SHOW PROGRAMME
HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE ROYAL COURT LIVERPOOL! Hello and welcome to this performance of Canoeing For Beginners! It’s a real pleasure to welcome back Mike Yeaman who wrote the great lotto comedy Lucky Numbers which we had here in 2010. This show may remind you of a certain news story from a few years ago about a man who found himself up a financial creek without a paddle but Mike assures us that any similarities to persons living or pretending to be dead are entirely coincidental.
everyday seem incredibly funny. He has added an extra dimension to the show and we hope that you enjoy his work as much as we do. You might have noticed a few telltale signs that we have got the builders in at the moment! This is for Act II of the refurbishment that the Royal Court Liverpool Trust have raised ÂŁ2.8m for with the help of European Regional Development Fund, Liverpool City Council and, of course, you lot buying tickets.
Pauline Fleming was here for Lucky Numbers and it is great to have her back along with other familiar faces Angela Simms, Mick Ledwich (straight here from Antarctica) and Stephen Fletcher. It is a pleasure to welcome new faces Harry Katsari who has a great future and of course John McArdle who I first saw back at the Everyman 30 years ago. A warm welcome to you all.
The first part saw the auditorium fully refurbished in 2012 so this time we are looking at the front of house areas for the Circle and Stalls. By the end of the refurb we will have new bars and toilets, a lift to all floors (at last!) a beautiful new foyer space and a brand new Box Office. We will also have a new performance space downstairs which will give us the chance put on new work for you.
A special mention too for the Director, Cal McCrystal, who has been a pleasure to work with on the show. He has worked with the biggest of big names in Hollywood as a physical comedy consultant and he makes the
Now sit back and get ready to sail away on a sea of laughter. Enjoy the show!
Kevin Fearon Chief Executive
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PADDLE IN POOL! WRITER MIKE YEAMAN TALKS FAKING YOUR OWN DEATH, SWEARY DIRECTORS AND THE BENEFITS OF SCOUSE OVER ESTONIAN Canoeing For Beginners was being written while I was in Liverpool for Lucky Numbers at the Royal Court in 2010. The tabloids were full of the John and Anne Darwin case at the time and I thought it was brilliant idea for a comedy. The Darwin’s woeful story unfolded over several years so rather than get tied down trying to portray events accurately, I chose a fictional couple, Frank and Beryl, who pull a similar scam and the play deals with the farcical events that occur over a few very frantic days. My other problem with the Darwin story was that they decided not to tell their two sons that their dad wasn’t really dead – thinking that they could tell them the truth at some point and everything would be ok. I mean, how could you do that to your own kids?
After an initial production in Newcastle, I felt it needed reworking - but it wasn’t until there was some overseas interest that I tackled a rewrite. I’m glad I did, because it was only then that I offered it to the Royal Court – who were very quick to say yes. So here we are. The next big thrill was when I sent the script to director Cal McCrystal in the hope that he’d agree to do it. I’d seen his brilliant comedy work on One Man Two Guvnors and knew he’d be the man for the job. He replied by text – all in capitals - saying, ‘I f***ing loved it!’ He’s certainly put his unique stamp on the production and has crammed in the laughs in every place possible.
It wasn’t something I felt I could skirt round in the play so I decided that a lot of the drama had to be about those dysfunctional family relationships. For that reason, I gave Frank and Beryl a son and daughter – so we could have every kind of family conflict possible.
It’s fantastic being back at the Royal Court and working with a team of very funny and talented actors. It’s been lovely getting reacquainted with both Pauline Fleming (who was hilarious in Lucky Numbers) and John McArdle, who I worked with as an actor on a telly series donkeys years ago. Working with new people Angela Simms, Mick Ledwich, Harry Katsari and Stephen Fletcher has been a delight and surprise as well.
Because the Darwin story was largely about keeping up an illusion, I wanted to have a similar bit of fun in the play. So in Act II we move to a rather exotic hotel room in Havana and things aren’t always what they seem. I won’t give anything away but you’ll know what I mean after you’ve seen the show!
