Welcome To
Hello and welcome to Liverpool’s Royal Court and this performance of Lost Soul 2 – Smigger’s Wrecked Head..
In the original Lost Soul, Smigger was all about Al Green, “Why people break up? Oh, then turn around and make up I just can’t see, You’d never do that to me - would you Donna?” They just wanted Pat and Terry to Stay Together. Now Smigger is back but this time, he’s singing the Kinks’, Where Did My Spring Go?
He’s having a hard time dealing with his mid-life crisis and just wants to Dance, Dance, Dance at a Chic spot like Soul Train with Donna, Terry and Pat and just enjoy himself.
Written by Dave Kirby (Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Lost Soul, Council Depot Blues, Reds & Blues) Lost Soul 2 is a return to the dance floor with familiar characters and a new setting. Dave delivers local humour and global themes of love, relationships, choosing a wrong un and getting through life’s journey, in this case from Scottie Road to Pontins Prestatyn and back to Soul Train.
Music, comedy and drama calls for a specialist and Bob Eaton is at the helm directing Lost Soul 2, while movement direction is ably provided by Beverley Norris-Edmunds. Their vast experience of stage, music and movement will ensure everything is soulfully smoooooth. Soul Train has been faithfully recreated by Set and Costume Designer Jocelyn Meall who brings the club scene to the Royal Court and has designed a wonderful series of sets that make the most of our revolve.
Ian Scott and Doug Kuhrt light up the show while Kate Harvey ensures it is sound and we welcome many cast members that will be familiar to you - Paul Duckworth, Lindzi Germain, Cath Rice, Andrew Schofield and Lenny Wood and two new rising stars in Michael Hawkins and Jennifer Hynes. Jenny recently attended our open auditions for new talent and has quickly made it on to the main stage at the Court.
As you may know our close friend, and one of the actors that made the original production so great, Jake Abraham sadly passed last year. He will always be in our hearts and you may notice some pictures of him in the auditorium as we remember him and everything he brought to Liverpool and Liverpool’s Royal Court. We would like to dedicate this show to him. You’re always with us Jake.
It’s now time to grab a drink, take a seat and think about making your move on the dance floor, let the sounds of the 70s take you to Boogie Wonderland.
Liverpool’s Royal Court presents Lost Soul 2
Written
by by
Dave Kirby
Kevin Fearon Executive Producer Liverpool’s
Royal Court
Starring Paul Duckworth, Lindzi Germain, Michael Hawkins, Jennifer Hynes, Cath Rice, Andrew Schofield and Lenny Wood
Directed by Bob Eaton • Designed by Jocelyn Meall
Movement Direction by Beverley Norris-Edmunds • Lighting Design by Ian Scott
Associate Lighting Design by Kuhrt Douglas • Sound Design by Kate Harvey
Royal Court Supporters
The Elizabeth Rathbone Charitable Trust
The Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust
The John Rayner Charitable Trust
Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation
Talent Development
Liverpool’s Royal Court continues on its journey to work towards talent development across the city
There is no doubt Liverpool is renowned for its wealth of talent but we, along with the rest of our city’s theatre organisations and institutions, recognise we need to do more to ensure we are accessible, engaging and aspirational if we are to be truly representative and inclusive of the communities we serve. It is a long-term continuing process and funding is key as is working together with the theatres across the region.
Over the past three years we have laid down the foundations, initiating our plans for meaningful and real change. This includes the theatre’s programming, engagement, accessibility and relationships with artistes, communities, creatives, individuals, institutions, organisations, Schools/FE. We are working towards ensuring our talent development programmes are applicable, realistic and robust.
Listening and engaging in the first instance to a wide cross section of creatives and communities – recognising and taking ownership of our failure to be fully inclusive and to take a proactive approach to ensure there is inclusivity and diversity across the sector
A brief look at a few of our talent development projects so far:
Community
Music AAA (Access All Areas) is a partnership project together with three grassroots organisations: Positive Impact, Capoeira For All, and Catalyst performing arts supported by funding from Youth Music. Children and young people aged 6 – 25 can access free musical instruments, musical theatre, hip hop, dance, singing, drama and performance
Raw Talent
Young people from our youth theatre continue to have access to auditions and employment opportunities – during the past 3 years, 6 young people have been cast in Terriers, written by Maurice Bessman touring to schools and venues across the country.
More recently working with Fury films, 120 young people aged 15 – 25 from across the city took part in audition workshops for the film of Terriers at Fire Fit in South Liverpool, MYA’s Space in Bootle and The Vibe in Huyton. 8 young people will be working with the Director to support the script development.
New Mentor Creatives Scheme
Building on our pilot Mentoring Programme, the new Mentor Creatives Scheme from Liverpool’s Royal Court – in partnership with Shakespeare North Playhouse, Everyman & Playhouse Theatres and Curious Minds seeks to help develop and nurture Global Majority Creatives working right across the artistic sector.
