiful Game, The Mousetrap, Two Cities, Murderous Instincts, Old Big ‘Ead in the Spirit of The Man, The Good Intent and The Glass Menagerie (both at Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch); Over my Shoulder, Romeo and Juliet, Oh What a Lovely War, As You Like It, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, The Good Companions, Cinderella and Kiss The Sky. TELEVISION AND FILM CREDITS: Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Lt Walton in The Somme: From Defeat to Victory (BBC); Crispin Yates in Trial & Retribution (BBC); Neville in London Bridge (Carlton Television); Guy in Bugs (BBC) and Demon in Gulliver’s Travels with Jack Black.

Arnim trained and worked as a photographer and audio-visual media designer in his native Germany, before moving to the UK to study Scenography, receiving an MA at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. He is the founder member of Pixelbox, which specialises in designing dynamic performance environments, blending lighting, motion graphics and video projection, animation and film-making. His lighting and projections have been seen not only in theatres around the world, but also in a zoo, a monastery, an abandoned pub, St Paul’s Cathedral and deep down in a cave in the Forest of Dean. Performances in the UK, China, Canada, the USA, Ireland, India, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Denmark have spanned diverse arts forms from theatre to opera and ballet via puppetry, Indian dance, experimental music and children’s shows.

Recent designs include The Who’s Tommy (New Wolsey Ipswich for Ramps on the Moon, and touring), The Bloody Irish (Dublin, broadcasting on US TV and planned US tour); Ghosts in the Walls (RSC Stratford); BBC’s Grandpa in my Pocket (Nottingham Playhouse and touring); Donegal (Abbey Theatre Dublin), Talking Heads, A Christmas Carol (Octagon Bolton); The Secret Garden (London Children’s Ballet Lyric Hammersmith); The Etienne Sisters (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Lamentations (Vocalkonsort Berlin); Wuthering Heights (The Gate Dublin); Suor Angelica (Opera North); Look Back in Anger, Jinny (Derby Theatre); Best Man (Everyman Cork); Alice in Wonderland (Polka Theatre); Animal! (Oxford Story Museum); Leviathan (Matadero Madrid); Cougar - The Musical, Stars in the Morning Sky and One Night in November (Belgrade Theatre Coventry), Piaf, Entertaining Mr Sloane, Gypsy and Hello Dolly (Curve Leicester); The Rememberers (Birmingham REP with Apples & Snakes); Wander (Jockey Club Theatre Hong Kong); Take (Washington D.C.); and the National Holocaust Memorial Day in Coventry.

Past designs have been science-fiction opera The Pitchshifter for leading Dutch contemporary music ensemble Insomnia; award winning Rumblefish, Looking for JJ, Road and Lord of the Flies for Pilot Theatre; bricks-in-space spectacle Life on Mars (Legolands worldwide); the appearance of hundreds of angels inside St Paul’s Cathedral for the City of London Festival; Joe Guy (Soho Theatre); The White Album (Nottingham Playhouse); The Long Road (Curve Leicester); The Awkward Squad (Arts Theatre London) and The Suicide and An Inspector Calls (Theatr Clwyd).

Arnim also works as a photographer, videographer and graphic designer.

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DAN DE CRUZ

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

JAMES COOK

SOUND DESIGNER James has sound designed: Up ‘n’ Under (Fingersmiths UK Tour 2018), Beauty & the Beast (Queens Theatre Hornchurch), Oxy & the Morons (New Wolsey Theatre), Arthur Pita: The World’s Greatest Show (Arthur Pita, Touring), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Youth Theatre Productionz), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (IODS Theatre Group).

James has worked as Sound #1 on: Anita & Me (UK Tour 2017), Made in Dagenham (New Wolsey Theatre/Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Jackie the Musical (UK Tour 2016), The Sword in the Stone (New Wolsey), Sweet Charity (New Wolsey), Dick Whittington (New Wolsey), Midsummer Songs (New Wolsey), Beauty & the Beast (New Wolsey), Into the Woods (Gallery Players).

James has worked as Production Engineer on: Sinbad (New Wolsey), Hairspray (Gallery Players).

TRAINING: BMus (Hons) from the University of Surrey before going on to train on the postgraduate course at Guildford School of Acting.

CREDITS AS A MUSICAL DIRECTOR: MD and Arranger on Justin Fletcher’s new show Justin’s Band, the UK No.1 tour of the hit musical, Jackie – The Musical, Beauty and the Beast (Queen’s Theatre), Assistant Musical Director for Made In Dagenham (Queen’s Theatre/New Wolsey Theatre), Musical Director & Orchestral Arranger for Aladdin (Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch), which was voted one of the Top Ten Shows of 2015 in London Theatre 1. Seussical the Musical, Chicago, The Wedding Singer, On The Streets, Little Shop of Horrors, The Dracula Spectacular, FAME, Back to the 80’s, The Pirates of Penzance, Annie, Guys and Dolls, The Wizard of Oz, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph, Oliver, The Mikado, A Christmas Carol, Captain Noah, The Evacuees and Sago The Clown.