I’ve recently been to see some foreign translations of Canoeing For Beginners. It’s been a lot of fun (and very surreal) seeing the play in languages such as Swedish or Estonian but I’m particularly excited about seeing the play back in the UK again with such a funny production. And I can understand Scouse a bit better than Estonian.
TO BE FRANK
MOST RECOGNISABLE AS PLAYING BILLY CORKHILL IN BROOKSIDE AS WELL AS STARRING IN MERSEY BEAT AND PRIME SUSPECT, JOHN McARDLE HAS ALSO HAD A RICH THEATRE CAREER. HE TALKS TO CHRIS HIGH FROM THE SKINNY MAGAZINE ABOUT MAKING HIS ROYAL COURT LIVERPOOL DEBUT
“I think The Royal Court is the only theatre in Liverpool I’ve not worked in before and it’s not that I haven’t been asked but more that I’ve been unavailable, which in a way is a good thing because it obviously means I’ve been working,” John McArdle explains during rehearsals for the show. “It’s been a busy period and it’s one that seen me come back home quite a bit.” Canoeing for Beginners is based around the story of a man, Frank, played by McArdle, who fakes his own death by getting into a canoe and paddling out of Crosby Marina. His wife, Beryl [Fleming], is ready to claim the insurance money but she needs to keep her nerve as the police and their two grown up children are sticking their oar in. Frank’s a bit of an idiot, really; a guy who is nice but struggling to make ends meet and, so, comes up with this brainwave of faking his own death to claim the insurance. He has two kids but, in his wisdom, only tells Beryl what he’s up to and it is Beryl who is really the brains behind the operation such as they are. Frank’s a bit a worrier, suffers panic attacks and something like this really isn’t too good for his health so this is a situation that’s pretty much guaranteed laughs as we see him slowly – or not so slowly, at times – unravel. “There were pretty much two things that nailed playing Frank for me,” John says. “Obviously the story that Mike Yeaman has written is very good and, also, the fact that Cal McCrystal is directing. I worked with Cal when I first started off many years ago in The Wind in the Willows at The Chester Gateway Theatre in about 1982. Since then I’ve followed his career and now, thirty years later, when the chance came up to work with him again, it was too good an opportunity to miss. He is such a fine director to work with and his track record speaks for itself, what with his involvement in the movies Paddington recently and Spiderman 2, as well as his stage involvement with One Man, Two Guv’nors with James Cordon. He has this innate ability to make a script better, no matter how good the script already is, and that is a true art in itself.” John’s career may well be littered with notable parts in notable productions, but it wasn’t the life he envisaged as a young man. “I used to be a scaffolder, working in Australia and when I came back I realised I didn’t want to do that as a job for the rest of my life. I’d always quite fancied giving acting a go, found I wasn’t too bad at it and enrolled at college and then Drama School in London when I was 26 and this is what I’ve done ever since.” And in between acting for TV and touring nationwide, John has also found the time to write his autobiography. “I love working and although I do like to take a break between
projects and come home, I do find I get itchy feet after awhile so writing the book seemed like a good idea. It has taken about 3 years to complete, was much harder than I thought it would be and it’s only really thanks to an author friend of mine, who has been really encouraging, that I stuck with it.” “Writing the book has been a really cathartic process and you can find things out through research that you wouldn’t have known otherwise. For instance, I was living in New Guinea for a while when I was younger, but knew next to nothing about the island outside of my own experiences of it. Doing some digging unearthed some fascinating aspects of the history of the country, some of which I have included. The book is written quite conversationally, as well, as it is intended as a letter to my father who passed away when I was 16 and subsequently missed out on what I am doing now. That’s where the book really starts, but it also covers what happened before then.” John has also just finished a major theatre tour of Brassed Off, playing Danny the part made famous by another Liverpool acting great, the late Pete Postlethwaite. “It was wonderful being a part of that story for six months because you learn to do so much with parts like that which are out of your comfort zone. Conducting in front of a different brass band every week isn’t easy, I can tell you, but they were all marvelous to work with and it made me appreciate the music so much more because it is, when you listen to it, fabulous stuff.”
