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 Sonning Eye, Oxfordshire, England
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24 FEBRUARY - 10 APRIL 2010
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Ah, Paris! The rooftops, the organ grinder’s music, the
Frenchman with a penchant for ‘English ladies’. WORLD PREMIERE! Cast
in order of appearance: DIRECTED by JOANNA READ SET DESIGN by MICHAEL HOLT COSTUME DESIGN by JANE KIDD LIGHTING DESIGN by MATTHEW BISS JOHN CARMICHAEL (Composer of Les Dames Anglaises) The action takes place in the top floor of a house in the Saint-Germain area of Paris ACT
I
Scene 1 – Top floor of a house in the Saint-Germain area of Paris Scene 2 – A week later Scene 3 – A few days later ACT II Scene 1 – A week later Scene 2 – Two weeks later Scene 3 - A month later
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MICHAEL
FENNER (Charlot) Michael trained at The Central School of
Speech and Drama. Michael's most recent appearance is as a naked
man in an IKEA commercial with the Mill's Managing Director, Sally
Hughes, as his wife! Theatre: Recent theatre appearances include
A NIGHT IN PROVENCE, NOT NOW DARLING and THE MATING GAME at The
Mill At Sonning, LOTTY’S WAR at Greenwich Playhouse, ROMEO AND
JULIET at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester; CALCULUS at
the New end Theatre, Hampstead; THE TRUMPET MAJOR at the Bridewell
Theatre and SAN DIEGO at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow. He was in
the National Tour of the West End production of THE KING AND I.
In the West End he premiered two roles for Ray Cooney: Ronnie
in OUT OF ORDER at the Shaftesbury Theatre (also on a UK tour)
and Dr Mike Connolly in IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY at the Playhouse
Theatre. For Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre: KING LEAR , AS YOU LIKE
IT and A MAD WORLD MY MASTERS. With the RSC: OROONOKO and TIMON
OF ATHENS. With the English Shakespeare Company, he took part
in a world tour of THE WARS OF THE ROSES , as well as appearing
in the same production at The Old Vic and Zoo Story at the Young
Vic as well as a national tour of BEOWOLF. At the National Theatre:
SISTERLY FEELINGS, THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN, HIAWATHA, THE HYPOCHONDRIAC
(for which he was nominated for the Plays and Players award as
Best Newcomer), THE SPANISH TRAGEDY, THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE,
AMADEUS and OTHELLO. Repertory work at Salisbury Playhouse, Bristol
Old Vic, Manchester Library Theatre, Perth, Crewe, Leatherhead,
Windsor, Bromley, Basingstoke and Westcliffe in JOSEPH AND THE
AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN, BAREFOOT
IN THE PARK, THE HOSTAGE, EQUUS, THE RULING CLASS, DESTINY, ABSURD
PERSON SINGULAR, THE BOYFRIEND, ROMEO AND JULIET, CHARLEY’S AUNT,
THE GHOST TRAIN, IT’S A MAD WORLD MY MASTERS, JULIUS CAESAR, WOYZECK,
ONE GOOD TURN. Television: MY FAMILY, PERSONAL AFFAIRS, THE COMPLETE
GUIDE TO PARENTING, SINCHRONICITY, JERICHO, FOOTBALLERS’ WIVES,
DOCTORS, EASTENDERS, HIGH STAKES, DANGERFIELD, LONDON’S BURNING,
THE PARADISE CLUB, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, INSPECTOR MORSE, THE MONOCLED
MUTINEER, FIGHTING BACK, SHINE ON HARVEY MOON, CROWN COURT, A
SLIGHT BREEZE. Film: A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT, DEAD ON TIME, JERUSALEM,
LOST IN LONDON, HAWK THE SLAYER. Michael is also an accomplished
painter, whose work has been exhibited at several London galleries
and at the RI and RSMA; he has been shortlisted for the RA and
the Garrick Milne Prize for theatrical portraiture. You can find
out more about Michael on his website:www.michaelfenner.com |
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LUCY
FLEMING (Anna) Lucy Fleming trained in repertory before joining
William Gaskill’s Royal Court company notably in Christopher Hampton’s
first play WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE MY MOTHER? (Comedy) She went
on to appear in the West End in OUT OF THE QUESTION (St Martins),
DON’T START WITHOUT ME, (Garrick) and HAY FEVER (Duke of Yorks)
with her mother Dame Celia Johnson. Other West End appearances
include playing the Queen to Ian McKellen’s RICHARD II and EDWARD
II (Mermaid and Picadilly), MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD (Apollo) and A PERSONAL
AFFAIR (Gielgud). She also played Peter O’Toole’s wife in OUR
SONG (Apollo). She has acted in plays by Wilde, Marlowe, Feydeau,
Acland, Ayckbourn, Neil Simon, P.G. Wodehouse, Christopher Fry
and Pinter among others. Lucy played Viola at the Crucible and
Celia at Chichester in a season that included parts in John Osborne’s
A PATRIOT FOR ME and TIME AND THE CONWAYS. Later she returned
to play Lady Chiltern in AN IDEAL HUSBAND. Television appearances
include: SMILEY’S PEOPLE, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Ken Loach’s A MISFORTUNE,
COLD WARRIOR, WYCLIFFE, NANCHERROW,
A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME, ROSEMARY AND
THYME, HEARTBEAT and various comedies including DEAR JOHN, EVER
DECREASING CIRCLES, and MR BEAN. She scored a personal success
playing Jenny in the Terry Nation’s classic BBC series SURVIVORS.
