The Netherley Hillbillies Show Programme

Welcome To

Hello and welcome to Liverpool’s Royal Court and this performance of The Netherley Hillbillies

Some people think that we have one big document in the office here with a list of scouse puns on films and TV shows. They’re right, and this title has been on that list for a number of years.

We are also blessed with a number of very talented Liverpool writers to turn these titles into the shows that you know and love. Barbara Philips, a main writer on Brookside back in the day, is one of those writers and, though this is her first show with us, we have been looking forward to working with her for a long time!

When it comes to the cast, we have struck oil for every role. It’s a mix of familiar faces like Lynn and Paul, along with some equally familiar new faces in Vicky and Sarah. Jasmine and Reiss are making their Royal Court debuts and Charlie is on the main stage after some very impressive Studio performances.

After impressing with her work on Joe McNally’s Cosmic in our Studio last year, we are delighted that Debbie Yhip has agreed to direct her first show in the main house with us. You are going to love what she has done with it. Alfie Heywood has brought Netherley and Formby to life with his set design and, technically, the show is superb.

Lighting from the enlightening Doug Kuhrt, sound from the bombastic Kate Harvey and video from our in-house wizard Jamie Jenkin. The music elements of the show are guided by the delicate fingers of the Royal Court’s Howard Gray.

We’ve all dreamed of winning the lottery, I know I have, but how would you deal with being rich beyond your wildest dreams? Money can do a lot of good but it can also cause some serious damage. As a wise man once said: “Mo money, mo problems.”

Now it’s time for you to stop dreaming about your mega yachts and settle down to watch the show. We hope that you all feel like winners by the end of the performance. It’s just the ticket.

Enjoy the show!

Kevin Fearon Executive Producer Liverpool’s Royal Court

Liverpool’s Royal Court presents The Netherley Hillbilies

Written by by Barbara Phillips

Starring Reiss Barber, Paul Duckworth, Charlie De‘Ath, Vicky Entwistle, Lynn Francis, Jasmine Herrington and Sarah White

Directed by Deborah Yhip • Musical Direction by Howard Gray • Designed By Alfie Heywood

Lighting Design by Doug Kuhrt • Sound Design by Kate Harvey • Video Design by Jamie Jenkin

Royal Court Supporters

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.

Mentoring

This is a pilot programme supported by PH Holt Trust and Curious Minds – eight mentors from the creative industries have been paired with mentees – providing support, guidance and shadowing opportunities in acting, marketing, production, directing, writing, set design, and music skills. This talent development initiative will support eight young black, asian and minority artistes and creatives develop their skills as they progress through the industry.

Programming

Our Boisterous Theatre strand of programming brought us a main house production of Bouncers, in August and September introducing four new actors to the main house stage – and new audiences to the theatre.

The Alternative Black Cabaret Showcase – now a regular bi-monthly show presenting some of the best black comedians and singers on the circuit and with a platform to showcase emerging and existing local talent.

Co-production with Red Ladder in September/October, with a cast of professional actors and 20 members of our community choir. Stagewrite – our new writing classes/workshops to encourage and support new writers to develop their work to full production. We continue on our journey with a number of other talent development initiatives in progress as a matter of priority to ensure we remain accessible, adaptable and continually listen and learn. It will take time and investment and with your continuing support for all we do. We will make a difference.

Boisterous Stage Write

Music Access All Areas

Maurice Bessman

Lottery Winners And Losers

Winner - Driven To Win

Ray Wragg used to drive around Sheffield and write down car number plates to pick his numbers for each Lotto draw. In 2000 this method delivered six lucky numbers worth £6M to Ray and his wife Barbara. They have certainly shared their luck, giving away over £5M of their win. They continue to pick numbers from number plates and plan to win again and give even more away.

Loser - Lotto Lag

Lee Ryan the so-called ‘Lotto lag’ spent every penny of the £6.5 million National Lottery jackpot he won in 1995.

He splashed the cash on a helicopter, flashy cars and a mansion before being convicted of handling stolen cars in 1996.