Royal Court Liverpool Trust As of November 2014, Act 2 of our building improvement programme has begun! It will: • Create a modern, glass extension to the building • Give the building a new lease of life during the day • Create a new box office in the extension • Install a lift for disabled people reaching all levels The project will cost £2.8 million and be completed by summer 2015. The building will remain open throughout the work but there will be restrictions to some areas while work is going on. We hope it won’t spoil your night out while work is underway and promise that were making the building better for you in the long run. The work has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund and a capital loan from Liverpool City Council, owners of the theatre.
We now need your support more than ever to help us continue to make the theatre better. You can find out more about how to support our capital campaign and community & education programmes at www. royalcourttrust.org, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Adopt a Seat
Help us reach or renovation target by adopting a seat in the auditorium. For a donation of £250 you will have a personalised seat in the circle for 10 years. Pick up a leaflet or adopt online at www. royalcourttrust.org Thank you to those who have already adopted a seat! Alan and Julia Bleasdale Andrew Beeston Anfield Infant School Archbishop Blanch C.E Voluntary Aided High School Bryan and Lillias Miller Dame Heather Beattie Denise Cosgrove Elaine Taylor Evertaut Seating Fred Lawless Geni-i Creations Gillian Miller & Kevin Fearon
Graham Gavin Heather Hoy Her Honour Elizabeth Steel DL Heritage Lottery Fund Joanna Hargreaves Elizabeth Kenworthy Ken & Fiona Miller Ken Dodd OBE & Anne Jones LIPA Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants Lousie Ellman MP Mark Featherstone-Witty Martyn Best Medicash
Gillian Miller Chief Executive, Founder Royal Court Liverpool Trust
Modero Limited Mr J.D Mitchell Esq. Nicholas & Sheena Barber Nobles Construction Ltd Paul Day Raeanne Miller Rice Lane Infant & Nursery School Richard McCullagh Robb Miller & Ryan Carey Robert Nadler Stacey Lavery Sue & Jurgen Fenney The Earl of Derby West Derby Boys School Sir Richard Stilgoe Dame Judi Dench CH, DBE Andrew Pearce Alison Steadman Ann Jones Elizabeth Kenworthy John Entwistle Sylvia Lewis Andrew Pearce Billy Meall
Royal Court Liverpool Trust Supporters We would like to thank the following for their continuing support:
Eleanor Rathbone
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L1 1HL
ROYAL COURT STAFF Chief Executive Finance Director Assistant Producer Marketing Manager Technical Director Head Chef Finance Officer Front Of House Manager Sales Manager Box Office Manager Costume Supervisor Resident Stage Manager
Kevin Fearon Kevin Dunn Jess Bolger Iain Christie David Gordon Simon Collard Alison Ward Steve Smith Jamie Jenkin Katy Skidmore Marie Jones Mick Bawden
Box Office Assistants Danielle Goodfellow, Laura Lees, Isabelle Litwin and Sarah Randle Front of House Stephen Briggs, Collette Burgess, Lewis Edwards, Peter Gornell, Kathy Hutson, Jake Jones, Emma Keig, Sven Key, Christopher Kidd, Ricci Kinsella, Melanie Lovett, Hazel Patterson, Siobahn Spear, Adam Thompson, Sophy Vicary, Christina Wiggins and Thomas Wright Stage Door Allan Dodd, John Evans Kitchen David Assall, Billie Chisam, Carl Chisam, Debbie Chisam, Libby Hind, Alicia Harris, Robert Hughes, Eileen Lawless, George Schott, Doreen Uber Cleaners Billie Chisam, Carl Chisam, Debbie Chisam, Gillian Stephenson, Doreen Uber And a big thank you to all of our security staff for their hard work throughout the year
CAST
Beryl Watts Mendoza Keith Frank Carol Benny / Air Steward
