Comedy Tonight!
A
Glittering Celebration of Comedy
A
Tribute To Roy Kinnear
Louise Gold
was scheduled to feature as a singer in Comedy Tonight - a fundraising event in
aid of The Roy Kinnear Trust, at The Royal National Theatre’s Olivier Theatre,
on Sunday 12 June 1994
Note: Please
note the cast listing and running order is not necessarily accurate, the
webmaster wasn’t present and so is having to use the original printed programme
of events as a guide. I don’t even know whether Ms Gold actually took part in
this!
Cast
Umpired by - David
Kernan and Hugh Wooldridge
Individuals: Keith
Baxter, Marti Caine, David Frost, Eddie Izzard, Trevor
Nunn, Peter O’Toole,
Performers
(Subject To Availability): Nicholas Amer, Robert Bathurst, Gillian
Bevan, Helena Bonham-Carter, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Rhonda
Burchmore, Clive Carter, Kenneth Cope, Barry Cryer, Larry
Dann, Frances de la Tour, Janie Dee, Judi Dench, Frank
Finlay, David Frost, Louise Gold, John Gould, Sheila
Hancock, Linzi Hately, Melvyn Hayes, Charlton Heston, Alan
Howard, Lila Kaye, David Kernan, Diane Langton, George
Layton, Johnny Lyons, Millicent Martin, Joe Melia, Claire
Moore, Brian Murphy, Richard O’Brien, Lance Percival, Bryan
Pringle, Willie Rushton, Ned Sherrin, Victor Spinetti,
Richard Stilgoe, Peter Ustinov,
Ensemble: Mark
Blythe, Lesley Cox, Lisa Donmall, Sharon Eckman, Luke
Hope, Matthew McRae, Johanne Murdock, Loretta O’Neill,
Tober Reilly, Lisa Reynolds, Peter Sutherland, Claire
Taylor, Simon Truby, and, Paul Westhead
Production Team
Choreographers: Kenn Oldfield and David Toguri
Directors : Frank Hauser, and, Trevor Nunn
Musical Directors: Glen Roven and Kevin Amos
Writers : Anton Chekov, John Gould, Frank Hauser, David Monico, Richard Stilgoe, and, David Wood
Musicians:
Trombone - Brian Archer
Trumpet - Andy Bush
Drums - Richard Cole
Bass - Steve McManus
Keyboards - Andy Linwood
Woodwind - Nick Moss
Set Design - Mark Thompson (actually it was his Pericles set)
Design Consultant - Richard Hornsby
Lighting Designer - Paul McLeish
Sound Designer - Paul Groothuis
Running Order
Act 1
Comedy Tonight - Gillian Bevan, Louise Gold, David Kernan
and Ensemble (staged by Kenn Oldfield)
David Frost
- David Frost
I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue - Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer, and, Willie
Rushton
Tap Your Troubles Away - Rhonda Burchmore
Ned Sherrin
- Ned Sherrin
A Transgression (By Anton Chekov, dramatised by Frank Hauser) - Nicholas
Amer, Robert Bathurst, Frances de la Tour, Helena
Bonham-Carter, Frank Finlay
(Directed by Frank Hauser)
Ahab The Arab - Richard O’Brien
Richard Wilson - Richard Wilson
Mr Snow
- Janie Dee
You’re The Top! - Claire Moore
The Boy From... - Millicent Martin
Rob Wilton
-
Brief Encounter - Judi Dench and Alan Howard (directed by Trevor
Nunn)
Trevor Nunn
- Trevor Nunn
An Excerpt from An Actor’s Life For Me
- Courtesy of The BBC
Broadway Baby
- Diane Langton
Act 2
The Dubliners
Tributes
- from Peter Ustinov, Charlton Heston and
David Frost
- David Frost
Drill Scene (from
Oh What A Lovely War) - Victor Spinetti with Larry Dann, Johnny
Lyons, Brian Murphy, and, Bryan Pringle
Music From The Movies - John Gould
Taking The Mikado (by John Gould and David Wood) - George Layton
and John Gould
Ned Sherrin
- Ned Sherrin
TW3
- Kenneth Cope, David Frost, David Kernan, Millicent
Martin, Ned Sherrin, Lance Percival, and, Willie Rushton
Marti Caine
- Marti Caine
Thou Swell
- Janie Dee and Clive Carter
A Father’s Lullaby - written and performed by Richard Stilgoe
Every Bloody Gala Is The Same - written and performed by Richard Stilgoe with:
Martin Smith
- Martin Smith
Peter O’Toole With Keith Baxter - Peter O’Toole with Keith
Baxter
Parlato In Italiano - (by David Monico) - Sheila Hancock, Joe
Melia, and, Brian Murphy
Eddie Izzard
- Eddie Izzard
Finale
- Linzi Hateley and the Company
As Roy
Kinnear was known for his work in the world of political satire,
particularly with regards to TW3. It is perhaps worth noting the
various people presumably involved with this gala who also occupy their place
in that world
Firstly: like Roy
Kinnear himself: Kenneth Cope, David Frost, David Kernan,
Millicent Martin, Lance Percival, Willie Rushton, Ned
Sherrin all worked on That Was The Week That Was itself.