• Mentor Creatives offers
• One-on-One Mentorship
• Goal Setting and Achievement
• Skill Development
• Regular Networking Opportunities
• Continuous Support
The project is supported by PH Holt Charitable Trust and Liverpool BID, find out more on our website
Boisterous Stage Write
Music Access All Areas
Maurice Bessman
Lonely Girl
A chance meeting with a lost soul gives inspiration for a comedy drama.
Writer Dave Kirby talks to us about Lost Soul.
Back in 2001 when I wrote the first/original ‘Lost Soul’ I was in a literary wilderness writing scripts of a night after plastering during the day. Those nights were a constant battle, writing into the early hours wondering if I was just pissing into the wind. There were plenty of rejections in those early years from TV and radio and most notoriously from the Everyman & Playhouse who rejected ‘Lost Soul’ and later ‘Brick up the Mersey tunnels. After each rejection I’d go to the gym full of anger, determined that nothing or nobody was going to beat me. It’s fair to say that around that time, just like Smigger in Lost Soul 2, my head was wrecked!
The idea for the original, Lost Soul theme of middle-age angst came about after speaking to a lonely girl who’d been stood up one night in the old Yankee Bar on Lime Street. She said she’d separated from her husband, but wished she could turn the clock back because she realised she still loved and missed him. She then became really upset and quickly left. I felt genuinely sorry for her. That same night I happened to be out with two larger than life characters, Phil Santi and Steve Riley who despite being lifelong mates permanently ridicule each other with brutal humour. It can be hilarious to listen to. They can always be found in the parts of town where Liverpool’s over-forties scene thrives. And so the seeds of ‘Lost Soul’ were planted that night. The two
main male characters in the play, Smigger & Terry are based on Santi & Riley. The midlife crisis theme was inspired by the lonely girl I met that night. The character Pat was totally based on her.
Five years after I wrote Lost Soul things began to happen. In August 2006 ‘Brick Up’, which me and Nicky had written in 2002, opened at the Court and went crazy! And so ‘Lost Soul’ was pencilled in for its debut at the Royal Court in September 2007. The first run was a massive success. Since then it’s had two more successful runs most recently in 2017. Of all my plays, ‘Lost Soul’ was many people’s favourite and over the years I was asked countless times if I’d ever write a sequel, but I always backed off thinking that the first one couldn’t be bettered. That all changed in 2018 when for some fated reason, I kept bumping into various people that I hadn’t seen in years since I lived (squatted) in Torquay back in 1976. The conversations were all about that magical year on the south coast – the endless sunshine, the laughs and of course the music. I was so engulfed in nostalgia that I just knew I had to write something with a 70s connection. I wrote down a few ideas - then bingo! It was staring me in the face. Why not just carry on the ‘Lost Soul’ midlife crisis theme? This time it’s Smigger’s turn to hit the middle-aged wall hence his ‘wrecked head’.
Writer Dave Kirby in rehearsals with Lost Soul 2 actors Lindzi Germain and Andrew Schofield
Every song was chosen to resonate with the story. I lay on the couch and listened to dozens of classic soul and 70s hits on YouTube. From plastering ceilings to lying back and staring at ceilings listening to great music – what a career change! Just like the original play, ‘Lost Soul 2 Smigger’s wrecked head’ is packed with classic sounds, laughs and entertainment, but also has a few real moments. I also wrote it as a stand-alone play so that anyone that hasn’t seen the first play can still comfortably enjoy this sequel. In fact after watching Lost Soul 2 I reckon there’ll be a lot of people on our case to stage the first play again.
Lost Soul 2, finally opened in June 2019. It’s always a nervy moment when the curtains go up on the first night, but all the doubts and pressures I felt and reservations I had about writing a sequel were instantly drowned out by endless howls of laughter and applause. I knew immediately that we’d created another hit.
The main adult cast members from the 2019 production are back apart from our gifted little gem, Jake Abraham who we sadly lost last year. His passing is still hard to conceive such was his loveable, endearing personality and huge presence on and off the stage. We still all miss him dearly. Filling those talented shoes was no simple task. We needed somebody at that same high level with a similar stage presence. Thankfully, Paul Duckworth became available and will step into the role, which seemed fated and appropriate as Paul and Jake were close friends.
Paul will play the part of Terry alongside our other three gemsDrew Schofield as Smigger, Lindzi Germain as Donna and Cath Rice as Pat. Then there’s the superb Lenny Wood who over the years has inhabited the young Barman’s character so well that he’s taken it to levels above and beyond. We also welcome two new young stars, Jennifer Hynes as Amy the daughter and Michael Hawkins who plays her boyfriend, Charlie. This will also be my umpteenth collaboration with another gem - our director, Bob Eaton who has directed every one of my Royal Court plays and all their consequent re-runs since 2006 (16 times with reruns). He’s now enjoying semi-retirement, but we managed to coax him back out to put his masterly thumbprint on this latest production.
