2024 - 2025 Amateur Musicals

Very excited to direct the area premiere of "Parade" in Ipswich later this year...

Here's a rare one.

Cowes Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society on the Isle of Wight are presenting Sir Tim Rice/Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Likes Of Us at the Trinity Theatre from Thursday 12th to Sunday 16th June. Includes a Saturday matinee which I've booked.

I've seen almost 100 amateur musicals, including many youth theatre shows, in the last 5 years and I've never once been disappointed with the standard of performance.

Love Never Dies amateur UK premiere at Wolverhampton earlier this month was way better than last years's concert version at Drury Lane, as was Wimbledon's 2022 Calendar Girls in comparison with the recent (revised much for the worse) professional touring production.

Follies (WLOS)

A really enjoyable amateur production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, put on by the Wimbledon Light Opera Society.

Having enjoyed so many of these wonderful songs - I’m Still Here, Losing My Mind and Could I Leave You? to name a few - in the recent Old Friends revue, this was a must-see for me.

The company did a great job but it was Elizabeth Burton’s Sally and Sarah Grey’s Phyllis that really impressed. Special mentions for Scott Butler as Buddy and Laarni Cornista-Samuelsson as Carlotta also.

It’s a shame the National’s revival of it came before I truly discovered my love for Sondheim; that cast would have been incredible. Hopefully there will be a professional revival elsewhere in the coming years.

I'm hoping to see up to 9 of the 11, only excluding Belfast and Glasgow, but for some venues depending on what's available at a matinee when booking opens. Minack in Cornwall is a must but probably the most challenging to do as a day trip from Kent.

Here's an ambitious production for an amateur musical theatre society. Riverside Players present The Sound Of Music outdoor in the grounds of Eynsford Castle in Kent for 10 performance between August 3rd and 10th.
Booking through Ticket Source. The Castle is 10 minutes walk from Eynsford Railway Station which is on the line between Bromley South and Sevenoaks, and there's car parking 5 minutes walk from Castle.

Sunday in the park with George - SEDOS.

So many superlatives can be used to describe this production.

Will de Renzy-Martin was hypnotic as George, manic but with growing self awareness. One of the best ive seen.

The 12 piece band, complete with easels as music stands played the orchestrations beautifully.

Robert J Stanex is a director with great imagination and brought new light to the peice, pun intended.

A large cast, divided into 2, one for each act. This gave the chance for each to observe and comment from the sidelines.

Finishing the hat took on a new meaning, 3 dimensional who knew?

The choreographed Chromolume sequence was stunning.

Two days later and im still thinking about it. Thank you SEDOS for a great evening.


Two performances are planned for July and August at the Thorington Theatre. Go go go!




www.thoringtontheatre.co.uk/events/sunday-in-the-park

I don't really think it's a revival if it's just three nights at the Phoenix, which is a cabaret venue. More likely just small-scale fringe concert put on by one of the recent graduates. But good for them though!

Merged

I'll be playing Lonny Barnett in Creators Theatre Company's production of Rock of Ages, to be staged in Solihull from the 31st October to 3rd November: www.creatorstheatre.com/rockofages

It looks like am dram masquerading as fringe in order to get some central London exposure and a CV credit to be honest. Not something I'd go and see, but good luck to them.

I see a lot of sedos stuff but their current offerings don’t appeal. However they are generally of a very high standard. They usually perform at the Bridewell which is a great space. If the musical appeals it’s probably worth a try.