Pauline Fleming Stephen Fletcher Harry Katsari Michael Ledwich John McArdle Angela Simms Jack Taylor-Wood
COMPANY
Writer Director / Musical Supervisor Designer Lighting Designer Sound Designer AV Designer Stage Manager Deputy Stage Manager Acting Assistant Stage Manager Production Manager Costume Supervisor Chief LX / LX Op Crew Workshop Manager Carpenters
Mike Yeaman Cal McCrystal Sue Mayes David Philips Kate Harvey Jamie Jenkin Snowzie Rose Izzy Circou Jack Taylor-Wood David Gordon Marie Jones James Haining Mick Gunnigle Michael Bawden Howard Cook Ben Grainger Painters Steve Edwards Gary Sollars Adele Hayter
THANK YOU Ben Carr for the rehearsal canoe
CAST STEPHEN FLETCHER WATTS
Hello all - nice to be back at the shiny new Royal Court. I really hope you enjoy the show. Stephen trained at LIPA. As well as performing, he is also Producer and Director of Life in Theatre Productions in Liverpool. Theatre credits include: A Life in the Theatre, The Sunshine Boys, The Last 5 Years, Mam! I’m ‘Ere! (Life In Theatre Productions); A Streetcar Named Desire, Willy Russell’s Breezeblock Park (Liverpool Playhouse); Eric’s and Dead Heavy Fantastic (Liverpool Everyman); Lennon, Our Day Out, Scouse Pacific, Little Scouse on The Prairie, and Stags and Hens 30th Anniversary Remix (Royal Court, Liverpool); 57 Hours in The House of Culture (The National Theatre Studio); Up on the Roof (Oldham Coliseum / The New Wolsey); Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Liverpool Shakespeare Festival); Cinderella (Liverpool Empire); Mary Stuart (The Donmar and West End); The Safari Party (The New Vic); Comfort (Old Vic); 7 Stories (Etcetera); 100% Bullet Proof (Soho Theatre); John Godber’s Teechers (Dubai) Betwixt: The Musical (The King’s Head); Top of the Heap / Cassanova Returns (Cardiff Global Search for a new musical Festival); The Wild Party (Edinburgh Fringe); She Love Me (LIPA) and Falsettoland (NSTC/ Edinburgh Festival). TV Credits include; Emmerdale, The Liverpool Nativity, BRITZ, All About Me, Kerching, Ricky’s Joke Shop, Heartbeat, Hollyoaks and Coronation Street. Stephen is also a regular voice for BBC Radio 4, various awards events including BAFTA, and is a member of the Old Vic New Voices Company. He is especially looking forward to directing Mam! I’m ‘Ere! at the Royal Court this summer. Follow Stephen on twitter @SteFletcher1
PAULINE FLEMING BERYL Pauline started her career by forming a girl trio band which toured the country for two years performing World War II songs and sketches. She then toured educational pieces around schools both in the UK and Europe, delivering workshopbased productions. She has also appeared in a number of children’s television productions. She went to the University of Liverpool, as a mature student, to study English Literature and has since delivered many workshops and short performances studying the texts of Shakespeare. Pauline’s theatre credits include Bridget in A Chorus of Disapproval (Theatre Clywd & National Tour), Maria & Antonio in Twelfth Night (Kaboodle Theatre Company) which toured in the UK and the Far East, I’m Marrying Robbie Fowler (Liverpool Playhouse & National Tour) various characters including a Russian reporter in Gargling with Jelly (Liverpool Everyman), Paulina in The Winter’s Tale (Liverpool Shakespeare Company), Sarah in The Naked Truth (National Tour, Theatre Productions Ltd), Mum’s the Word (National Tour, Robert C. Kelly), Mary in Rhinestone Mondays (National Tour, Narrow Road Productions), Barbara in Over The Rainbow: The Eva Cassidy Story (National Tour, Theatre 1st Ltd), Mrs M in Guilty Pleasures (Theatre 1st Ltd) and Rebecca in Harold Pinter’s Ashes to Ashes (Arundel Jailhouse). Mark Goucher’s production of The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler, and Janice in Lucky Numbers by Mike Yeaman for the Liverpool Royal Court. Pauline has also appeared in a number of Duggie Chapman pantomimes at Billlingham Forum Theatre, playing Fairy Godmother. Most recently, she crossed over to the dark side to star as The Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella (Principal Productions, Southport Theatre). Pauline’s TV credits include Margie in Being Eileen, Janice in Willy Russell’s Terraces, Annette in Candy Cabs, Mrs Sullivan in Nice Guy Eddie and several appearances in Doctors, all for the BBC. She has also appeared as Gloria Evans in Heartbeat (ITV Yorkshire). Pauline has also appeared in three major British soaps. Her first big TV break was playing Val Walker, Sinbad’s fiancé, in Brookside (Channel 4), in which she became better known as everyone’s Auntie Val, and most recently she played Janet in Emmerdale (ITV Yorkshire). However, Pauline is best known for playing Penny King, for three years, who became Mike Baldwin’s last girlfriend in Coronation Street (ITV Granada). On radio, Pauline has appeared in a number of plays for BBC Radio 4. Pauline is absolutely delighted to be back at the Royal Court. She is so excited to be working with Mike Yeaman again, loves the company and is made up to be working with Cal McCrystal.
HARRY KATSARI
MICHAEL LEDWICH
Theatre credits include: Connected (Theatre 503), The Comedy Of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Duck House (Uk Tour/West End), What The Butler Saw (Vaudeville Theatre), A Night Out (Tristan Bates Theatre), Alice In Wonderland And Through The Looking Glass (East 15 Acting School), The Seagull (East 15 Acting School).
Michael is a born and bred Liverpool actor. After working from a young age, Michael went on to receive his training at the city’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). Graduating in 2008, he was fortunate enough to be shortlisted for and then ultimately receive the ‘Equity Bursary Award for Drama School Graduates’, since then performing in TV, film and on stages up and down the country.
MENDOZA
KEITH
Theatre credits include; The Undesirable Man, Billy Wonderful (Everyman Theatre); Scouse Of The Antarctic, Ladies Night (Royal Court); F.E.A.R. (The Actors Studio); On The Shore Of The Wide World (Black Room); Silver Hammer Man, Cloud 9, The Permanent Way, Somewhere (Unity Theatre), Lord Of The Flies, Eyes Open, Ripper, The Leaving Of Liverpool (Tour); If Trees Could Talk, Greek, Lunch Hour (Arts Centre); Lear, All My Sons, Three Sisters, Macbeth (LIPA); Treasure Island (Sefton Park Palm House); The Secret Garden (Calderstones Mansion); The Creep (Fort Perch) Musical Theatre Credits include; Our Day Out; The Musical (Royal Court); Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi (Liverpool Playhouse/Trafalgar Studios); Now That’s What I Call Culture (Echo Arena); The Boys In The Photograph, My Favourite Year, West Side Story (LIPA); Jesus Christ Superstar (Arts Centre); Soul In the City (Neptune Theatre) Television Credits include; Our Beautiful Game, Peaky Blinders, The Audience, Liverpool Culture Launch ‘08 (BBC), BBC’s Liverpool Nativity, Chasing Amy, Hollyoaks, Brookside, Hearts and Minds Film Credits includes; Month Of Pistols, Murph’s Law, Under The Mud, House Red Wine, Fredonia Commercial Work includes; Samsung, Santander, Castrol With the Royal Court he worked on Our Day Out;The Musical as an understudy, officially debuted in Ladies Night, found his inner polar bear for his first Xmas show in Scouse Of The Antarctic and now he’s back again. Royal Court, always a pleasure.