Set designer, Jos Meall continues the great work of her old fella, Billy who designed the first /original Lost Soul set along with all of my other shows at the Court. A new scene addition to this production is the interior of ‘Soul Train’, which is the new go-to over 25s soul music bar / club on Seel Street run by Liverpool’s coolest DJ, ‘Davy T’. In the last production we used Smoky Mo’s Bar, but after a recent phone call to Maureen (Smoky Mo) she informed me that all the ‘Smoky’s crowd’ have now moved on to Soul Train so it’s only natural that, Smigger, Terry, Pat and Donna have moved with them.
It’s now 17 years since the original Lost Soul first opened here. So many positive changes have happened to the theatre in that time especially aesthetically. But one thing that never changes is its audiences. ‘Brick Up’ and ‘Lost Soul’ laid the foundations and transformed this great building into the ‘people’s theatre’ in 2006/7. That huge audience was out there just waiting to happen. They just needed something to connect with after being denied populist entertaining theatre in their own voice for so many years. They came in their droves back then and have continued to do so ever since. It’s a period that I’ll always look back on with a great sense of pride whenever I see this place bouncing and packed to the rafters as I’m sure it will be during this run of Lost Soul 2.
Finally - if I had one wish it’d be to bump into the lonely girl who I met all those years ago. I’d love to tell her that she was the inspiration behind a hit stage play in which one of the characters was based on her and that the play has gone from strength to strength and now has a hit sequel. She’ll never know what she started. I just hope she eventually found joy.
Dave Kirby For Jake Abraham 1967 – 2023
Director Bob Eaton with Lost Soul 2 actor Michael Hawkins
Photographs by Liverpool’s Royal Court
Paul Duckworth
Lindzi Germain
Michael Hawkins
Jennifer Hynes
Cath Rice
Andrew Schofield
Lenny Wood
Cast Company
Dave Kirby
Bob Eaton
Jocelyn Meall
Beverley Norris-Edmunds
Ian Scott
Doug Kuhrt
Kate Harvey
Marie Jones
Sean Gannon
Stephen Petit
Jamie Hainning
Amy Wildgoose
Steph Carter
Charlotte Jones
Martyn Case
Thomas Evans
Lloyd Smith
Riona Gilliland
DSH Carpentry & Design Ltd
Workshop Manager
John Kavanagh
Scenic Art Manager
Jen Baron
Gary at Envision
Alison and Marty at Central Pub
Terry
Donna Charlie
Amy
Pat
Smigger
Barman
Writer
Director
Set & Costume Designer
Movement Director
Lighting Designer
Associate Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Wardrobe Supervisor
Production Manager
Production Assistant
Technical Manager
Company Stage Manager
Deputy Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
LX No 1
Sound No 1
Crew
Crew
Set Built By
Workshop
Scenic Artists
Abbie Jones
Chris McCourt
Thanks to
Carpenters
Mike Gray
Shaun Gillspie
David Davies
Connor McLeod
Barry at Colourcreate
Cast Biographies
Paul Duckworth Terry
Theatre credits include: Grand Old Lady (Epstein Theatre); The Big I Am, Othello, Paint Your Wagon (Everyman Rep Company); Beating Berlusconi, Twelfth Night, Bright Phoenix, The May Queen, Urban Legend, Sweeney Todd (Everyman Theatre Liverpool); A Barry White Christmas (Liverpool Echo Arena); Sink or Swim, Baron Munchhausen, Backwater, Jason & the Argonauts, The Man Who Cracked (Spike Theatre Company); Mam I’m Ere (Life in Theatre Productions); Reds And Blues The Musical, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Scouse Pacific, Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Down The Dock Road, Father O’Flaherty Saves Our Souls, The Lonesome West, The Scouse Nativity, The Scouse Cinderella, Yellow Breck Road, The Menlove Avenue Murder Mystery, Bingo Star and Haunted Scouse (Liverpool’s Royal Court); Family Business (M6 Theatre Company); The Quiet Little Englishman (ZHO Productions); Microdots (Contact Theatre, Manchester); The Corrupted Angel, The Golden Boy (Base Chorus); River Fever (Unity Theatre Liverpool); My Bit of Sky (M.Y.P.T) and Horrible Histories (Christmas 2019, Blackpool Opera House).
Television credits include: The Courtroom (Lime Pictures); Brookside (Mersey Television), The 4 O’Clock Club (CBBC). Film credits include: I’ve Got A Bad Feeling About This, Donohue, Reds and Blues, Backbeat, To Know Him (short film).
Lindzi Germain Donna
Lindzi is one of our city’s well known character actors and is one of the Royal Court’s regulars - so much so she doesn’t even take her stuff home any more!