After splitting with his wife and moving to Kyrgyzstan with his new girlfriend, Lee lost £2 million in failed business ventures and property investments before returning to London penniless.

He subsequently spent two years homeless.

Lee said: ‘The money was cursed because I took the p*** out of God when I asked him to make me a multimillionaire.

‘My cellmate warned me to be careful what I wished for.’

Winner - Sour Taste of Win

Darlington greengrocer Paul Watson had finished his long day, locked up the shop and was in his car when he remembered his wife had asked him to bring some sour cream home to go with their dinner of chilli. Despite having been up since 5am, something persuaded him to walk back to the supermarket to get the sour cream, and a Lotto ticket. The next morning the couple celebrated a £1.2M win.

Loser - Gran’s Fake Win

One of the most notorious National Lottery winners never won the lotto at all.

Susanne Hinte, from Worcester, claimed to be one of two winners of a record-breaking £66 million jackpot in January 2016.

The grandmother known as Sanne produced a crumpled ticket after two weeks of mystery surrounding the identity of the second winner.

The German-born woman claimed it had been put through the wash in the pocket of her jeans. But the ticket was so badly damaged, only the winning numbers were visible.

The real winner later came forward, choosing to stay anonymous, and Hinte’s claim was dismissed.

After the confusion cleared, she said: ‘I wanted to be dead. I couldn’t understand why all of a sudden I was hated by so many people. I didn’t do anything wrong.’

She was followed by legal troubles in the following year, appearing in court accused of stealing a woman’s purse. She was cleared following a three day trial in Birmingham.

Winner - Last Minute Decision

Camden roadsweeper Joseph Whiting was at home and not planning on going anywhere. “At 19.15pm ish I suddenly decided I would go to the shop and put the lottery on. It must have been fate, I shouldn’t have gone out, and still don’t know why I got up and decided to go.” With the draw closing at 7.30pm, he remembers the newsagent checking the clock before getting his ticket at 19:20:08pm. He left the shop with three Lucky Dips safely tucked in his wallet, one of which turned out to be worth £4.5M.

Loser - Unlucky Couple

Loser - Money Can’t Buy Happiness

Margaret Loughrey’s life spiralled after winning nearly £27 million in the EuroMillions in 2013.

She isolated herself from her family after giving them £1 million each and subsequently ended up sectioned in hospital against her will. She was released on appeal.

In 2015, she was convicted of assaulting a taxi driver and ordered to do 150 hours of community service.

Three years later she lost an employment tribunal and was ordered to pay £30,000 to an ex-employee for bullying and sacking him on a ‘vindictive whim’.

Loughrey told Sunday Life the jackpot had ‘sent her to hell and back’ and brought her ‘nothing but grief’.

She said: ‘It has destroyed my life. I have had six years of this. I don’t believe in religion, but if there is a hell, I have been in it.

‘It has been that bad. I went down to five-and-a-half stone.’

Winner - A Rainy Day

Self-employed builder Gareth Bull was stuck in his van bemoaning the rain that was stopping him getting on with a job. To avoid getting wet he drove with the lads to a shop he’d never been to before. There he bought a single EuroMillions Lucky Dip. That rainy day purchase proved to be a winner, worth a stunning £40.6M.

Winner - A Nice Accident

Ever get your days of the week mixed up? Lee Kirk from Hertfordshire did. He asked for a Lucky Dip for that night’s draw thinking it was Wednesday night and Lotto, when in fact it was a Tuesday and he ended up with a EuroMillions ticket. The car salesman ‘accidently’ matched five numbers in the draw he didn’t want a ticket for, and celebrated a £50,396.10 win.

Married couple Adrian and Gillian Bayford were pictured popping champagne after winning a whopping £148 million in the lottery in 2012. Such a large prize pot made them the UK’s third biggest winners ever.

They’ve since separated and had a string of turbulent relationships.

Gillian was convicted of threatening her ex-boyfriend Gavin Innes during a trial in 2020.

She pushed, shouted at and struggled with the domestic abuse charity worker on two separate occasions in October 2017, The Mirror reported.

The court also heard she’d been subjected to a campaign of online abuse and false allegations to work, her golf club and a children’s charity. Innes denied the allegations.