But more
modern political satirists are also billed as appearing in this gala; indeed Spitting Image’s original leading puppeteer (who
may also have connections with Roy
Kinnear’s hometown) was scheduled to sing in the opening number!
Ned Sherrin wrote material for both The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe
and The Metropolitan Mikado
Louise Gold and Martin Smith both appeared in The Metropolitan Mikado
While Peter
O’Toole was actually a victim of the satirists, being lampooned on Spitting Image, and that satire actually found
its way onto the Spitting image compilation album Spit
In Your Ear.
David Frost is also credited as having been involved in a bit of directing for Spitting Image.
Louise Gold, David Kernan, and, Ned Sherrin
appeared together in Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It,
for which Umpire Hugh Wooldrige went on to do the lighting design at
Chichester, Guildford and Richmond, and for which Peter Sutherland was a
standby. While Choreographer David Toguri did the choreography for the
Louise Gold, David Kernan and Steve McManus’s
recording credits include Nole/Cole:
Let’s Do It (Recording)
Gillian
Bevan, Marti Caine, Larry
Dann, Louise Gold, David Kernan, Claire Moore, Ned
Sherrin, and, Martin Smith had previously appeared in Kids At Heart which David Kernan also
directed. It’s possible that Loretta O’Neill could also have appeared in
it, as a dancer named Loretta O’Neal.
Louise Gold, Diane Langton, and, Ned Sherrin
had previously appeared in Chicago &
Company which David Kernan also directed.
Louise Gold, David Kernan, Ned Sherrin, and, Martin
Smith had previously appeared in Broadway
To Brighton.
Louise Gold, David Kernan, Millicent Martin, Claire
Moore, Ned Sherrin, and, Martin Smith had previously appeared
in A Time To Start Living which David
Kernan also directed, and for which the musicians also included Brian
Archer, Andy Bush, Steve McManus.
Louise Gold and David Kernan had previously appeared
in Sondheim At The Barbican.
Louise Gold and David Kernan went on to appear
together in Side By Side By Sondheim,
which David Kernan also directed
David
Kernan went on to appear in and
direct the Side By Side By Sondheim 25th
Anniversary Gala, which Millicent Martin and Ned Sherrin also
appeared in. And where “Millie” also song The Boy From....
Ned Sherrin had previously written material for Ziegfeld (stage show) some of the latter was
included in Ziegfeld (recording). He went
on to present Ned Sherrin’s Review Of Revue.
Ned Sherrin and Martin Smith went on to appear in a
concert of highlights from the Ratepayer’s Iolanthe
& The Metropolitan Mikado.
Martin
Smith’s recording credits include
Great Duets From The Musicals,
and, The Great Musicals – Glamour And Majesty.
Keith
Baxter, David Kernan, Claire
Moore, Andy Bush may have previously appeared in Will-Aid which David Kernan, along with Ned
Sherrin, directed, and for which Kenn Oldfield did some of the
choreography. Trevor Nunn may have contributed some song lyrics.
Clive
Carter had previously appeared in
Joseph And The
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (York Production) and My Fair Lady. He has gone on to take part in Shopping With The Stars 2009.
John Gould went on to play the piano on Let’s Do The Show Right Here, which Barry
Cryer was a guest contestant on.