TOM HOBDEN

CHOREOGRAPHER Tom trained at DeMontfort University and London Contemporary Dance School in Choreography and is now widely recognised as an expert in community dance practice. He specialises in working across ages, disabilities and the education sector. He is the Artistic Director of UNIT (www.weareunit.co.uk) which nationally tours projects, films and performances that use dancers from every background. Tom’s credits included 20 Questions (2017), The Village (2016), Finding Home (2015). He has collaborated with artists including Matthew Bourne, Royal Ballet School, BalletBoyz, DanceEast, Stopgap Dance, Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, and Gecko Theatre.

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EMILY JONES

CASTING DIRECTOR Theatre casting director credits include Devil with the Blue Dress (The Bunker Theatre), Broken Glass (Watford Palace Theatre), Child of the Divide (Bhuchar Boulevard), PowerPlay (Hampton Court), Orca (Southwark Playhouse), Donkey Heart (Trafalgar Studios/Old Red Lion), Coolatully (Finborough Theatre), World Enough & Time (Park Theatre), The Hard Man (Finborough Theatre), The Keeper of Infinite Space (Park Theatre), Unscorched (Finborough Theatre).

FILM AND TELEVISION CASTING DIRECTORS CREDITS INCLUDE: Doctors (BBC), Beauty (Moolmore Films), What Happened to Evie (French Fancy Productions), Practice (Deva Films), Collection Only (Constant Productions).

As an assistant Emily has worked on Silent Witness, Father Brown, Casualty, The Coroner and Doctors, and with Ginny Schiller on various theatre projects including The Father (Bath & West End), 1984 (West End & various tours), Bad Jews (Bath & West End), The Merchant of Venice (The Almeida Theatre), Pride & Prejudice (Regents Park).

SIMON PANAYI

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Simon has recently graduated from the University of Lincoln where he was involved in all aspects of theatre, from devising to working as a technician.

Lately Simon has been able focus on directing, and in 2018 was awarded the Buzz Goodbody Directors Award for his work with his own theatre company, The Backpack Ensemble.

Simon joined New Wolsey Theatre as Assistant Director, through the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursary Scheme. Throughout a year-long placement he will be working on almost all of the Wolsey’s in-house productions, learning from both Pete Rowe, Artistic Director, and Rob Salmon, Associate Director. Working on Our Blue Heaven has been a brilliant opportunity to see first-hand what goes into creating larger scale projects in the New Wolsey Theatre’s actormusician style.

CALEB HOWEGEGO RESEARCER

Born and bred in Ipswich, Caleb Howgego developed a fascination for the town’s history early on. He graduated with a BA in History and Politics from the University of East Anglia in 2010 and subsequently set up his own blog on the local history of Ipswich www.ipswichhistory.wordpress.com.

In 2015 Caleb published his first book Ipswich Through Time, which contrasts Victorian Ipswich with the modern town through a series of “then and now” photographs, and followed this up in 2016 with Ipswich History Tour, a book that leads the reader around the town to see interesting sites in a self-lead history tour. Caleb has worked for Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service since 2013 and continues to research local history. He is currently working on a new local history book called Ipswich in 50 Buildings.

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The New Wolsey Theatre Team BOARD OF DIRECTORS Richard Lister (Chairman), David Clements, Sarah Collins, Adrian Grady, David Hutchinson, Barbara Peirson, Louise Rogers, Hannah Skeates, Chris Waters, Charlotte Wormstone, Andy Yacoub Sarah Holmes

Chief Executive

ARTISTIC Peter Rowe Rob Salmon Jamie Beddard Simon Panayi

Artistic Director Associate Director Agent for Change Assistant Director (Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries Placement)

ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES China Plate, Zoe Svensden ADMINISTRATION David Watson Klyde Robinson Sophie Flack Lucy Parker Suzanne Simpson Terri Winwood Brian Heath Sophie Weaver

Head of Operations Finance Manager Programme Manager Operations Manager Finance Officer Finance Officer Finance Officer Projects & HR Assistant

FACILITIES Neil Daines Keith Mickleburgh Scott Mickleburgh

Facilities Manager Cleaner Cleaner

CREATIVE LEARNING Sian Thomas Jack Lang Helen Baggett Joe Leat Kirsty Thorpe Liam Gregory

Creative Learning Producer Creative Learning Officer Youth Theatre Leader Youth Theatre Leader Youth Theatre2 Practitioner Youth Theatre2 Practitioner

YOUTH THEATRE ASSISTANTS Lorna Garside, Debbie Grant, Bethany O’Halloran, Charlie Shephard FREELANCE PRACTITIONERS Helen Baggett, Richard Bland, Mark Curtis, Lindsey Dawson, Lorna Garside, Liam Gregory, Lisa-Marie Hoctor, Danusia Iwaszko, Joe Leat, Rachael Morrison, Laura Norman, Molly Scurrell, Natalie Songer, Kirsty Thorpe, Chris Yarnell, Sally Zabroski, Jo Zagni STARTEAST Rachel Tarkenter Genine Sumner Rebecca Abbott Kate Knowlden