Adrian started a relationship with ex-horse groom Samantha Burbidge, a woman 16 years younger than him, in 2017. He also dated waitress Lisa Kemp, but she dumped him after discovering saucy messages sent to his ex Marta Jarosz.

In 2019, Adrian said he eats 50 Cornish pasties delivered to his mansion each week to cope with his loneliness.

Winner - A Nest Egg

When his pet chicken, Kiev, walked all over his calculator, Billy Gibbons used the five numbers, plus one of his own for his Lotto ticket. Kiev’s five numbers came in, and Billy banked a £1,297 win. Billy renamed Kiev to ‘Lucky’, to celebrate his win.

Rehearsal

Photographs by Liverpool’s Royal Court

Cast

Reiss Barber

Charlie De’Ath

Paul Duckworth

Vicky Entwistle

Lynn Francis

Jasmine Herrington

Sarah White

Barbara Phillips

Deborah Yhip

Howard Gray

Beverley Norris-Edmunds

Jasmine Herrington

Alfie Heywood

Doug Kuhrt

Kate Harvey

Jamie Jenkin

Marie Jones

Kaitlin Howard

Sean Gannon

Stephen Petit

Zachary Holton

Steph Carter

Snowzie Rose

Gavin Sharpe

Martyn Case

Anthony Leigh

Workshop Manager

John Kavanagh

Scenic Art Manager

Jen Baron

Gary at Envision

Gavin

Ernest/Declan

Jed

Marigold

Renie

Elly-May

Lisa

Writer

Director

Musical Director

Choreographer

Dance Captain

Set & Costume Designer

Lighting Designer

Sound Designer

Video Designer

Wardrobe Supervisor

Fight Director & Intimacy Coordinator

Production Manager

Production Assistant

Company Stage Manager

Deputy Stage Manager

Asisstant Stage Manager

Chief LX/LX Programmer

LX No1

Company Workshop

Sound No1

Carpenters

Mike Gray

Shaun Gillspie

David Davies

Connor McLeod

Thanks to

Scenic Artists

Abbie Jones

Chris McCourt

Barry at Colourcreate

Cast Biographies

Reiss Barber Gavin

Reiss is made up to be making his Royal Court debut. Having trained at The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, he’s honoured to be performing here with such a magnificent cast in his hometown.

Theatre credits includes: Raves “R” Us (Invisible Wind Factory), Lady Windermere’s Fan (Cresent Theatre), The Knock (Anthony Burgess Foundation), Our Stories (Arts Bar).

Short films credits include: HOME, Linked, Opposite the Lido. To know more about Reiss, head to his Spotlight Here.

Charlie De’Ath Ernest/Declan

A native Londoner, Charlie fell for the love of a good Scouse woman over 25 years ago, and has been proud to call the City his home ever since - though neither his accent or love for West Ham United has ever wavered.....

A regular face on our small screen, he has over 100 professional stage & screen credits. Highlights include cult movies such as: i.d, Fatherland, Walking With The Enemy, Greenwich Meantime, Revengers Tragedy, Witness For The Prosecution, UWANTME2KILLHIM & Where Hands Touch.

Series regulars in TV shows such as A Touch Of Frost, The Last Detective, WPC56 (Twice nominated for best male actor, Royal Television Society awards), Waterloo Road, Vera, The Five & Doctor Who, plus spells in Eastenders, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and numerous arrests on The Bill and bedridden acting in Casualty

Most recent t.v work includes: Help, War of the Worlds, Happy Valley, Jungle, The Ipcress Files and Triggerpoint

Theatre work includes: The Cage (Pleasance, Edinburgh), Lullaby (Soho Theatre), Deafening Silence (Liverpool Playhouse) and Baggage (Arts Theatre, West End).

Charlie made his Royal Court debut in the studio production of Stocking Fillers and is delighted to be returning to the main stage with NHB.

Have a great night Y’all - Yeehar!!

Paul Duckworth Jed

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).

Vicky Entwistle Marigold

Vicky is delighted to be working at ‘The Royal Court’, never having worked in Liverpool before she is relishing the chance to connect with our special audience.