Theatre credits include: A Greasy Spoon, A Thong For Europe, Ellen & Rigby Royal Court Selection Box, Night Collar, Council Depot Blues, Lost Soul, Down Our Street, The Royal, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twopence To Cross The Mersey, Alehouse, The Entertainer, Bon Voyage, Beserker Boys, Virgin Express, Desperate Scousewives, Merry Ding Dong, Scouse Pacific, Scouse of the Antarctic, Scouse of the Rising Sun, Pharoah ‘Cross The Mersey, Scouse Nativity, Mam I’m ‘Ere, Sex In Suburbia (tour), YNWA (Royal Court and tour), A Fistful of Collars, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Her Benny, The King & I, King Lear, Our Bessie, Reds & Blues, Scouse Cinderella, Lost Soul 2 and Achy Breaky Bride. Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White, Robin Hood and Babes In The Wood
TV and film credits include: Tin Star with Tim Roth. Bella in Clink (5Star), The Way We Are (Feature film), Lynda La Plante’s Above Suspicion (ITV), Les’ Liverpool (BBC), Bodies II (ITV), Common As Muck (ITV), Emmerdale (Yorkshire TV), Prime Suspect (ITV), Dave Kirby’s 15 Minutes That Shook The World, Gwladys in Reds & Blues: The Ballad of Dixie & Kenny, Adam (Short film) and Shooting Fish (short).
Writing credits include: The Royal, Mother’s Pride, Lindzi Germain Merseymouth stand up show, Women With Balls. Also penned a new musical for 2024.
Voiceover work includes: Lindzi is the voice of Atomic Olga in the computer game Evil Geniuses 2 and has her own vlog page Mersey Mouth.
Last year Lindzi also set up a private wall on Facebook called Peri/ Meno Queens - it’s a place for women to learn, educate, laugh and cry to love and to support each other while going threw what can be the most horrendous time of there lives The Menopause. To date she has over 7.7k members!
Lindzi and her husband Darren are the founders of CNC Nutrition building a happier, healthier community. For more information check out their Facebook and Insta @CNCnutritionliverpool
Lindzi is dedicating this show to our dear friend Jake Abraham. Missed beyond words!
Michael Hawkins Charlie
Michael graduated from Salford University in 2013 with a HND in Media and Performance
TV and film credits include; The Long Shadow, Corination Street, Cilla, Tina and Bobby, Until I Kill You (ITV), Dead Hot (Amazon Prime), Bank Of Dave (Netflix) Walk Like A Panther (Fox International) and various cutting room floors.
Stage credits include; Cilla The Musical (BKL), A Midsommer Nights Dream, Ray & Julie (Liverpool Everyman), Macbeth (Daniel Taylor Productions), Not The Horse, Sheep, The Comeback Special (Naughty Corner Productions), Ball Of Fire (Blue Park Theatre), Scouse: A Comedy Of Terrors (Lantern Theatre) and Caged Time (Silent Gutter).
Radio; When Elvis Met The Beatles (BBC Radio 2).
Michael is delighted to be making his debut at The Royal Court in Lost Soul 2!
When Michael isn’t acting, he can be found writing about himself in the third person.
Jennifer Hynes Amy
Jennifer is a vocalist, musician and actor, from and based in Liverpool.
Jennifer graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2019 with MMus Music Masters. A previous Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir member, Jennifer has worked as a professional vocalist in Liverpool and the North West for many years, highlights including Cream Classical with Sense of Sound, and Big Sing: Our Cathedral, Our City in Liverpool Cathedral.
Jennifer also became a member of professional choir, Canzonetta singers, and has since sang in various concerts and arena tours in the UK, including Titanic Live, Lord of the Rings and Beyond, Russel Watson and Karl Jenkins tours. More recently, Jennifer made her professional debut as actor-musician, Lady Lucille De Ville/Clarinet 1 in Liverpool Everyman Theatre Rock ‘n Roll panto, Red Riding Hood (2023) and has since worked as an actormusician for local productions.
As well as performance, Jennifer runs a successful freelance vocal teaching business, offering singing tuition in pop, classical and musical theatre to children and adults. Her teaching experience has led to leading singing workshops in Liverpool and surrounding areas.
Jennifer is delighted to be joining the cast of Lost Soul 2, which will be her debut at Liverpool’s Royal Court.
Cath Rice
Catherine Rice is a Liverpool-based actress, comedian and writer. She has performed in many Theatres Nationwide with numerous Performances here at the brilliant Royal Court Theatre. She has also appeared in feature film, TV and commercials.
Earlier this year Cath starred as Annie in the U.K sell out tour of Irish Annies alongside Ricky Tomlinson. More recently Cath performed, Making It with Andrew Schofield. Written by Cath & Stephen Fletcher a spin-off from their award winning one woman show and web series Our Bev
To packed houses downstairs at the Royal Court Studio. Due to its success more dates to be announced.
As well as this, Cath also regularly performs on the Stand-up comedy circuit so keep a look out.
Cath is both delighted and excited to be reprising her role as Pat in Dave Kirby’s Lost Soul 2 and would like to dedicate her performance to the late Jake Abraham.
Cast Biographies
Andrew Schofield Smigger
Andrew has appeared in Blood Brothers in 1983 at the Liverpool Playhouse and in the subsequent transfer to the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End. He also appeared as George in Of Mice and Men at the Old Vic, London in 2005.