She appeared in Somerset Maugham’s THE CONSTANT WIFE directed
by Edward Hall in the West End and also worked with Edward in
THAT GOOD NIGHT starring Donald Sinden and FOR SERVICES RENDERED
at the Watermill Theatre. Recently she appeared in Richard Curtis’s
THE BOAT THAT ROCKED and filmed THE SORROWS, a psychological thriller.
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LOUISE
JAMESON (Raquel) Louise trained at RADA then immediately worked
for the BBC in CIDER WITH ROSIE. She has since been a ‘regular’
in many series for them: TOM BROWN’S SCHOOL DAYS, DR. WHO, OMEGA
FACTOR, BERGERAC, RIDES, EASTENDERS, RIVER CITY and her personal
favourite TENKO, not to mention guest appearances in CASUALTY,
WYCLIFFE, THE BILL and some classy ‘one offs’ such as THE GAME.
Series for other companies include EMMERDALE, THE SECRET DIARY
OF ADRIAN MOLE and MOLLIE. Her first love, however, is the theatre
and two years after finishing RADA, where she won the Shakespeare
Award for Best Classical Performance, she joined the RSC for three
years and played Stratford, London and America in numerous plays
including ROMEO AND JULIET, RICHARD II, LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST and
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Non-Shakespearean roles include Molly
in THE MARQUIS OF KEITH (with Sir Ian McKellen), Sylvia Plath
in THREE WOMEN, Kate in PASSION PLAY (best New Play) and Nadia
Polikarpovna in Gorky’s BARBARIANS. She has also worked with the
Royal National Theatre in DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Away from the ‘Royals’,
favourite theatre includes Rosalind in AS YOU LIKE IT (Regent’s
Park Open Air Theatre), Helena in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Old
Vic), Miriam Gotchalk in MEPHISTO and Beatrice in MUCH ADO ABOUT
NOTHING (both for Oxford Theatre Company), Roxanne in STICKY FINGERS
(a musical for the King’s Head), Moll in MOLL FLANDERS (also a
musical, Yorkshire Playhouse) and Mollie in SLEEPING NIGHTIE (Royal
Court Upstairs). She has filmed two ‘shorts’ called THE LAST 24
and AFTER ALICE (BAFTA nominated), and way back did a couple of
horrors. Other films include MY FRIEND WALTER and STICK WITH ME
KID. This century she has presented for the BBC, given her Wicked
Queen and Good Fairy and toured with DINNER, THE GHOST TRAIN,
CORPSE, CONFUSIONS, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, BEDROOM FARCE and WOMEN
ON THE VERGE OF HRT. Recent television includes THE BILL, LOOSE
WOMEN and DOCTORS (being aired next April). She owns TLC Productions,
a company which tutors teenagers (www.sundaydramacollege.com)
and also explores and encourages new writing and takes a sideways
look at the classics: to which end she has produced, written and
directed WOTCHA WILL, premiered a two-hander, SEXWARS and performed
her own one woman comedy FACE VALUE at Hackney Empire: Whilst
rehearsing this play she was performing with Steven Berkoff in
SIT AND SHIVER. Most recently she has recorded an episode of DOCTORS
(showing during this run.) Immediately this finishes she is appearing
in her home town of Tunbridge Wells in FROM WOMEN’S EYES. For
more information visit www.louisejameson.com. She does, however,
consider her best productions to date to be her two sons, Harry
and Tom. |
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ANNA
NICHOLAS (Madame Boussiron) Theatre includes: Madame Dubonnet
in THE BOYFRIEND, Regents Park; Solange in FOLLIES, Festival Hall;
CELEBRATION OF SONDHEIM, Red Pear Theatre, Antibes; Gertrude in
HAMLET, Manchester Library Theatre; Charlotte in A LITTLE NIGHT
MUSIC, Leicester Haymarket; Gertrude in HAMLET and Maria in TWELFTH
NIGHT, Birmingham Rep; Joanne in COMPANY, Library Theatre, Manchester;
Hedda Hopper in FRANKLY SCARLETT, King’s Head; Conchita in COPACABANA,Prince