Louise Gold, Barry Cryer and Johanne Murdock
had previously appeared in Du Barry Was A
Lady (1993 Production).
Diane
Langton, Millicent Martin,
Victor Spinetti, and Richard Stilgoe had previously appeared in The Royal Variety Performance
(1982).
Diane
Langton went on to appear in Follies.
Janie Dee, and Diane Langton’s recording credits
include Defiant Dames, on which Steve
McManus was a Bass player
Diane
Langton’s recording credits
include Cole Porter - Night And Day.
Judi Dench and Claire Moore’s recording credits
include Cabaret.
Claire
Moore’s recording credits include
Encore The Very Best From
The Musicals, Simply Musicals, and, 100 Hits Musicals.
Peter
Sutherland and Louise Gold
had previously appeared together in Blood Brothers.
Louise Gold and Simon Truby went on to appear together
the following month in New Girl In Town.
Kevin Amos had previously been the Musical Director &
Pianist on One Touch Of Venus (1992
Production) and went on to be a Musical Director & The Conductor on One Touch Of Venus (2000 Production).
Kenn
Oldfield and Louise Gold
had previously appeared together in Joseph And The
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Touring Production).
Kenn
Oldfield also choreographed a
production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
at
Gillian
Bevan and Louise Gold had
previously appeared together in The Boys
From Syracuse, which was choreographed by Kenn Oldfield. They went
on to reprise one of their The Boys From
Syracuse numbers in the Regents Park
70th Anniversary Gala, also with Kenn Oldfield’s
choreography.
Janie Dee, and, Judi Dench also went on to appear in
the Regents Park 70th
Anniversary Gala.
Judi Dench had directed The
Boys From Syracuse.
Mark
Thompson went on to design Mamma Mia.
The Australian
singer-dancer Rhonda Burchmore was over hear appearing in London with the
rest of the Australian cast of The Hot Shoe Shuffle. The
following year that same show toured the
Millicent
Martin had previously appeared on
television in Julia And Company.
Janie Dee, Richard O’Brien, and, Trevor Nunn
have gone on to appear on television in A
Week In The West End.
Clive
Carter,
Janie Dee, John Gould, and, George Layton may have previously appeared in Dear Ralph, with
George Layton and John Gould
also performing Taking The Mikado.
Bass-player
Steve McManus has gone play in the pit orchestra for the stage
production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Victor Spinnetti and Louise
Gold went on to appear in that show, but in different casts.
Frank
Finlay had
previously appeared on television in BlackAdder.
Peter Ustinov went on to do voice-work on the TV Film Animal Farm.
Steve
McManus
went on to work on Happily Ever After, his recording credits
include Oliver! (Recording).
Millicent Martin, David Kernan, Janie Dee, Judi Dench, Louise Gold,
and, Ned Sherrin went on to appear
in Side By Side By Sondheim 30th
Anniversary Gala.
Sheila Hancock and Peter Ustinov’s TV
film credits include Alice In Wonderland.
Janie Dee
went on to appear in A Love Letter To Dan.
Tim Brooke-Taylor had previously appeared on television in Roland Rat The Series.
Diane Langton, Claire Moore, and, Martin Smith’s recording credits
include The Great Musicals - Wonderful Tales.
Gillian Bevan’s recording credits include Centre
Stage Showtime!.
David Kernan, Diane Langton, and, Martin Smith’s recording credits
include The Great Musicals – Laughter And
Tears.
After Ned Sherrin’s death The Company Of Mary Poppins’s late
night FUNdraising special was dedicated to him. In that show puppeteer Louise Gold sang a very different
version of the song Comedy Night.
Diane Langton has gone on to appear, along
with Louise Gold, in Mary Poppins.
Linzi Hately went on to appear at Shopping
With The Stars 2008.
Gillian Bevan, and, Claire Moore’s
recording credits include Magic Of The
Musicals.
Barry Cryer, and,
David Kernan, Claire Moore, Gillian Bevan, Ned Sherrin, and Helena Bonham Carter may have previously taken part in Thing A Thon.
Design Consultant Richard Hornsby went on to be the production designer for Transmission:
Impossible With Ed And Oucho.
Gillian Bevan, and, Diane Langton’s
recording credits include 100 Hits Musicals.
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