Theatre credits include: Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels as Dickie Lewis; Smigger in Lost Soul in 2007 and 2008; Brian in Good Golly Miss Molly; Moey in the Alan Bleasdale comedy On The Ledge; Paul Sheldon in Misery; the Traveller in Eight Miles High; Danny in Council Depot Blues; Joe in Night Collar; JJ in The Flags and Mr Briggs in Our Day Out - The Musical. He performed all of these roles at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. Since then he has appeared in A Life In The Theatre, The Sunshine Boys and Mam I’m ‘Ere (Life in Theatre Productions); Dreaming of a Barry White Christmas (Echo Arena) Royal Court Selection Box,Ellen & Rigby, Making It (with Cath Rice) and Boys From The Blackstuff (Liverpool’s Royal Court).
Film credits include: Sid and Nancy, Distant Voices, Still Lives, Three Businessmen, Hamlet, Revengers Tragedy, Under The Mud and The Partisan
TV credits include: Scully in Alan Bleasdale’s Scully. He has also appeared in three more Bleasdale series, as Peter Grenville in GBH in 1991, Jake’s Progress in 1995 and in Melissa in 1997. Other TV credits include Maisie Raine; Sharpe; Murphy’s Law; Boys from the Blackstuff; Liverpool Nativity for BBC Three; Fifteen Minutes That Shook The World; Cilla; Moving On; Loco; Tin Star, Help.
For Jake x
Lenny Wood Barman
Lenny is delighted to be back at the Royal Court, among old friends again. Lenny started his career as a stand up comedian. As part of the comedy duo “Lenny And His Fat Friend Mick” he toured the UK and US.
He has since gone on to work extensively in theatre, television and film.
Other theatre work includes; Lost Soul, Lost Soul 2, Stags And Hens, On The Ledge, Night Collar, The Chitz, Little Shop Of Horrors, Macbeth, A Nightmare On Lime Street, A Fistful Of Collars, Down Our Street, Life, A Midsummers Nights Dream, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist, Terriers, The Audition, Suicide, Follow The Star, YNWA, Romeo And Juliet, The Mole, A Christmas Carol, Dreaming Of A Barry White Christmas, Bright Phoenix, Happy As Pie, Cheer Up, A Day In The Life, Wating For Godot and many others.
TV and film include; Anne, Mummys Boy, Under The Mud, The Sinking Of The Laconia, The Be All And End All, Dont Worry About Me, Eddie Took All The Pesci’s, Northern Cowboys, Violet City, Saffron, Birthday Boy, Being Eileen, Good Cop, Stolen, Dead Mans Cards and others including commercial work for Cadburys and McDonalds.
Lenny is also an RTS award winning documentary maker. For Jillybean. XXX
Company Biographies
Dave Kirby Writer
Dave Kirby was born in Liverpool and grew up in Kirkby. His early years were spent in the building industry before becoming a fulltime successful playwright, author and screen writer. His plays include, Brick up the Mersey Tunnels, Lost Soul, Council Depot Blues, Reds & Blues, Dreaming of a Barry White Christmas, Brick up 2 the wrath of Ann Twacky, Lost Soul 2 Smigger’s wrecked head. Film credits (writer/producer), Fifteen minutes That Shook the World, Reds & Blues. TV credits, Time Out (BBC). Walk On (BT Sport). His prose work includes terrace verse books, Kop Stories & Football Culture. He is also author of the book, Those were the days my friend and co-author of the best-selling LFC fan related book, Here We Go Gathering Cups in May.
Bob Eaton Director
In over 50 years making a living in theatre, Bob has directed something like 200 productions, and written or co-written over 50 shows, many of them involving rock & roll. In 1981, as Artistic Director of the Liverpool Everyman, he wrote and directed Lennon, the world’s first professional actor/musician show, which transferred to Off Broadway and then to the West End. Other productions include Good Golly Miss Molly, at the New Vic and Arts Theatre London, Three Minute Heroes, the Coventry Two Tone musical, and Willy Russell’s Our Day Out. For the last eighteen years he has been heavily involved here at The Royal Court, directing many shows, including Dave Kirby’s Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Alan Bleasdale’s On The Ledge, and the musical Maggie May which he wrote with Sayan Kent. His production of Girls Don’t Play Guitars, the true story of Liverpool’s own Liverbirds, returns to The Royal Court later this year.
Jocelyn
Meall Set & Costume Designer
Jocelyn was born in Liverpool and was a member of the Everyman Youth Theatre throughout her teens. She followed her dad Billy into theatre and trained in theatre design at Nottingham Trent graduating in 1990.
She went on to design numerous small scale and theatre in education tours for comapanies including Nottingham Playhouse, Contact Theatre, Manchester and Liverpool Playhouse. She also worked with the TiPP centre at Manchester University developing forum based workshops with sets and props for work in the
prison and probation service.
In 1997 Jocelyn was awarded an Arts Council of England Design Bursary, based at The Octagon Theatre, Bolton.