Project Director Senior Producer Project Co-Ordinator Admin Assistant

PRODUCTION David Phillips Peter Hazelwood Matthew Ramsey James Cook David Gardener Nathan Bradley Lewis Moore Yasmin Turner Rosie Chamberlain Ben Ashton Troy Fryer

Head of Production Technical Manager Senior Technician Senior Technician Theatre Technician Theatre Technician Theatre Technician Assistant Technician Assistant Technician Assistant Technician Assistant Technician

PRODUCTION CASUAL STAFF Ben Ager, James Aleksic, Shaun Barber, Alex Burford, Tom Chamberlain, Dominic Eddington, Shaun Emmerson, Lorna Garside, Crystal Gayle, Michael Glasper, Ronnie Green, Bradley Hardman, Oakey Hand, Anna Jenkins, Chris Last, Callum Macdonald, Tom Mulliner, Jake Pike, Sam Pote, Faby Pym, Charlie Shephard, James Smith, Danuta Tarbard, Victoria Tarbard, Jonathan Terry, Tom Wilson COMMUNICATIONS Michelle Emmerson-Grey Dave Brookes Daniel Emmens Lizzy Hayes Megan Johnson Helen Oldfield Elise Golbourn Lucy Allen Lucy Mellamphy John Adam Baker Rey Dosaj Kelly Kirkbride Katie Stevenson Lauren Crowley Helen Taylor Chloe Moore Russell Hill Clive Featherstone

Head of Communications Digital Producer Sales Manager Marketing Manager Marketing Officer Media & PR Consultant Relationship Manager Assistant Relationship Manager Assistant Relationship Manager Relationship Officer Relationship Officer Front of House Manager Front of House Manager Hospitality Manager Assistant Hospitality Manager Assistant Hospitality Manager Theatre Chef Volunteer Communications Officer

FRONT OF HOUSE ASSISTANTS Sophie Allen, Sally Appleby, Hannah Boyce, Karina Brown, Stuart Cheadle, Dionne Clarke, Rebekah Cossey, Stephanie Degville, Joshua Dowsing, Ryan Fayers, Claire Hardman, Cathy Hearne, Kate Mayhew, Ailish Southgate, Grace Wellfare, Chloe Ward VOLUNTEER USHERS Sue Andrews, Wendy Atkins, Maureen Bailey, Rachel Biggins, Michelle Bird, Janet Black, Joyce Bradley, Margaret Brown, Chris Bull, David Burgess, Jan Burman, Rod Burrows, Rhona Clement, Ian Cloud, Jane Cole, Carole Coleman, Clare Cotterill, Maggie Cross, Mike Crump, Pauline Dable, Maxine Darlow, Sandy Davies, Lindsay Daws, Julia Dessaur, Steve Downs, Verna Duncan, Amber Durrant, Yvonne Ellam, Jane Flack, Stacey Flores, Kim Ford, Jane Gale, Bev Gaughan, Gerry George, Patricia George, Anne Godbold, Peter Haffenden, Susan Hayes, Catrina Hodgkinson, Diane Ingledew, Sonia Jackson, Collett Long, Michael Long, Rena Mayoff, Dawn McCracken, Chris Mullard, Val Munns, Jean Nial, Esther Patten, Janet Peacey, Ken Petherbridge, Roger Phillips, Keith Raby, Cathy Ransom, Christine Reid, Karen Riley, Annie Ryall, Liz Sampson, Steven Shaw, Ray Slegg, Ben Starling, Julie Stevenson, Tony Stevenson, Sharon Tappenden, Alan Charles Turner, David Vince, Judith Wadman, David Walker, Linda Ward, Tamsin Ward, Margaret Welton, Hazel Wilding, Julia Williamson, Leigh Williamson, Will Woolsgrove VOLUNTEER AMBASSADORS Michele Bevan-Margetts, Julia Dessaur, David Farthing, Vera Forsdike, Rachel Gowers, Jill Grosvenor, Sue Hall, Michael Hole, Gary Kenworthy, Ruth Longhurst, Sue Nicol VOLUNTEER FRIDAY CLUB Ruth Abbot, Maureen Bailey, Janet Black, Joyce Bradley, Marjorie Bush, Michael Crump, Tina Davies, Majorie Deering, Julia Dessaur, Susan Duff-Godfrey, Lynn Cowling, Mervyn Cunliffe, Mary Fuller, Eric Fuller, Heather Haines, Carol Hammond, Jean Johnson, Gray Kenworthy, Val Munns, Pearl Nichols, Neil Nield, Christine Spall, Liz Stiff, Margaret Tillotson, Sarah Todd, Tony Towns, Lewis Tyler, Mitzi Tyler, Alison Welham, Kylie Welham, Margaret Woollard, Janice Waspe, Leigh Williamson

For more information on how you could get involved as a volunteer for the New Wolsey Theatre, please contact us on info@wolseytheatre.co.uk PAGE 30

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