Vicky completed a 3 year acting course at the prestigious Drama Centre London.

Television credits include: Holby City, Father Brown, Against All Odds, Our Time (BBC), Coronation Street (Granada Television), The Bill (Thames Television) and Ackley Bridge (Channel 4).

Theatre credits include: Snow White (UK Productions), The Importance Of Being Ernest (Bolton Octagon), East Is East (Nottingham Playhouse/Northern Stage), Doctor Dolittle (Music

and Lyrics. International Tour), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Birmingham Rep), Les Miserables (Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Ltd), The Vagina Monologues (Mark Goucher Ltd), Cinderella (The Albert Halls), Dirty Dusting (Entertainment Unlimited), Funny Peculiar (Bill Kenwright Ltd), Aladdin (First Family), Like A Virgin -Tour (Hull Truck Theatre) and Night Must Fall (Colchester Mercury Theatre).

Lynn Francis Renie

Liverpool born Lynn trained at Sandown College. Since leaving college she has worked continually in theatre, television and film.

Theatre credits include: Desperate Scousewives 1 & 2, Psychic Sybal (Theatre Royal St Helens), Four Girls In A Caravan (Theatre Royal St Helens), Waiting For Gateaux (touring), Tuppence to Cross the Mersey (Liverpool Empire, 2005 and 2007), By The Waters Of Liverpool (Liverpool Empire and touring), What Was it Like in the War Nan? (Unity Theatre), Oliver (Neptune Theatre Liverpool), Ebony’s Album (Neptune Theatre Liverpool), Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Bluecoat Theatre), Her Benny (Liverpool Empire), Midsummer Nights Dream (touring), My Fair Lady (touring), The Royal, The Salon, Reds And Blues - The Musical, Ladies Day, Hitchhikers Guide To Fazakerly and Haunted Scouse (Royal Court Liverpool), Lennon’s Banjo (Epstein Liverpool).

Television and Film credits include: Reds and Blues: The Ballad Of Dixie and Kenny (Miracle Productions UK), Colour Blind, a film directed by Lenny Henry, Charlie Noades RIP (film), The Lie is Dead (feature film), One Fine Sunday (short film), Dead Drunk (short film), Dave Dot, Demo Man (BBC), No Marks (Channel 4), I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This (Haphazard Productions).

Lynn has appeared in various pantos across the country including Empress of China: Aladdin (Southampton and Runcorn), Fairy Godmother in Cinderella (Southport), Genie of the Lamp in Aladdin (York), and the Wicked Queen in Snow White (Torquay and Runcorn).

Jasmine

Herrington Elly-May

Jasmine is a scouse actor/dancer and is absolutely made up to be making her professional debut at the Royal Court. Having trained at Rare Studios Liverpool in Drama and Dance, she

is buzzing to be able to shake a leg as well as being appointed dance captain in this production. She is also over the moon to be sharing the stage with such an amazing cast.

Jasmine recently finished working with the Royal Court on their touring production of Terriers: Eve’s Story

She has danced for various productions including: Rare Showcase (M&S Bank Arena), The One Show Live for Will Young (BBC), ECHO Business Awards (Josh Wharmby Company), Bongos Bingo Tour (Kelis Rogers). GAY Pride Liverpool, Vogue Ball Liverpool, Lip Sync Winner and Vogue Ball Manchester (House of Korrupt). GAY Pride Liverpool and Manchester (House of Suarez). Percaya Liverpool and Ricky Jinks. Acting credits include: Flesh by Rob Drummond and Terriers: Eve’s Story (Liverpool’s Royal Court). She has also appeared in stage productions at Hope Street Theatre (Liverpool), The Lowry Theatre (Manchester) and National Theatre (London).

Jasmine currently teaches dance at Attitude Dance and Vogue Academy. She has previously taught dance at Rare Studios, Firebird Studios Glasgow, Funky Feet Studios, Flawless Dance, Connect Dance and Boom Academy.

Sarah White Lisa

Sarah trained at Rose Bruford College Of Speech And Drama. She lives in Liverpool with her husband and two children and is delighted to play Lisa in her debut production at The Royal Court!