JOHN McARDLE
ANGELA SIMMS
John McArdle was born in Liverpool a long time ago. Travelled the world as a young man, then decided to settle down and become an actor at the age of 25. Trained at E15 Drama School.
Angela has been performing for several years, starting with the New Everyman Youth Theatre; she then went on to train in The Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NYC.
FRANK
This is John’s first time at the Royal Court and he is looking forward to it. John has worked in in theatre, TV , and radio for the past 35 years. The following are a few of his favourite bits: Theatre credits include: Lennon (Liverpool Everyman), Our Countries Good (Liverpool Playhouse), Brassed Off (York Theatre Royal National Tour), The Crucible (Crucible Theatre Sheffield), The Arbour (National Theatre), Queen Of The North And Oh What A Lovely War (Bolton Octagon), Flying Blind (Library Theatre Manchester), The Rise And Fall Off Little Voice (Far East English Tour).
CAROL
Angela recently played ‘Linda’ in Ladies Day at The Royal Court. Other work includes playing ‘Sally’ in If The Shoe Fits on The Epstein Theatre. Also, she played the character ‘Shelly’ in the play Rainbow Connection written by Joanne Sherryden.Angela played ‘Sue’ in Rita Sue and Bob Too at the Theatre Royal St Helens where received good notices. She has recently had a radio credit playing ‘Cheryl’ in Tontine for BBC Radio Four, which was written by Karen Brown that starred Alison Steadman. Angela devised her own sketch comedy, in her recent work for the character ‘Beverly Bogg’ in The Ransom Family.
TV credits include: Brookside (of course), Gallowglass Ruth Rendell Series, Waking The Dead, Law And Order Uk. Foyles War, Ub Dead, Waterloo Road, The Cazalets, Blue Murder, The Bill, Prime Suspect 5, Finney, Wycliffe, City Central, Peak Practice. Vera, Merseybeat, Casualty, Holby, The Beat Goes On. Film credit includes: There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble, The Place Of The Dead, Revengers Tragedy, Charlie Noades, Rich Deceiver, Thacker, Through My Eyes, Rochdale Pioneers. Radio credits include: A Clockwork Orange Johns autobiography is to be published later this year titled ‘You Never Said Goodbye’.
JACK TAYLOR-WOOD ACTING ASM
Jack recently graduated from LIPA where he was fortunate enough to be involved in workshops with the RSC on their most recent production of Richard II. His previous credits include: Punk Rock (LIPA), Comedy of Errors (LIPA), Here Today (Liverpool Unity Theatre), NSFW (Liverpool Lantern Theatre) and 1000 Suns (Ed Fringe). Jack is also part of the sketch-based comedy group ‘The Paisley Tie Company’ who most recently performed at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival with their sell-out show ‘Guaranteed Nudity’. Jack is proud to be making his first professional stage appearance at The Royal Court Liverpool and is thankful to all who have helped him get this far.
COMPANY MIKE YEAMAN WRITER
Canoeing For Beginners is Mike’s second production at the Royal Court Liverpool after Lucky Numbers in 2010. Lucky Numbers was first produced on Tyneside (Peoples Theatre and Customs House) when it won the Peoples Play Award and a £2,000 prize. It has also been produced in New Zealand and Finland. An Estonian translation premieres this month in Tallinn. Canoeing For Beginners was first produced in Newcastle and Swedish and Estonian versions are touring at the moment. Mike has also written plays and a sitcom serial for Radio 4 and also for various TV sketch shows. His career started at the age of 17 playing the lead role in the TV drama serial Quest of Eagles and he has appeared in numerous TV shows including Heartbeat, Coronation St, Out Of The Blue, In Suspicious Circumstances, Finney and various crime series and children’s dramas. He lives in Northumberland.
