Theatre Cares Present The Company Of Mary Poppins

Theatre Cares Late Night Cabaret Present:

The Company Of Mary Poppins

Louise Gold starred as a member of The Company Of Mary Poppins (actually she puppeteered The Queen from Spitting Image), at Trafalgar Studios Theatre, Studio 1, at 23:30 on Monday 1 October 2007, performance given in aid of Theatrecares.

Cast

Zee Asha, Romy Baskerville, Jonny Bowles, Clare Bonsu, Charlie Bull, Lewis Butler, Michael Cantwell, Sarah Cortez, Gavin Creel, Louise Davidson, Ray C. Davis, Neil Ditt, Cara Elston, Louise Gold, Stephen Kirwan, Claire Machin, Andrew Macdonald, David McMullan, Jane McMurtrie, Clare Rickard, Romeo Salazar, Jonathan Sephton, Scarlett Strallen, John Trakos, Philip Michael Thomas, Rebecca Thornhill, Sam Tyler, Maria Ward, Stuart Winter, and, Hannah Woolley

Production Team

Musical Direction - Roger Davison

The Band

Keyboard – Roger Davison

Bass – Richard Pyrce

Drums – Justin Woodward

Credits

Production Manager – Kieran McGivern

Sound – Leigh Davies

Lighting - Peter Bragg

Poster Artwork – Stephen Crocker

For Trafalgar Studios

Theatre Manager – Adam Knight

Deputy Theatre Manager – Caroline Gooding

Box Office Manager – Martin Crosier

Deputy Box Office Manager – Matt Ward

Technical Manager – Ben ‘Sonny’ Evans

Deputy Technical Manager – JR

Studio Technician – Andrew Lawson

Head Usher – Olivia Caussanel

Stage Door – Emily Buck, Stefan Butler, and, Leo Haslam

For Theatrecares

Chair – David Pendlebury

Events & Development – Jane Deitch

Administrator – Oli Seadon

Photographer – Matt Jamie

Thanks to: – Roger Davison and the band, Sue Lardner, Cathy Marchant-Olympios, Leanne Watts, Desiree Birch, Jo Nielson, Vanya Pell, Kate Griffiths, Natalie Smith, Lauren Coull, Sam Craven-Griffiths, Alan Hatton, Graham Harrison, Christopher Marcus, Simon Gant, Emma Smith, Banky, Tony Heare & The Company Of Chicago, & Cameron Mackintosh Ltd

For a full review/account of this Late Night Cabaret, please click here.

The show featured the company of Mary Poppins. (although your webmaster couldn’t find: Jonny Bowles, Andrew Macdonald, Jonathan Sephton, John Trakos, Maria Ward listed). The Band were all members of The Mary Poppins pit orchestra. Sue Lardner, Cathy Marchant-Olympios, Leanne Watts, Desiree Birch, Jo Nielson, Vanya Pell, and, Kate Griffiths are all part of The Company too (wardrobe, wigs etc). While Alan Hatton is the Company Manager and Graham Harrison, and, Christopher Marcus two of his ASMs

The performance was dedicated to Ned Sherrin, who died earlier that day. Ned Sherrin had contributed to such theatrical performances as: Metropolitan Mikado, Will-Aid, Ziegfeld (Stage Show), Kids At Heart, Chicago & Company, Broadway To Brighton, A Time To Start Living, Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It, Comedy Tonight, Side By Side By Sondheim, Side By Side By Sondheim 25^th Anniversary Gala, A Concert of highlights from the Ratepayers’ Iothanthe & Metropolitan Mikado, and, Side By Side By Sondheim 30^th Anniversary Gala. He also contributed material Ziegfeld (Recording), and his radio credits included Ned Sherrin’s Review Of Revue.

Theatrecares was formerly known as West End Cares, whose FUNdraising productions included Chicago & Company, and, A Time To Start Living. It’s volunteers have since transformed into TheatreMAD, and their productions include Flaunt It 2008.

Michael Cantwell and Louise Gold had previously appeared in Merrily We Roll Along (Stage production) and on it’s album Merrily We Roll Along (Recording). They have also appeared together in Assassins, and, One Touch Of Venus (2000 Production), their recording credits also include Cabaret.

Louise Davidson, and, Louise Gold had previously appeared together in Something For The Boys; and in Mamma Mia, where Louise Davidson had understudied Louise Gold.

Ray C. Davis, and, Louise Gold had previously appeared in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Norwich Production).

Ray C. Davis, Louise Gold, and, Scarlett Strallen had previously appeared together in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

David Pendlebury had appeared in Du Barry Was A Lady (1993 Production), which Louise Gold starred in.

It may perhaps be worth mentioning that at one time or another, in one division of the school or another the multitalented: Louise Gold, Scarlett Strallen, and Rebecca Thornhill all trained at Arts Ed.

Louise Gold used to puppeteer Her Maj on Spitting Image, she has also done so on several programmes about that programme, as well as on Comic Relif 1986 and at the Dress Circle Grand Re-opening, and in her own cabaret act LOUISE GOLD...By Appointment. As a musical-theatre actress she also sung Comedy Tonight (without a puppet) in Comedy Tonight, Side By Side By Sondheim, Regents Park 70^th Anniversary Gala, Curtain Up! and, Side By Side By Sondheim 30^th Anniversary Gala.

The programme did not credit any specific writers for the show. However this should perhaps be credited to it’s four main stars. Much of the Additional Material was written by Gavin Creel and Rebecca Thornhill; while there was also an amount of improvisation from Scarlett Strallen and Louise Gold.

Cara Elston, Louise Gold, and, Clare Rickard’s recording credits include Oliver! (Recording). which Roger Davison was also playing keyboards on.

Cara Elston, Louise Gold, Clare Rickard, and, Roger Davison, along with Alan Hatton, and, Philip Michael Thomas have gone on to work on Oliver!.

Critics Comments

Links about Theatrecares Present: The Company Of Mary Poppins

TheatreMAD’s website: http://www.theatremad.org.uk/

Whatsonstage.com’s Messageboard’s piece about the show: http://www.whatsonstage.com/board/index.php?showtopic=2341

A review, by Emma Shane, of seeing Rebecca Thornhill & Louise Davidson in cabaret at Lauderdale: http://www.qsulis.demon.co.uk/Reviews/Rebecca_Thornhill_and_Louise_Davidson.htm