Previous theatre work includes Jeanine and Jessie (532 Manchester), The Darker Side Of Birds (The Hope Mill Theatre), The Salon (Theatre Royal St Helens/The Epstein), The Naked Truth (National Tour), A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg (Nottingham Playhouse), Drama Queen (Unity Theatre), Mums The Word (National Tour), Abigail’s Party ( The Torch Theatre) and The Morris (Liverpool Everyman).

Sarah’s film work includes Ammonite, Gods Own Country and Tom Cat.

Sarah is probably best known for playing the part of Bev in Brookside from 1993-2003, for which she received two soap awards, including one for best comedy performance. Other TV work includes Moving, Doctors, Overlanders (BBC) and Edge Of Heaven (ITV).

Other roles include too many Panto’s to mention! Various plays for Radio 4, and a recent appearance in Paul Heaton and Jaqui Abbot’s music video for “You And Me” (Were Meant To Be Together)

Company Biographies

Barbara Phillips Writer

Barbara Phillips is a television, radio and stage writer.

TV credits include Brookside (Mersey Television) and Doctors (BBC1)

Theatre credits include writing/composing two original musicals –Misunderstood?, performed at the Everyman Theatre Liverpool and the Contact Theatre Manchester – Brand New World, staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Misunderstood? (Liverpool Royal Court Studio).

Radio Credits include co-devising and writing part of a 20-part Radio Drama Series entitled The Grove, broadcast on BBC Radio Merseyside and nominated for a Sony Award in 2006.

Netherley Hillbillies is Barbara’s debut main stage show at the Liverpool Royal Court Theatre.

Deborah Yhip Director

Many moons ago Deborah started out in youth theatre and began her theatre career as an actor at the Liverpool Playhouse. She acted for a few other theatre companies before gaining a Hope Street Project Trainne Directors Bursary. She subsequently directed her first show, Ain’t I A Woman which toured Merseyside community centres, schools and the Everyman; Soul Sisters Melody at the Everyman.

Other directing credits include: Downfall, Mules for Manchester Contact, Belle at The Gate, O-U-T Spells Out Blackpool Grand; RNT Studio: Paper Jackets, The Changeling, A Streetcar Named Desire; Phillis for Nottingham Playhouse; House Of Blue Leaves for Central School, The World And Life Of George Orwell for Arts Ed School, Twelfth Night Aberdeen College. Cosmic for Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio.

Associate and Assistant director on various shows for Black Mime, BTC, Adizo Dance company, Dukes Theatre Lancaster, Traverse, London Royal Court, RNT and Theatre de Complicte.

Howard Gray Musical Director

For the Royal Court, Howard has been the Musical Director for Homebaked, Lennon, Our Day Out, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Eight Miles High, Sons Of The Desert, Council Depot Blues, Reds And Blues, Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, The Scouse Nativity, Maggie May, The Scouse Cinderella, The Scouse Dick Whittington and Scouse Pacific amongst many others. He has also directed two Royal Court Christmas shows Pharaoh ’Cross The Mersey and Scouse Of The Antarctic and subsequently tours of One Night In Istanbul and Celtic The Musical

He has been associate artist at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton and was musical director for Blonde Bombshells Of 1943, a co-production with Hampstead Theatre, which won the Manchester Evening News Best Production for 2006. The show has subsequently toured nationally and internationally.

Other work at the Octagon includes: Looking For Buddy, Little Voice, Once Upon A Time In Wigan, Oh What A Lovely War, The Song Of Singapore, Danny, Champion Of The World, and I Just Stopped By To See The Man.

At the Coliseum Theatre in Oldham: Bread And Roses, The Ladykillers, Our Gracie, Close The Coalhouse Door, Martha, Josie And The Chinese Elvis, Dick Barton Special Agent, Union Street, Women On The Verge Of HRT, Private Lives, Feed, The Road To Nab End, Sweet Charity, and Brassed Off. Also a hatful of rock’n’roll muiscals and pantomimes.