CAL McCRYSTAL DIRECTOR
Cal was born in Belfast and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama and at École Philippe Gaulier. As an actor he has worked extensively in television, theatre, film and radio. As a writer/director his productions are regularly seen worldwide. He is Physical Comedy Director for the Royal National Theatre’s West End and Broadway hit, One Man, Two Guvnors and has made productions for various British repertory theatres. He has created countless touring shows, working regularly for companies such as Peepolykus, Palazzo, The Comedians Theatre Company, and Spymonkey. Cal directed the original Mighty Boosh shows, winning the Perrier Award for Best New Comedy. He is Comedy Director for the acclaimed clown routines in Cirque du Soleil’s touring circus, Varekai and their erotic cabaret, Zumanity, now enjoying its 11th successful year in Las Vegas. Cal has also been director Giffords Circus since 2012. Cal’s first feature film, The Bubonic Play received its premiere at The London Comedy Film Festival in January. He works recurrently as a comedy consultant on major movies here and in the US, including The Dictator, The World’s End, Man Up, Paddington Bear and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, in which he also appeared as Principal Conway. Cal has just directed An Evening With Noel Fielding, currently on tour, Haydn’s Il Mondo della Luna (Life On The Moon) for English Touring Opera and Dracula for The Mercury, Colchester. His production of Beware Of Young Girls transferred to New York in December.
SUE MAYES DESIGNER
Canoeing for Beginners marks my return to Liverpool after thirty years. For four happy years in the early 1980’s I was Resident Designer at the Everyman Theatre where I designed the original productions of Lennon and Our Day Out which have both been recently revived at the Royal Court. Before I came to Liverpool I had trained at The Central School of Art and Design and began my career in Ipswich Repertory Company, which in those days was in a tiny theatre on Tower Street, now a theme pub! There I became interested in Theatre in Education and moved to Coventry to design for the premier T.I.E. company. After my son was born in Liverpool, I moved back to London and spent several years teaching at Rose Bruford College before going back into the profession as a freeLance designer. Since then I have worked extensively, especially with minority theatre companies such as Nitro, Greae, Talawa and Tamasha, and with companies producing new writing. As well as designing for established theatres such as the Theatre Royal Stratford East and the Derby Playhouse, I have also designed for prisons and for corporate entertainment.
DAVID PHILLIPS LIGHTING DESIGNER
David started his career in theatre in 1994 and has worked both nationally and internationally. Recent designs include: Broken Time (Wakefield Theatre Royal, UK Touring) Hamlet, Loves’ Labours’ Lost (Northern Broadsides, UK Touring) She Stoops to Conquer, The Trial, The Ashes (Nottingham Playhouse), Loot, The Killing of Sister George (Derby Playhouse), Burial at Thebes (Spoleto Festival, Charleston USA and Arts and Ideas Festival, New Haven USA, also Rose Theatre, Kingston-upon-Thames), The Jolly Postman (Polka, London), Sleeping Princess, Victorian Mikado, The Tempest, Gretel and Hansel, Waving Cat of Japan (Krazy Kat Theatre Company, UK Touring), Jack and the Beanstalk (Gaiety, Dublin), Aladdin (Mercury, Colchester) Footloose and Godspell (Greenwich Theatre) Roots (Mercury, Colchester/Hull Truck/ Nottingham Playhouse) Spring Awakening, Parade, Little Shop of Horrors (LSC/Pleasance), The World Goes Round (GSA Tour), Thirst (MC Theater Amsterdam/ NL & UK Touring) Miss Nightingale (New Wolsey / UK Touring) Blue Stockings (Arts Educational), The Thunders (Giffords Circus), Dracula (Fitzrovia / Mercury Theatre).
KATE HARVEY
MARIE JONES
Corporate/Outdoor: Labour, Conservative, NUT, TUC conferencing. Various exhibitions. Symphony in the Park – Hoghton Tower
Marie studied fashion and then moved on to theatre costume interpretation at Mabel Fletcher College. Marie’s work as a freelance costumier has included costumes for Oldham Coliseum, The Royal Exchange, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Jimmy McGovern’s film Liam, Beyond Friendship for Mersey Television and the many pantomime dames who have appeared on the Everyman stage.