of Wales; Viola in TWELFTH NIGHT, and SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM,
Holders Festival; MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, BOYS FROM SYRACUSE
and A CONNECTICUT YANKEE, Regents Park; LEND ME A TENOR, Gielgud
Theatre; Acid Queen in TOMMY, Queens Theatre, London; SECUDED,
Young Vic; BLOODY NEIGHBOURS, National Theatre; Magenta in THE
ROCKY HORROR SHOW, Kings Road Theatre; Pier Angeli in DEAN, Prince
Edward Theatre; HAIR, Queens Theatre, London. Television and film:
Pinochet in SUBURBIA; ONE FOOT IN THE ALGARVE; MAY TO DECEMBER;
FOREVER GREEN; FEATHERS; LOVEJOY; THE ROSE MEDALLION; THE GIRL
WHO WALKED QUICKLY; Vera Venom in MONSTER TV; HAZEL; EMILY; WITHIN
THESE WALLS; RUNNING WILD; CUBA; EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN and
A GERM IS BORN for radio. |
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MARLENE
SIDAWAY (Nancy) Marlene trained at East 15. Theatre includes:-
Nancy in WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS The Mill at Sonning; Miss Shepherd
in LADY IN THE VAN, Salisbury; Marjorie in JUST BETWEEN OURSELVES,
Northampton Theatre Royal; Botilda in THE ENCHANTMENT, National
Theatre; Marina in UNCLE VANYA AT CABLE STREET, Wiltons Music
Hall; Doris in TALKING HEADS, Harrogate Theatre; Lyddia in A PRAYER
FOR OWEN MEANEY, National Theatre; Edie in KISS ME LIKE YOU MEAN
IT, Soho Theatre; Kate Keller in ALL MY SONS, Bristol Old Vic;
Shaughnessy in A TIME & A SEASON, Plymouth Theatre Royal; Countess
Beaulac in RABENTHAL, Wolsey Ipswich/Teatro Technis; Dotty in
NOISES OFF, Liverpool Playhouse; Marjorie in JUST BETWEEN OURSELVES,
Irene in A LADY OF LETTERS, Scarborough; Lily in PEACE IN OUR
TIME, Aunt Jule in HEDDA GABLER, Royal Exchange; Dulcie in DEARLY
BELOVED, Hampstead; Barbara in FOREIGN LANDS, Finborough; Esme
in THE MADNESS OF ESME & SHAZ, Royal Court. Television includes:-
SURVIVORS, BEING HUMAN, VICAR OF DIBLEY, SENSITIVE SKIN, MAY 33RD,
HOLBY CITY, THE INSPECTOR LINLEY MYSTERIES, THE MAN NEXT DOOR,
LIFE BEGINS, FOYLE’S WAR, SIRENS,READY WHEN YOU ARE MR MCGILL,
DOCTORS, CASUALTY, BAD GIRLS, ANNA KARENINA, PEAK PRACTICE, THE
SECRET, MIDSOMER MURDERS, POLTERGUEST, SEX CHIPS & ROCK N ROLL,
THE DARK ROOM, BARBARA, HEARTBEAT, HUNTING VENUS, GOODNIGHT MISTER
TOM, TRIAL & RETRIBUTION, THE BILL. Films: ME AND ORSON WELLS,
VENUS, BLACK BALL, OLIVER TWIST, TOM’S MIDNIGHT GARDEN, BEAUTIFUL
THING, ALL MEN ARE MORTAL, THE KEY. Radio :- DAUNT DURVISH, OUR
KATH, RUMPOLE AND THE VANISHING JUROR, A SOUND OF SILENCE, SNAP,
THE ARCHERS, BRACKEN HILL, THE STORY OF TRACY BEAKER, THE WYNDAM
CASE, EACH WAY YANKEE, THRUSH GREEN, DAUGHTERS OF BRITANNIA, THE
DIRTY DI RENZIS, MARY BARTON, VELMA & THERESE, played Miss Lewis
in KING ST JUNIOR for the past 20 years. |
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JOANNA
READ (Director) Recent productions include THE CORSTORPHINE
ROAD NATIVITY by Tim Firth for the The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh;
THE DAUGHTER IN LAW for The New Vic Theatre; MATILDA AND DUFFY’S
STUPENDOUS SPACE ADVENTURE for the Watermill Theatre Newbury;
ON THE RAZZLE for Bristol Old Vic Theatre School; THE CUSTOM OF
THE COUNTRY for RADA; TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA for Guildford Shakespeare
Company; DANGEROUS CORNER for the New Vic. Last summer she directed
ANIMAL FARM at the old prison yard in Oxford and THE COMEDY OF
ERRORS for the Guildford Shakespeare Company. Joanna was Artistic
Director of Salisbury Playhouse until July 2007. Productions there
included SHADOWLANDS with Julian Glover and Lisa Eichorn, the
European premiere of Arthur Millers PLAYING FOR TIME, THE HIRED
MAN (TMA award best musical) TWO CITIES a new musical by Howard
Goodall and national tours of JAMAICA INN and A TOUCH OF THE SUN.