At the New Vic in Stoke: A Taste Of Honey, The Admirable Crichton, and Spring And Port Wine amongst many others.

Other work includes any number of pantos at the Liverpool Everyman and Harrogate Theatre.

Howard has worked on two of Dave Kirby’s films, Fifteen Minutes That Shook The World and Reds And Blues

Plus productions at Opera North, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Royal Exchange, Theatre Clywd, Coventry Belgrade, Worcester Swan, York Theatre Royal, Lancaster Dukes, Live Theatre Newcastle and Stephen Joseph Scarborough.

Howard is the creative director of Alterean Media.

Beverly

Norris-Edmunds Choreographerw

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..

Alfie Heywood Set & Costume Designer

Alfie trained in Theatre and Performance Design at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, graduating in 2016.

Recent credits as Designer include: A Greasy Spoon, Vernons Girls, Ellen and Rigby, Lost in Colomendy, Offered Up, Terriers and Omnibus (all at Liverpool’s Royal Court), The True Adventures of Marian and Robin Hood and Private Lives (Barn Theatre), Adrian Mole the Musical (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), A Monster Call’s (Watermill Theatre), Guys and Dolls, Start (both at Mountview Academy), Nora: A Doll’s House and The Ballad of Maria Marten (both at Rose Bruford), Lord of the Flies (Greenwich Theatre), Unspoken Spoken (Candoco Dance Company).

Recent credits as associate to designer Christopher Oram include: Turn of the Screw (Garsington Opera), Bitter Wheat (Garrick Theatre), Geisha (Northern Ballet), The Mirror and the Light (Gielgud Theatre) and The Wreckers (Houston Grand Opera). They are currently working on a design for The Artist and a new production for Garsington Opera both opening in 2024.

Examples of his work can be found at www.alfieheywood.com

Douglas Kuhrt

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 (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);

Company Biographies

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).

Kaitlin Howard

Fight Director & Intimacy Coordinator

Kaitlin teaches Stage Combat and Intimacy at Manchester School of Theatre, is a teaching and examining member of The Academy of Performance Combat and one of only three women on the Equity Register of Fight Director.

Fight Direction includes: Theatre: Macbeth (RSC); Sweat (The Royal Exchange, Manchester); Life is A Dream, The Scent of Roses, Red Ellen, Macbeth (an undoing) (Edinburgh Lyceum); Romeo & Juliet, The Snow Queen, Faustus, The Great Gatsby (Storyhouse, Chester); Lucrezia Borgia (English Touring Opera); The Famous Five, Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, Constellations (Theatr Clwyd); A Skull In Connemara, Jack & The Beanstalk, Aladdin, Jungle Book (Oldham Coliseum); Tom, Dick & Harry (New Vic Theatre); Habibti Driver (Bolton Octagon); Comedy of Errors (more or less) (Stephen Joseph Theatre); Around the World in 80 Days, Jungle Book (The Dukes, Lancaster); The Girl on The Train (The Barn, Cirencester); Guards at The Taj (Theatre By The Lake); Midsummer Night’s Dream, Our Country’s Good (The Tobacco Factory); Cherry Jezebel (Liverpool Everyman); Comedy of Errors (Greenwich Playhouse); Killer Joe (The Pleasance Theatre).

Film & TV: So Awkward (CBBC); Crimewatch (BBC); Blank... (KenMor Films).

Intimacy Direction includes: Theatre: Sweat, A Taste of Honey (The Royal Exchange, Manchester); Cinderella (Storyhouse, Chester); The Sweet Science of Bruising (York Theatre Royal); Oppenheimer, Mary Stuart, Linda (Grosvenor Theatre, Manchester); Vincent River, The Pride (Hope Mill, Manchester).

Film & TV: Urge (Influence Films); Treading Water (Big North Films); Letters From Seville (Bloodhound Productions)

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).