SOUND DESIGN
TV : Stan James World Match Dartsplay, Sky Sports broadcasts, Strictly Ballroom, Danny La Rue, Spirit of Shankly – Granada (DVD) Cruises : P&O World Cruises, Island Cruises, Celebrity Arena : Hot Ice – Stageworks Worldwide Productions, YNWA – Alterean Media Music : The Christians, Chesney Hawkes, Sinita, Slade, Bad Manners, Toyah, Limahl, Cream UK Tour, Petula Clarke, Bobby Crush, East 17, Liberty X Comedy : Jason Mansford, Peter Kay, Roy Walker, Brian Conley, Brendan O’Carroll, Paddy McGuiness. Live Theatre: Jane McDonald (Empress Ballroom). Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty (King Georges Hall, Blackburn), Mystique (Stageworks), Original TV Comedians – (Blackpool Opera House), Paul Zerdin (Paradise Room Blackpool), Flags (Manchester Exchange), Twopence to Cross the Mersey (Pulse Records), Mam I’m Ere (Life in Theatre), Eight Miles High, Snow White, Lucky Numbers, Council Depot Blues, Funny Money, Ladies Day, Scouse of the Pacific, Bouncers, Night Collar, Our Day Out, The Salon, Shirley Valentine, Sex in the Surburbs, Reds and Blues, Hitchhikers Guide to Fazakerley, Ladies Night, Lennon, Noises Off, Scouse of the Antarctic, Canoeing for Beginners (Royal Court Liverpool).
JAMIE JENKIN AV DESIGNER
Jamie was born in Hertfordshire, moved to Liverpool to study in 2001, and has lived in the city ever since. He has designed AV for both the Royal Court’s original production and the 2013 reboot of Lennon, A Fistful Of Collars, the second run of Willy Russell’s Our Day Out - The Musical, Ladies Night, the Lodestar Theatre Company productions of Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Nightmare On Lime Street, Down Our Street, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To Fazakerley, and Scouse of the Antarctic all at Royal Court Liverpool, as well as the Liverpool Football Club show You’ll Never Walk Alone, which has toured arenas internationally. Other work includes promotional films for shows at the Royal Court Liverpool including Bouncers, Ladies Day, Macbeth, Lennon and A Nightmare On Lime Street, and working with the Royal Court Liverpool Trust on various promotional materials. He is also a freelance graphic and motion designer working with clients in the UK and all over the world. He is also the guitarist in the band Seawitches, whose single Stars is out on The Label Recordings on February 16.
COSTUME SUPERVISOR
She has worked extensively at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and has recently been employed as full time Wardrobe Supervisor. Most recently Marie’s work at the Everyman and Playhouse has included: Much Ado About Nothing, The Electric Hills, The Flint Street Nativity, The Tempest, Unprotected, Billy Liar, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, Urban Legend, Fly, Breezeblock Park, The Entertainer, Still Life And The Astonished Heart, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Anniversary, Dr Faustus, The May Queen, Cruel Sea and All My Sons. Marie’s other credits include: Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Lost Soul, Good Golly Miss Molly, Stags and Hens - The Remix, On The Ledge, Misery, Eight Miles High, Council Depot Blues, Night Collar, Dirty Dusting, Shirley Valentine, Our Day Out - The Musical, The Salon, Funny Money, Merry Ding Dong, A Fistul Of Collars, Lucky Numbers, Lennon, Scouse Pacific, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Reds And Blues - The Musical and Ladies Day for Royal Court Liverpool, Brouhaha International Street Festival, Working Class Hero on the recent Imagine DVD, Costume Supervisor for many shows at LIPA, The Splash Project at MYPT and Twopence To Cross The Mersey at the Liverpool Empire.
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GET YOUR GLAD RAGS ON FOR LIVERPOOL’S DISCO SPECTACULAR Written and Directed by Stephen Fletcher
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