Her theatre credits include:
Kiss of The Spiderwoman, My Children! My Africa!, Talent, Top Girls, Candida, Christmas Carol, Ghost From A Perfect Place (Bolton Octagon), Making It Up (Library Theatre,Manchester); One Fine Day, Noel and Gertie, Skylight, Betrayal, Anorak of Fire and Twelfth Night (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick); Double Top (Hull Truck Theatre); The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, A Little Pinch of Chilli, “Master Harold”...and the Boys, Bouncers, Shakers, Treasure Island, Mother Goose, Dick Whittington and Aladdin (Liverpool Everyman).
After a break in her career to have children, she returned to the Everyman to co-design Fiddler On The Roof, The Conquest of the South Pole, The Story Giant and The Sum for the Everyman Rep Company 2017. This was followed by codesigning Paint Your Wagon, A Clockwork Orange, Othello and The Big I Am, in 2018.
Jocelyn has won awards from the Liverpool Echo and Manchester Evening News for her work.
She is delighted to be working back at the Royal Court, where she has previously designed Slappers and Slapheads, Pete Price Is Dead and A Thong For Europe and monst recently Storm In A Teacup in the studio.
Beverly Norris-Edmunds Movement Director
For the Royal Court: The Vernons Girls,Thong for Europe, Scouse Trap, YNWA, Scouse Sleeping Beauty, Selection Box, Maggie May, Scouse Snow White, Girls Don’t Play Guitars, Scouse Pacific, Lost Soul 2, Scouse Nativity, Golden Oldies, The Royal, Father O’Flaherty Saves Our Souls, Sex in Suburbia, Canoeing for Beginners, Bouncers, Special Measures, Our Day Out The Musical by Willy Russell (premiered 2009 and 2010), Ladies Night, Good Golly Miss Molly, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Dirty Dustin’, Nightmare on Lime Street, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Brick up the Mersey Tunnels 1 and 2, Merry Ding Dong, Slappers and Slap Heads and Reds ‘n’ Blues.
Recent choreography includes: One Man Two Guvnor’s, A Leap in the Dark, The Nutcracker, Astley’s Astounding Adventures, The Card ( New Vic Theatre), The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice (Story house Chester)
Other Choreography includes: Marvelous (Soho Place London and New Vic Theatre), Tom Dick and Harry ( Alexandre Palace
London and New Vic Theatre), The Worst Witch - Olivier Award winner 2020 for Best Family Show, (Vaudeville Theatre West End, UK Tour and Royal and Derngate Theatre Northampton), Around the World in 80 Days premiered at The New Victory Theatre on Broadway New York after It’s UK Tour starting at The New Vic Theatre (Newcastle -under-Lyme).
Over 50 productions for The New Vic. Including: Alice in Wonderland, The 39 Steps, The Borrowers, Coppellia A Mystery, Sweeney Todd, Oliver and Amadeus.
For Northern Broadsides and Touring: Hard Times, For Love or Money, Loves Labours Lost, Much Ado about Nothing and Cyrano (co-production with New Vic)
Oldham Coliseum: Over 50 Productions including, Oh What A Lovely War, Chicago (MEN Theatre Award Winner for Best Ensemble) Stepping Out, Sweet Charity, Laurel and Hardy, Blues in the Night, From a Jack to a King
Touring credits include: Return To The Forbidden Planet, Carmen.
TV credits include: Disney’s The Evermoor Chronicles, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, CBeebie’s The Magic Door, Butterfly, Sunny D, Fernando Torres Nike Commercial, September Song, Brookside and the feature film O Jerusalem
Beverley has also choreographed numerous productions for The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatres, Bolton Octagon, Hull Truck Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Birmingham Rep, Liverpool Empire Theatre, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough, Haymarket Theatre Basingstoke, Harrogate Theatre, New Perspective Theatre company, Claybody Theatre Company, Imaginarium Theatre Company and for the award winning Tmesis Theatre..
Ian Scott
Lighting Designer
Trained at Mountview.
Productions for the Royal Court include: Scouse Pacific, Maggie May, The Miracle of Great Homer Street, The Royal, The Scouse Nativity, Lonesome West, Down The Dock Road, Come Together, Two Of Us, Haunted Scouse, Boys From The Blackstuff and in co-production with Lodestar and the Liverpool Shakespeare Festival; Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Other theatre credits include: Much Ado About Nothing (Sheffield Crucible and Ramps On The Moon); ¡Carpa!, The Hooley and Xanadu (Giffords Circus); By The Waters of Liverpool (Pulse Records); Up ‘n’ Under and Frozen
(fingersmiths); Reasons To Be Cheerful, Peeling and Blasted (Graeae); Duet for One (Birmingham Rep; Lee Dean & Daniel Schumann); A Skull in Connemara and All My Sons (Nottingham Playhouse); Marco Polo and Messiah (Bergen National Opera); Fish Eye (Theatre Alibi); The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Graeae; Theatre Royal, Plymouth; National Theatre); Owen Wingrave and Where The Wild Things Are (Aldeburgh Festival); Fawlty Towers Live (Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney); Flat Stanley (Polka; West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Drummer Boy of Waterloo and The Happy Prince (Jubilee Opera); The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre); Our Friends Up North (Northern Stage); The Joke, The Summer House and The Victorian in the Wall (Will Adamsdale; Fuel); My Name is… (Tamasha); Oh! What a Lovely War and Frogs (National Theatre); Curlew River (White Light Festival, New York; UCLA Berkeley; St. Giles, Barbican); Animal Farm (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Observe The Sons Of Ulster Marching Towards The Somme (Abbey Theatre, Dublin).