Jamie Jenkin

Video Designer

Jamie is the in-house graphic and video designer at Liverpool’s Royal Court. Starting as marketing assistant at the theatre in 2005, he has been part of the Royal Court since it’s rebirth as a theatre in 2006. He now designs artwork for all Royal Court productions alongside working on video content for the Royal Court stage and beyond. Video Designs for Theatre include:

Alan Bleasdale’s Boys From The Blackstuff by James Graham, A Thong For Europe, Willy Russell’s Our Day Out - The Musical, Haunted Scouse, A Fistful Of Collars, Lennon, Ladies Day, Hitchhikers Guide to Fazakerley, Ladies Night, Canoeing for Beginners, The Scouse Nativity, Father O’Flaherty Saves Our Souls, A Miracle On Great Homer Street, Home, Going Halves, The Royal, The Scouse Cinderella, My Fairfield Lady, Bingo Star, Two Of Us, Royal Court Selection Box, Macca & Beth, The Scouse Sleeping Beauty, The Menlove Avenue Murder Mystery, The Scousetrap, The Scouse Jack & The Beanstalk, The Scouse Dick Whittington, Haunted Scouse and Girls Don’t Play Guitars (Liverpool’s Royal Court); Masquerade, Knee Deep In Promises, Hey Bunny Get Loose, Stocking Fillers and Cosmic (Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio); Cured (Liverpool’s Royal Court in association with DaDaFest & Unlimited); The Dream Team and VR Family (Liverpool’s Royal Court Youth Theatre); Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Liverpool Shakespeare Festival); Scouse: A Comedy Of Terrors (Dome Liverpool); Judy & Liza (National Tour); YNWA (Alterean Productions, international tour); The Big I Am (Liverpool Everyman); Celtic The Musical (Alterean Productions, Pavilion Theatre Glasgow and SEC Glasgow); Something About George (Something About Productions, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and national tour); The Salford Docker (Salford Community Theatre, Lighthouse Salford); Our Country’s Good (Hope St Theatre); and Peter Pan (Storyhouse Chester). Jamie was also Sound Designer on Hey Bunny Get Loose, Offered Up, Stocking Fillers and Cosmic (Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio) and Our Country’s Good (Hope St Theatre).

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 Iain Christie

Executive Chef David Assall

HR & Finance Manager Alison Ward

Graphic Designer & Brand Manager Jamie Jenkin

Assistant Producer Clare Carlucci

Marketing Manager Kofi Ohene-Djan

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 Theatre Engagement Miriam Mussa

HR & Wellness Officer 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

Box Office Assistants

Erica Drummond, Finn Goulden-Jennings, Carl Lees, Scarlet Lees, Anna Miller, Joe Morris, 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

Supervisors Megan Franey and Calum Norbury

Bar Team Leader Jake Jones

Courtyard Manager Emma Keig

Assistant Courtyard Manager Paul Imrie

Courtyard Duty Manager/Supervisor Aimee Kelly

Front of House Staff Hebron Abraha, Beth Baccino, Hazel Bawden, Jacob Bee, Cameron Brown, Colette Burgess, Denise Byrne, Louis Carney-Smith, Abbie Caskie, Madeline Cooper, Azize Dia, Holly Evans, Charlotte Freyne, Bethany Fry, Michael Hall, Michael Hardy, Jennifer Heffron, Lauren Heywood, Aisling Jenkin, Leighton Jenkins, Callum Johnstone, Dylan Jones, Jake Jones, Elizabeth Kendrick, Charlotte Kendrick Jones, Abbie Kenworthy, Raia Kiernan, Cherry Kim, Takunda Kudzunga, Julia Kustosz, Phil Lyne, Sam Massen, Amy McCutcheon, Faye McCutcheon, Phil McLoughlin, Eve Mobey, Alison Myers, Brea O’Donnell, Matthew O’Keefe, Joseph O’Neil, Jamie Peacock, Jake Pendleton, Emma Phythian, Simone Reddington, Declan Redmond, Katie Sherman, Charis Stead, Millie Tucker, Annie Wardale, Leah Whitty-Massey, Amy Wright and Hannah Wright

Courtyard Staff

Jordan Barkley, Challen Bellamey, Sinead Cullen-Barret, Stephen Dixon, Faith Dawson, Olivia Harrison, Bradley Richards, Chloe Thorpe, Millie Quayle, 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.