Other productions directed for Salisbury include THE DUCHESS OF
MALFI, A WINTERS TALE, EQUUS, MACBETH, BARBARIANS, TO KILL A MOCKING
BIRD, ROUGH CROSSING, RUTHERFORD AND SON, THE WATERS OF THE MOON,
A TASTE OF HONEY, SWEETHEART, DONKEYS’ YEARS, SEE HOW THEY RUN,
POOL DEATH, THE SECRET RAPTURE. Freelance work includes the number
one tour of BRASSED OFF for the Touring Partnership and Sheffield
Theatres, TALENT for the Palace Theatre Watford and an outdoor
production of the TEMPEST. Joanna was Associate Director at the
Octagon Theatre Bolton where she won a Manchester Evening News
award for her production of THE WIZARD OF OZ, as well as directing
PAT AND MARGARET, TWO, THE DAUGHTER IN LAW, A CHRISTMAS CAROL,
HYSTERIA and CANDIDA. She was Education Director at Birmingham
Repertory Theatre where she commissioned and directed new plays
by Debbie Isitt, Richard Cameron, Andrew Alty and Alex Jones.
Joanna has also written many pantomines with Stuart Thomas. Their
production of CINDERELLA was at the Watford Palace Theatre last
Christmas and she will be writing ALADDIN for them this year. |
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| MICHAEL
HOLT (Set Designer) Michael Holt's design career has taken
him to theatres throughout the United Kingdom and the World for
productions of opera, ballet and drama. He has been associated
with playwright Alan Ayckbourn at his theatre in Scarborough for
over 20 years. His numerous designs for this author/director include
TAKING STEPS, WOLF AT THE DOOR, MAN OF THE MOMENT, TIME AND THE
CONWAYS, A DOLL’S HOUSE, and the much praised OTHELLO with Michael
Gambon. He also designed the American premiere of Alan Ayckbourn's
SEASON’S GREETINGS at the Joyce Theatre, New York. Most acclaimed
among his ballet designs are THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, MADAM BUTTERFLY
and ROMEO AND JULIET for Northern Ballet. Michael's notable designs
for opera include of LA BOHEME (Sadler's Wells Theatre), Benjamin
Britten's BILLY BUDD (Brisbane) and Vaughn Williams' PILGRIMS
PROGRESS (the Royal Opera House). His West End credits include
ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR (Whitehall Theatre), THE GLORY OF THE GARDEN
(Duke of York's Theatre), ROUGH JUSTICE (Apollo Theatre), and
JUNE MOON (Vaudeville Theatre). He has received much acclaim for
the design of the long-running West End success THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
Michael has written a number of books on stage and costume design
and has published a book on the plays of Alan Ayckbourn. |
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JANE
KIDD (Costume designer) Jane who is our Resident Costume Designer,
trained in Fashion Design at Berkshire College of Art. She freelanced
in knitwear and dress design for five years before joining The
Mill as Wardrobe Mistress, and enjoys making a variety of both
period and modern costumes, of which she has made many whilst
at the Mill. |
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| MATTHEW
BISS (Lighting Designer) Matthew is currently working as Technical
Manager at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead and is
delighted to be invited back to The Mill to light WE’LL ALWAYS
HAVE PARISA few of his numerous previous designs at The Mill,
include SEPARATE TABLES, A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, DEADLY MURDER,
THE BED BEFORE YESTERDAY, THE ODD COUPLE, HOLIDAY SNAP, THAT OLD
FEELING and TIME AND TIME AGAIN and IT’S NEVER ALL RIGHT ON THE
NIGHT. |
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SALLY
HUGHES (Artistic Director) Sally spent her early years in
Venezuela and Argentina and after finishing her education in England,
she then trained at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
On graduating she was given her first engagement by John Fernald
who directed her in COMING OF AGE. Then followed ARE YOU NOW OR
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN at The Bush and CATCHPENNY TWIST at The King’s
Head Theatre. In 1984 Sally took over the post of Artistic Director
of The Mill At Sonning from Peter Egan and has directed and appeared
in many of its productions, including DAMES AT SEA (an excerpt
of which was included in The Royal Gala Performance in the presence
of HRH The Prince of Wales). Most recent appearances include A
SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY – THE STORY OF DORIS DAY, TOO MARVELOUS FOR
WORDS, both directed by Alvin Rakoff, ALPHABETICAL ORDER & THE
HEIRESS both directed by Anthony Valentine. A few of the plays