Douglas Kuhrt Associate Lighting Designer
Douglas has recently lit: Unfortunate (We Are Fat Rascal); Robin Hood and the Babes in The Wood (Oldham Coliseum); Strange Tale (Imaginarium, Shakespeare North); Masquerade (Epstien) Robin Hood (Liverpool Everyman); Peter Pan (Eden Court, Inverness); Greeks (Unicorn); Bingo Star and The Netherely Hillbillies (Liverpool’s Royal Court).
Other credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Puss in Boots (CBeebies); The Pitmen Painters (The Duchess Theatre, National Theatre and Broadway); Cinderella (Eden Court, Inverness); A Christmas Carol (Liverpool Playhouse); The Importance of Being Earnest (Lawrence Batley Theatre); Stiletto Beach (Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch); Two Pence to Cross The Mersey, Lennons Banjo (Epstein); They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay (Northern Broadsides); I Told My Mum I Was Going On An R.E. Trip (20 Stories High); The Broke N Beat Collective (Theatre Rites/20 Stories High); 19 × Rock N Roll pantos (Liverpool Everyman); 7 × Pantos (Oldham Coliseum); Last Of The Duty Free, Black Coffee (Bill Kenwright Ltd); Black, Whole (20 Stories High); The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice (Hull Truck Theatre); Pinocchio (Polka Theatre); Road Movie (Starving Artists), Educating Rita (Citizens Theatre, Glasgow); Geoff Dead: Disco for Sale (Live Theatre, Newcastle); Depth Charge (Gecko Theatre); The Deranged Marriage (Rifco); Tom, Dick and Harry (Duke of York’s Theatre, London); Zipp! (Duchess Theatre, London); Fascinating Aida (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Home and Beauty (Lyric Theatre, London); Dreaming (Queen’s Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue, London) and Naked Justice (West Yorkshire Playhouse).
Company Biographies
Kate Harvey Sound Designer
A list of sound credits include:
Corporate/Outdoor: Labour, Conservative, NUT, TUC and many more conferences. Various exhibitions. Symphony in the Park (Hoghton Tower) Liverpool Theatre Festival (Bill Elms Productions).
TV: Stan James World Match Dartsplay (Sky Sports), Strictly Ballroom (ITV), Danny La Rue (BBC), Spirit of Shankly (Granada DVD).
Cruises: P&O World Cruises, Island Cruises, Celebrity. Arena: Hot Ice (Stageworks Worldwide Productions); You’ll Never Walk Alone (Alterean Media and Liverpool FC).
Music: The Christians, Chesney Hawkes, Sinita, Slade, Bad Manners, Toyah, Limahl, Cream UK Tour, Petula Clarke, Bobby Crush, East 17, Liberty X, Jane McDonald, Coldplay.
Comedy: Jason Mansford, Peter Kay, Roy Walker, Norman Wisdom, Jim Bowen, Brian Conley, Brendan O’Carroll, Paddy McGuiness.
Live Theatre: Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty (King Georges Hall, Blackburn); Mystique (Stageworks); Original TV Comedians (Blackpool Opera House); Paul Zerdin (Paradise Room Blackpool); Flags (Manchester Exchange); Mam I’m ’Ere (Life in Theatre); Eight Miles High, Council Depot Blues, Bouncers, Night Collar, Our Day Out, Shirley Valentine, Reds and Blues, Lennon, Noises Off, Canoeing for Beginners, Lost Soul, Golden Oldies, The Royal, Scouse Nativity, Girls Don’t Play Guitars (Royal Court Liverpool); Twopence To Cross The Mersey and By The Waters of Liverpool (Pulse Records); Shout! (Max Emmerson Productions); Out of Order and It Runs In The Family (Ray Cooney Comedy Company); Bang Bang (A production for John Cleese at Mercury Theatre, Colchester); Omnibus (Unity Theatre); Judy & Liza National Tour (Produced by Royal Court Liverpool); A Midsummer Nights Dream (Filter Theatre Company/Lyric Hammersmith); Grimm Tales (Dukes Theatre Lancaster).
Marie Jones Wardrobe Supervisor
Marie studied fashion and then moved on to theatre costume interpretation at Mabel Fletcher College. Marie’s work as a freelance costumier has included costumes for Oldham Coliseum, The Royal Exchange, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Jimmy McGovern’s film Liam, Beyond Friendship for Mersey Television and the many pantomime dames who have appeared on the Everyman stage.
She has worked extensively at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and has recently been employed as full time Wardrobe Supervisor at the Royal Court. Most recently Marie’s work at the Everyman and Playhouse has included: Much Ado About Nothing, The Electric Hills, The Flint Street Nativity, The Tempest, Unprotected, Billy Liar, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, Urban Legend, Fly, Breezeblock Park, The Entertainer, Still Life And The Astonished Heart, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Anniversary, Dr Faustus, The May Queen, Cruel Sea and All My Sons. Marie’s other credits include: Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Lost Soul, Good Golly Miss Molly, Stags and Hens - The Remix, On The Ledge, Misery, Eight Miles High, Council Depot Blues, Night Collar, Dirty Dusting, Shirley Valentine, Our Day Out - The Musical, The Salon, Funny Money, Merry Ding Dong, A Fistul Of Collars, Lucky Numbers, Lennon, Scouse Pacific, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Reds And Blues - The Musical, Ladies Day, Bouncers, Scouse Of The Antarctic, Pharaoh ‘Cross The Mersey and Down The Dock Road for Royal Court Liverpool, Brouhaha International Street Festival, Working Class Hero on the recent Imagine DVD, Costume Supervisor for many shows at LIPA, The Splash Project at MYPT and Twopence To Cross The Mersey at the Liverpool Empire.
Royal Court Staff
Executive Producer Kevin Fearon
Chief Executive Gillian Miller
Head of Finance & Administration Gary O’Connor
Creative Producer Jess Bolger
Head of Marketing Kofi Ohene-Djan
Head of Operations Ailsa Morris
Executive Chef David Assall
HR & Finance Manager Alison Ward
Graphic Designer & Brand Manager Jamie Jenkin
Assistant Producer Clare Carlucci
Marketing Manager Iain Christie
Workshop Manager John Kavanagh
Social Media Officer Clara Mbirimi
Head of Technical & Production Sean Gannon
Resident Stage Manager Andrew Lock
Scenic Art Manager Jen Baron
Chief LX Jamie Haining
Box Office & Sales Manager Lauren Macauley
Assistant Box Office Manager Laura Lees
Head of Community Engagement Miriam Mussa
Well Being Training Manager Maria Schumann
Costume Supervisor Marie Jones
Finance Administrator Izzie Litwin
Venue Administrator Phil McLoughlin
Youth Theatre Coordinator Vannessa Park
Later Life Coordinator Jay McWinen
Assistant Producer - Talent Development Harvey Robinson
Daytime Technician Gary Currin
Studio Technician Phil Dickinson
LX Technician Martyn Case
HR & Payroll Administrator Abishek Devadas
Executive Assistant Joe Morris
Box Office Assistants
Erica Drummond, Finn Goulden-Jennings, Carl Lees, Scarlet Lees, Anna Miller, Pat O’Neill, Susan Segar, and Angela Simms
Fire Officer Sven Key
Stage Door Allan Dodd
Kitchen
Head Chefs Kyle Wardale, Daniel Awotwi
Chefs Thomas Alexander, Daniel Ambrose, Billie Chisam, Jay Quinn, Josh Eglin, Harrison Mclaughlin, Jake Stephenson, Jack While and Nick Watson
Kitchen Porters Hezekiah Abramson, Ryan Charnock, Debbie Chisam, Louise Dodd, Luke Dunn, Jackie Kirton, Harry Lawlor and Ellis McNeil
Front of House
FOH Manager Kathy Hutson
Assistant FOH Manager Calum Norbury
Floor Supervisors Michael Hall and Katie Sherman
Courtyard Manager Emma Keig
Assistant Courtyard Manager Paul Imrie
Front of House Staff Hebron Abraha, Beth Baccino, Unisa Bangura, Hazel Bawden, Jacob Bee, Cameron Brown, Colette Burgess, Denise Byrne, Louis Carney-Smith, Abbie Caskie, Azize Dia, Holly Evans, Charlotte Freyne, Michael Hall, Michael Hardy, Lauren Heywood, Samantha Hunter, Lily Hutson, Leighton Jenkins, Callum Johnstone, Jake Jones, Elizabeth Kendrick, Charlotte Kendrick Jones, Abbie Kenworthy, Raia Kiernan, Cherry Kim, Takunda Kudzunga, Hansol Lee, Phil Lyne, Sam Massen, Lukas Matuzevicius, Amy McCutcheon, Faye McCutcheon, Phil McLoughlin, Alison Myers, Aiden Scott, Brea O’Donnell, Joseph O’Neil, Jamie Peacock, Jake Pendleton, Emma Phythian, Declan Redmond, Katie Sherman, Charis Stead, Mohan Welstand-Keryk, Leah Whitty-Massey and Samantha Woolley
Courtyard Staff
Jordan Barkley, Challen Bellamey, Sinead Cullen-Barret, Stephen Dixon, Faith Dawson, Olivia Harrison, Bradley Richards, Chloe Thorpe, Keira Tann and Jasmin Ward
Cleaners
Cleaning Supervisor: Debbie Chisam, Billie Chisam, Joanne Kinsella, Claire Wilson and Julie Wright.
And a big thank you to all of our freelance and security staff for their hard work throughout the year.