Sally has directed at The Mill are A FOOT IN THE DOOR, STEPPING
OUT, A TOUCH OF SPRING, FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS and very recently
the world premiere of MURDER HUNT by Brian Clemens and LOVE’S
A LUXURY. Sally enjoys a career outside of The Mill and has played
leading parts in the BBC series LATE EXPECTATIONS and LAURA AND
DISORDER in which she played Wendy Craig’s daughter-in-law. Other
TV appearances include: DON’T WAIT UP, KEEPING UP APPEARANCES,
BRUSHSTROKES, MULBERRY and KIDNAPPED ABROAD. Sally directed the
National Tour of PASTIMES, starring Rosemary Leach and William
Gaunt and also directed BAREFOOT IN THE PARK by Neil Simon at
the Jermyn Street Theatre in the West End. |
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| JILL
HYEM (Playwright) Jill Hyem returns to theatre-writing after
a long gap. Her last stage play (Soho Poly Theatre) had great
success and was subsequently performed worldwide. She has written
extensively for television, being a co-writer of all three series
of the award-winning TENKO and the original writer of such popular
series as HOWARD’S WAY, WISH ME LUCK and THE HOUSE OF ELLIOTT
for which she was nominated for the prestigious American Cable
Ace award for Best Writer on a series. She has dramatised novels
by Margery Allingham, Barbara Taylor Bradford and Marcelle Bernstein,
and contributed to the vintage MISS MARPLE series starring Joan
Hickson. She also boasts a TV comedy play HIGH HOPES written half
in Esperanto. Jill has written over 50 plays and dramatisations
for radio and her play REMEMBER ME won one of the first Giles
Cooper Awards for Best Radio Play. She made radio history when
she wrote the last episode of THE DALES and the first episode
of the replacement series WAGGONERS’ WALK, which she co-created.
As a former actress, her aim has always been to write good parts
for women. |
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| JOHN
CARMICHAEL (Composer of Les Dames Anglaises) Australian born
John Carmichael studied piano and composition in Melbourne, Paris
and London. He was one of the pioneers in Music Therapy, working
for the Council for Music Therapy at Stoke Mandeville Hospital
where the Paraplegic Olympics were born, toured for several years
as musical director for a Spanish dance company while continuing
to write music in a variety of genres. Several recordings of his
works are commercially released including Sir James Galway’s recording
of PHOENIX for flute & orchestra, and his Trumpet Concerto with
John Wallace and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. |
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| Production: | |
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Production Manager -
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Joan Farnese |
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Stage
Manager -
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James Neal |
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Chief
Electrician -
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Nathan Caples |
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Wardrobe
Mistress -
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Jane Kidd |
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Deputy
Stage Managers -
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Karen Brown & Lottie Cousins |
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Assistant
Stage Manager -
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Claire Baker |
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Technician
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Michelle Green |
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Scenic
Artist -
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Tony Eden |
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Technical
Assistant -
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Simon Graves |
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Wardrobe
Assistant -
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Evelyn Fidler |
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Dressers
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Ann
Baker, Lynn Hinton, Catherine Bristow, Terry Bartholomew, Karen Vass & Sarah Reynolds |
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Theatre
Production Photography -
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Norman Weston |
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Website
Production -
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Chris Berry |